The chorus of Miley Cyrus' Midnight Sky; can be heard throughout the café when Tricia and Samuel takes a seat at the table in the back by the large window that outlooks Main Street. 

 

"For a person who is about to tie the knot, you don't look so happy," Samuel points out. 

 

Tricia turns to see if any customers were in the radius of listening to them. But the ones were either glued to their phones. Or their faces glued to their other electronic devices to care if the manager of the establishment is having a personal conversation with someone she hardly knows. 

 

"I got a call from my mother telling me she can't make it to the ceremony in Oahu, and I guess it's bothering me," she replies. "Then again. I shouldn't be that surprised. I mean, after all these years that -- a man still has control of her." 

​

Samuel scratches his left forearm, trying to access the situation. "That man would be?" 

​

"My stepfather," she sighs tirelessly. 

 

"You don't like him?" 

 

"No, I hate the bastard, I normally, don't go around advertising this, not even to my friends, my mother has been in an abusive marriage since I was four years old," she says emotionally. 

​

Before he came into the café, Samuel was unsure of how he felt about Tricia pertaining to Tricia's past of coming in between Sean's marriage to Martha Saunders's sister. However, he can distinguish her from her previous actions in this case. 

 

"Have your mom tried to seek help?" 

 

Tricia scoffs like she was expecting to hear that. "Yeah, but --

 

Knowing the statistics firsthand as a mental health professional about victims; of domestic abuse often goes back to their abusers. 

 

"She keeps going back to him," Samuel interjects.

​

"I've tried everything in my power to make her see he is the worst in every way possible, but she thinks if she leaves, she isn't going to make it out without him." 

 

"I hate to say this to you, Tricia. It's nothing you can do for her. It is up to her to leave the hell she is in." 

 

She goes onto to explain how her old neighbor Mrs. Montez who still lives next door to them in Bakersfield, California often contacts her to keep her apprised of what is happening every so often.

 

Tricia does her best not to let any tears come. "I bet you think I sound like a selfish bitch don't you?" I mean, my mother is in danger every single minute of her life, and I'm going on about her not coming to my wedding."

​

"It's okay to have those thoughts about your mother missing one of the biggest milestones in your life does not make you selfish. It makes you human, Tricia,"  he advises 

​

Tricia takes a sight of the crowd of patrons thinning out. She turns her head back to Samuel. "I think you I owe you a coffee. It's on the house." 

 

"It's all right," he said nobly. 

 

"Call it a gift for listening to me ramble on my about my life." 

 

She gets out of the chair towards the front of the line. 

 

Samuel smirks whilst watching her cut through the line to get his coffee.