As they entered his apartment, Raymond kept wondering why Charmaine insisted on having their talk back at his place.  There were plenty of places around the hospital grounds that would offer the same privacy.  Not to mention his car as an option.  But the forlorn look on Charmaine's face banished his arguments.  Stepping into the apartment he dropped his keys onto a nearby table and turned to her.  Her eyes were downcast and she was twisting her fingers in a way that told Raymond something was amiss.  Placing two fingers under her chin, Raymond tilted her face up so he could look at her.  "What's wrong?" he asked softly.

Charmaine looked into Raymond's eyes and a pang of guilt and regret engulfed her causing her well-held tears to seep from her eyes.  "Raymond," she whispered his name and then wrapped her arms violently around him.

Stunned by her display of affection, Raymond tried to remove her arms but Charmaine's hold was unrelenting.  No longer was he stunned, he was now alarmed by her out of character actions.  "Charmaine…"  He again tried to ply her arms from him so that he could look at her and find out what was wrong.  "Please tell me," he appealed urgently.

Charmaine shook her head.  She pressed her face into his chest while her arms tightened like iron bars around him.  "Just hold me," she whimpered.

The desolation in her voice triggered something deep in Raymond and he didn't want to press her for an answer.  Bringing his arms around her he held her snugly against him.  They stood like that for a while and through it all, he could still hear her muffled cries against his chest.  Her cries have an enormous effect on him.  He wanted desperately to resolve what problem she was facing and make her smile again.  "Please tell me what's wrong," he repeated.

Charmaine relaxed her hold on him and took a step back.  Locking her eyes on him she took his hand and brought it against her wet cheek.  "I miss you," she murmured emotionally, "I miss you very much."

Before Raymond had a chance to muse about the oddity of her statement and also her behavior, Charmaine leaned up and fastened her lips to his.  The kiss was hot, demanding and intense.  Raymond forgot what he wanted to say.  His mind was overtaken by Charmaine's fervent kiss and the passion she unleashed from him.  Kissing her hungrily, Raymond brought his hands to her waist and pulled her close to him.  With need and desire raging in him, he slid his hands around her waist and hoisted her up against him.  Without breaking from the kiss, he carried her into his room where he gently laid her across his bed.  He then lifted his head slightly to look down at her.  Running a finger across her jaw, he murmured, "Charmaine, what are you doing to me?  I should be at the hospital."

Still in the throes of their passion, Charmaine lazily opened her eyes.  She saw the same fire that was burning in her reflecting in Raymond's eyes and it made her tingle all over.  "Kiss me Raymond," she breathed, her lips already parting to receive his kiss.  Without waiting for his response Charmaine s her arms around his neck and dragged him down until their lips met once again.  She kissed him passionately, impatiently, knowing this will be the last time she would ever kiss him.

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Mandy cleared the empty bowl and plate and stacked them back into her canvass tote bag.  She then poured a glass of water and handed it to Gigi to which Gigi gratefully accepted.

Bringing the glass to her lips, Gigi said affectionately, "You always know what I want, Mandy."

Mandy gave Gigi a fond smile before sitting down on the chair that Raymond had vacated earlier.  "How are you feeling Auntie?"

"Okay, I guess," Gigi responded with a sad smile.

"You're worried about Raymond aren't you?" Mandy asked.

Gigi sighed and nodded her head.  Leaning back against the pillow she exclaimed dramatically, "How can I not worry about him when he's making the biggest mistake of his life!"

Baffled and intrigued by Gigi's reaction, Mandy asked hesitantly, "Are you referring to Charmaine?"

Gigi's eyes narrowed with disdain at the mention of her name.  "I don't understand what he sees in her.  She asked to talk to Raymond and look, they've been gone for over an hour."  Softening her features she looked approvingly at Mandy and continued, "You're so much better than that… that selfish woman."

Mandy was touched by Gigi's loyalty towards her and she regrets not being able to have Raymond's love.  But facts are facts.  Raymond did not love her.  He was in love with Charmaine.  The sooner Gigi accepts it the faster they can all move on, especially for Mandy.  She wants to maintain her ties to Raymond and his mom but only as a close friend.   She also hopes that one day she and Charmaine could be close friends as well.  Looking serenely at Gigi, Mandy coaxed, "Auntie, give her a chance.  Do you really want to see Raymond stuck between the two of you?  Don't you want him to be happy?"

Gigi sighed heavily again.  Pursing her lips she said grudgingly, "Of course I do.  But I l doubt she could give him happiness."

Confused by Gigi's stubbornness, Mandy asked, "Why do you say that?"

Gigi thought for a few seconds as she tried to analyze her negative feelings for her son's new girlfriend.  After a moment, she shook her head vehemently and exclaimed, "I just have a hunch she's only using Raymond to pass time.  A beautiful girl like her could snag any wealthy man.  Why would she settle for a poor nobody cop like Raymond?"

Astonished by Gigi's unfound opinion of Charmaine, Mandy felt the need to defend her.  "But Auntie, you don't know that for sure.  Yes, Raymond is not rich but he compensates that with his personality and righteousness, not to mention his other good qualities.  Those attributes alone could captivate any woman.  I believe she does love Raymond.  Most important is that he loves her."

However Gigi didn't see it that way.  Swinging her head to look at the overhead clock she said snidely, "Look at the time!  She's probably sick and tired of spending all her free time with Raymond in the hospital so she decided to lure him away with an excuse about having to talk to him.  I bet sooner or later she would force him to choose between her or his dying mother!"

"Auntie, I'm sure Charmaine isn't like that," Mandy disputed.  Taking Gigi's hand in hers Mandy went on, "I know you really want me and Raymond together but even if Charmaine never came into the picture, sooner or later we would have broken up.  So I hope that's not the reason why you're judging her so harshly?"  When Gigi remained silent, Mandy urged, "Give her a chance will you?"

Gigi looked at Mandy's sweet imploring face and felt some her resentment towards Charmaine dissipate.  Mandy wasn't even angry at Raymond so there's really no reason why she should be.  Heaving a sigh, Gigi squeezed Mandy's hand and said, "Any man would be lucky to have you Mandy."

Mandy smiled shyly at the compliment.  "Does that mean you're going to give Charmaine a chance?" she asked timidly.

Gigi rolled her eyes in exasperation and said wryly, "How can I not when even YOU are asking me to."

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Raymond awoke with a start.  His eyes moved to the clock on his nightstand and it read 6:45 p.m.  He must have dozed off while he and Charmaine were cuddling in bed.  With a seductive smile on his face he turned in his bed only to find the place beside him empty.  Where was Charmaine, he wondered.  Slipping into a pair of sweats he ventured out of his room.  It was pitched black.  Not a single light was on.  "Charmaine?" he called and began switching on lights as he walked through the apartment in search of her.  She was nowhere to be found.  That was very odd.  He went directly to his phone and called her.  Her phone was answered by a recorded message, "The number you have dialed is no longer in service."  He tried again and the same message repeated.  Before he could ponder further on her whereabouts, his phone started ringing.  Thinking it was Charmaine, he quickly answered with, "Where are you?"

"Huh?" Gigi asked in return.  "I should be asking you that.  Are you coming back to the hospital?"

Raymond's mind couldn't seem to function properly as he fumbled to say, "Uh-yes.  I'm coming now."

"Son, can you pick me up some roast duck.  I have a craving for it and Dr. Wong said its okay."

"Sure, mom.  I'll see you shortly.  Bye."  Raymond absently ended the call.  All he could think of was why did Charmaine leave without a word and why was her cell phone disconnected?

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Charmaine was standing outside of Ben's house, summoning the courage to press the bell.  She glanced down at the two suitcases beside her.  She was doing the right thing.  If she was to forget Raymond she would have to make a clean break.  Disconnecting her phone was the first step.  The second step, which she was about to do, was move in with Ben so that Raymond have no way of finding her.  At least not so fast.  She knew she would eventually have to explain her sudden change of feelings to Kenneth, but in the meantime she didn't want to worry about it.  Taking a deep shattering breath she pressed the bell.  It was answered immediately by a surprised Ben.  He saw the suitcases that accompanied her and a smile of pleasure seized his lips.  Looking straight at him, Charmaine said softly, "Since we're going to be married soon I thought…" she trailed off as Ben stepped forward to cradle her face and stop the flow of her words.

"This is now our home," Ben corrected gently and dropping his hand from her face he took her hand and led her in.