"Samantha your talking nonsense!" Keir shouted loud enough to bring Christopher to the doorway of the study to see what was happening between father and daughter. "I don't expect you to take Taryn's place and I don't doubt you are every bit as intelligent as she was."

"Every bit as intelligent as she was? Are you even listening to me? Did you hear what I just said?"

"I am simply telling you that you need to put your intelligence to better use than playing with your computer all day and chasing after a musician who only wants you for one thing!"

"Is that what you think of me? You think I have so little sense that I wouldn't be able to see past a guy who only wanted me for sex?" Samantha glared at her father. "Well here is where Taryn and I differ the most! I am not naive like Taryn was father! I don't sleep with every guy who tells me I have nice eyes!"

Keir was taken aback by his daughter's statements and tried to interrupt but was cut off abruptly when she continued her tirade.

"Don't look so shocked father! Taryn didn't get AIDS because she took a walk in the park!" Samantha said in an almost sarcastic tone of voice. She shook her head. "You thought Taryn was so smart! So perfect! Well it gives me great pleasure to be the one to tell you father, that Taryn was just plain stupid! I tried to warn her Devyn was trouble but she refused to listen to me! She kept seeing Devyn even after you threatened to stop paying for school!" Keir's eyes grew wide and his mouth gaped open. Samantha's eyes narrowed on her father. "Shocked?" She asked. "Surprised I didn't tell you? I promised Taryn I wouldn't and I didn't break my promise while she was alive, even after she informed me I knew nothing about being love and told me to mind my own business. I gave up father. Why should she listen to me when warnings being broadcast everywhere she turned, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and a medical degree couldn't even save her life!" Samantha glanced at Christopher who stood in the doorway, taking in every word his younger sister managed to get out. "Do you know why Taryn died? It wasn't because she had AIDS! Do you know why she died father? Because she was never given the chance to grow up! She was naive! It is the price the 5 of us paid for our so-called intelligence! Do you have any idea what it was like to be 14 years old, in a class with people almost twice your age? Do you have any idea what kind of pressure the 5 of us lived under in order to meet your expectations? You don't have a clue! We were just 5 little robots who did exactly what we were told do! I thank God everyday Rachel is normal! At least one of us knows what it was like to be a kid! To go to parties and do dumb things you know your parents won't approve of! To make simple decisions all by yourself. I didn't make single decision on my own until the day I decided medicine was not the field I wanted to work in!"

Christopher entered the room and sat down in a chair behind Samantha. He put his head in his hands and listened intently as Samantha continued, glad she was finally letting go of the feelings she had kept bottled up for so long. "You think I am wasting my life now." Samantha shook her head again and gave a slight laugh before continuing. "I have more news for you father! I wasted the first 23 years of my life trying to be the perfect daughter! Trying to be Taryn! To surpass everything Taryn did so you would love me as much as you loved her!" Tears fell from Samantha's eyes as she continued her speech. "It didn't work. I am here standing in front of you, listening to you try to tell me how to live my life so I don't wind up like Taryn. Guess what father? Unlike Taryn, I am alive and I am happier and healthier than I have ever been in my entire life!" Samantha's eyes once again locked onto her father's "How did this happen? It all started the day I decided to stand on my own and to finally make a life for myself that I was proud to live. You know what else? I thought I had everything I needed to be happy until the night I met Howard. I didn't realize anything was missing from life until that night when he walked into JayCee's. It was then the final piece of the puzzle fell into place. I know you are going to say I am being ridiculous but the truth is, I had never known what it was like to be loved unconditionally until I met Howard. Howard has shown me that I am a person who can be loved. Who deserves to be loved. Contrary to what you may believe, he has never asked for anything in return other than my love as well. Have we slept together? Yes, father we have! Did I loose my head in a moment passion like Taryn did? Did I have unprotected sex? No, father I didn't!" Samantha couldn't believe the words flowing from her mouth. 'I am finally telling him everything I have kept inside for so many years. I just have to hope he is listening.'