Howie headed down the hall towards his bedroom. He still wasn't completely convinced something wasn't bothering Samantha. He had a plan formulating in his mind though that he hoped would help her relax. 'I know it will help me relax!' he thought to himself as he passed the guestroom. He could hear Samantha's voice. He knew he shouldn't listen in on her conversation, yet at the same time he wondered if her phone call had anything to do with her mood. He stopped just past the door and listened to what Sam was saying.

"Hi Mom. It is Samantha. I know you aren't in right now but I just wanted to tell you I had the most wonderful evening with Howard and his family. They are the nicest people I have ever met. There are so many of them and they are still so close and so happy." She stopped and bit her lip. "I envy them Mom, and I wish we could be like them. Like we were before..." Samantha paused, fighting back her tears once again. "Seeing Howard with his parents tonight made me think of you. I miss you Mom. I wish you weren't half way around the world right now. I wish I could hug you and tell you how much I love you." Samantha took a deep breath. "I hope you are enjoying the pathos of Milan and Olympus. Please come home soon Mom. I have so much to tell you. Je t'aime." Samantha hung up the phone and let the tears finally fall. She reached for a tissue and dried her eyes, not wanting Howie to know she was crying. She took several deep breaths before getting up from the bed and heading toward Howie's bedroom.

After hearing Samantha's message to her Mom, Howie realized what was bothering Samantha. Seeing him with his family made Samantha realize how much she missed her own family. He didn't know much about her family but from what little Samantha had mentioned tonight, it was becoming clear they were not the closest of families. Howie suspected Samantha might be at odds with her parents for one reason or another. He didn't want to pry or interfere but he did want Samantha to know she could trust him and confide in him if she needed to. He returned to the kitchen and grabbed a few candles and some matches. He headed back towards his bedroom. The door to the guestroom was still partially closed. A part of him wanted to open the door and hold Samantha tight until her sadness disappeared. He knew he needed to give her space though. 'She will come to me when she is ready.' He entered the bedroom and proceeded to the bathroom. He arranged the candles on the counter and lit them. As the tub began to fill with hot water, he added some vanilla bubblebath. He dimmed the lights so the small room was illuminated only by candlelight. He closed the door to keep the room warm and waited until the tub was full before leaving. He entered the bedroom just as Samantha did. He smiled, hoping she was going to enjoy what was going to happen next as much as he knew he was.