Notes: This is a direct sequel to my Post-Red Storm story, "Everything Changes". It's more of an indirect sequel to "Memorial". I hope you enjoy!
 

Angie checked her hair and clothes again. She wanted everything perfect for today. Her Mother was waiting for her at the nearby Mariott! The blonde couldn't believe she was going to spend Mother's Day with her. Mother's Day with her Mother! It was a miracle, a miracle brought about by her boss, best friend and big brother. Rollie Tyler had risked his life to find her Mother and bring her to her. And now she was going to spend Mother's Day with her Mother for the first time in too long. She glanced over at the corsage she'd picked up for her. And checked her bag for the present she'd gotten. She looked herself over one last time, then ran out the door.

The beautiful blonde climbed into the red sports car and started the engine, listening to it purr. Another thing to thank Rollie for! He'd loaned her his car to take her Mother out on the town. Lunch, shopping, dinner, a play. Angie had a full day planned. The dinner and the play were also courtesy of the Australian. She stopped at a traffic light and briefly wished he'd agreed to join her... them. He'd declined, saying it was Angie's and Anita's day. Not his.

Still, she brushed a tear from her eye, as she remembered catching a wistful and sad look in her best friend's expressive brown eyes. If only... If only Rollie could have spent this day with his mother! Impossible, of course, but still. Her Mother had declared Rollie a son to her and Manny, but Rollie seemed to think that didn't mean he could intrude on her day, today. The light changed and she drove on, thinking about other Mother's Days, days that they shared a mutual grief at loosing their Mothers at young ages. A grief that was rapidly fading for her with the reality of her Mother's presence.

Rollie would spend the day quietly. She knew exactly what he was doing now. He would be in his pickup, heading toward one of the state or national parks. There he would accept a single tree from the rangers and head deeper into the park. Once he arrived to whatever location they'd given him, he would plant it and think about his Mother. Angie wondered what the rangers thought about Rollie getting a single tree this year and about her absence. For ten out of fourteen years, she and Rollie had done this together. She sighed as she thought of Rollie eating his solitary lunch. It wouldn't be a picnic, not really. Because she wasn't there this time. The picnic had been for both of them. As she parked the car and climbed out, she hoped Rollie would eat lunch. It would be all too like him to just skip it. After skipping breakfast too, probably!

Once in the lobby, she smiled brightly and pratically ran to join the older woman waiting for her there. "Hello Momma!" Angie Ramirez hugged her Mother tightly and kissed her cheek. "Happy Mother's Day!" She declared, pinning the corsage to her jacket.

"Thank you, my darling Angel!" Anita Ramirez looked past her daughter's shoulder. "Where is Rollie?"

Angie sighed softly. "He wouldn't come, Momma. He said today was for you and me."

"I wish he had come. I feel like he is my son."

"Me too. It's just..." Angie looked at her Mother with a quirked smile. "He doesn't want to intrude."

"Perhaps if I call him and ask?"

"He won't be there, Momma."

"And where would he be? Surely, he's not working!"

"No, not working. He's... He's honoring his Mother's memory, as he helped me honor yours for all those years we were apart."

"Oh? And what is this?"

So Angie found herself explaining how they would plant trees or flowers depending on where they were and what they were doing to keep their memories of their Mothers alive and strong.

"This is a fine thing, he does and that you did. But still..." She looked out at the street, seeing the people bustling by. "He should not be alone."

"No, he shouldn't!"

The two women smiled, conspiratorily.

"So, do you know where he is?"

"I think so. Let's go!"

Just like that, they abandoned the day's plans. Soon, Angie was driving Rollie's sports car out of the city, tooling toward the Catskill National Park. They stopped briefly to pick up a picnic lunch from a restaurant. She stopped at the familiar gate and beamed at the ranger who walked up to her there. "Hello Tom."

"Why hello Miss Angie. We were wondering where you were today. Good day, ma'am." He tipped his hat politely to the other woman in the car.

"Can you point me to Rollie?"

"Sure. Better yet, I'll give you a map." He hurried into the little gate house and soon returned with it, the location they'd sent Tyler to carefully marked. "You can follow that all right, can't you?"

"No problem. Thanks!"

"You're welcome." He stepped back and smiled, watching them drive deeper into the park.

Angie spotted a flash of red and pulled up beside Rollie's pickup. They got out of the car. She looked down at her clothes and over at her Mother. "We're not exactly dressed for hiking, Momma." She said, voice full of amusement. It was a wonder that Tom hadn't thought she was crazy!

"Nonsense, my daughter. We are fine! Come, let us catch up with Rollie."

And so it was, the local wildlife was treated to the sight of two women in pantsuits walking through the woods. The younger one carried a basket heavy with food and drink.

Good thing they're were wearing comfortable, sensible shoes, Angie thought as she scrambled up a slight muddy rise. And pants! Maybe not hiking gear, but still, not as bad as it could have been. She looked ahead, they should just about be there. Yes! A familiar head of brown hair was in view, the man was bent over the task of digging a hole. "There he is, Momma."

"I see." Anita smiled a bit sadly at the lonely sight. "Let's see if we can't surprise him." She grinned mischeiviously at her daughter.

Angie smiled in delight at surprising her boss. "Let's!" And hopefully cheer him up a bit. He had to be feeling particularly lonely since she wasn't with him to share the moment... Or hadn't been.

The two women walked as quietly as the could to where Rollie Tyler was focused on his task. "G'day Rollie!" Angie said, cheekily in her best atrocious Oz accent.

"What!?!" Rollie jerked up in surprise. His arms windmilling as he lost his balance. The next thing he knew he was sitting on the ground staring up into two pairs of laughing eyes. "An--Angie? Anita? Wh--what are you doing here?"

"We came to spend the day with you, Rollie." Anita answered calmly. "You finish up and I will set out the picnic." She pulled the basket from her daughter's hand and walked a slight distance away, leaving Rollie and Angie to their privacy and this private moment. Rollie had to speak with his Mother right now. Her turn would come in a bit.

Angie looked down to her feet, suddenly uncertain. "You don't mind us coming, do you?"

"No, no. It's just... I thought you had plans." Plans that didn't include a mopey Aussie, he thought to himself.

"We did, we decided we'd rather be with you." She hugged him tightly and smiled shyly. "Can I help?"

"Yeah, you always help, Ange." Rollie beamed up at his best friend, partner and little sister. He accepted her hand and let her help him stand back up. He brushed off his jeans. "Nice outfit."

"Thanks... I think."

Rollie finished digging the hole and Angie pulled the little sapling from it's knapsack. "Bit bigger this year."

"Yeah, well with just one, it could be bigger. So, yeah." Rollie knelt beside the hole and accepted the tree from Angie. He started to put it in it's new home, but looked up at Angie. "Thank you, Angie," he whispered.

"You're welcome, Rol." Angie rested her hands on his shoulders, reminding him he wasn't alone any more. She smiled warmly as Rollie went through the familiar ritual of honoring his Mother.