"Maria, kudos! I love what you did with the place!!" Alex complimented as Maria walked in to the Kitchen area of her apartment.

"Thank you, ALex...my mom helped,...and you know how my mom gets when things like this happen..." Maria said sitting on a stool.

"Now you do know that if Michael were dead, he would be rolling over in his grave!" Alex said trying to make a joke.

"Alex please..." Maria said softly looking at the ground.

"Sorry, I-I forgot....I know the feeling!!" he said as he realized what he said.

There was a soft knock on the door followed by, "Yes, Ms. Parker is here,...please no one get up!!" Liz said as she placed the pizza and pop on the counter. "WOW!!" Liz said looking around, "I really like what you have done with my brother's apartment!!"

"Thank you Lizzie" Maria said with a smile.

"Ms. DeLuca helped!!" Alex said shoving a piece of pizza in his mouth.

Maria smiled, "Ya, my mom...she-"

"gets a little crazy with some worried mixed into her and decides to take help to the next level by doing the entire project?" Liz finished.

"NO MORE MONTEL FOR YOU!!" Maria said, "Do you understand me? NONE!!"

"How is your mom?" Liz asked.

"She's worried that I'm going into a state of depression." Maria answered.

"But you are!" Liz said sounding concerned.

"NO!" Maria stated, "I'm fine...It's all jolly good fun!!" she said with a smile, "And where is pod child? He is bringing the movies!!"

"Knowing Max, he probably couldn't decide 'would Liz like this one' or ' would Liz like this one?' " Alex said reminding the girls that he was still in the room.

"HA HA HA!" Liz said throwing pop corn at Alex, "So, Alex, how are you? Shounds like Medical School is keeping you busy!!"

"I'm doing okay..getting by, one step at a time, day after day, remembering to breathe...inhale, exhale, inhale" He said. Tears forming in his eyes, "Excuse me." he said leaving the room for the bathroom.

Maria and Liz looked at eachother.

Max came in to the apartment and set the movies on the counter.

"Why is it that you believe you are above door bells?" Maria asked.

Max walked back outside, rang the door bell, said, "Honey, I'm home!" and walked back inside.

The girls just laughed.

The four of them sat there in the dark watching "Joe Dirt", "Sherik", and "Tim Burton's The Nightmear Before Christmas." As Alex, Liz and Max were leaving, there was a knock on the door. Maria got up and opened it. Her face lit up.

"KYLE!!" She shouted as she gave him a hug, "Oh my god how are you? Are you home for Thanksgiving? Have you seen mom and dad yet? When did you get home"

"Hey,...I'm fine, yes, yes, this morning." He said as he walked in, "Mom told me you were here, but she didn't say you were havinga party!"

"Hey Kyle!" the others said.

"Hey." he said back.

"We are gonna get out of here." Max said, "Nice seeing you Kyle."

"Hey nice seeing you too!" Kyle said back.

The others left and Maria looked at Kyle, "Want some pizza while I catch you up??"

"Ya...what happened? I leave in June, come back in November, and you guys look like ghosts!!" He said sitting on the couch, "And who the hell did this to make Michael resort to flowers on the tabel?"