Realizing you don't want that much after all

 Cara was doing her best to be a part of the family. Yes, she listened to Jody intently about Aaron's problem with his Dad. She would have none of it, she told her. "You put your foot down if you have to."

Naturally, Jody just laughed at her. She assured her that she was on Aaron's side and he was not going to have anything to do with his Dad. 

If she wasn't on the phone with Jody, she was making phone calls every day to Fan since Fan did love to talk. Although, it was a bit exhausting. Even Kenny noticed.

"Why are you putting yourself through this?" He'd asked more than once. Especially, when they were getting ready for bed and Fan would call.

"Because," she looked at him blankly. "It's the only family I got." She had not spoken to her father since the divorce and didn't intend to. Although she'd found out from her father's sister that he'd gotten remarried, now that was on the rocks too. Cara didn't want to think how her dad had taken her away from her real mother when she was little. True, her mom was a drug addict, but she never really knew her. 

"Don't talk about him to me." She wanted to say he was no longer in her vocabulary. After all, he never warned her he'd end things with Fan. All this time, she considered Fan her mother. And she had to be there for her. Although she did feel she was in the eye of the storm for a while, now she felt like she was part of the family. And of course, she needed Kenny by her side.

She was also determined to be Amanda's friend too. Of course, Jay acted like he didn't even care. He was hanging on to Kenny. Yes, it felt like this war she'd hoped to start was now on the verge of a lasting friendship. They even went out for Valentine's day together. Of course, it was just pizza and bowling. It was a fun night even if she was the worst at bowling. 

They even got ENSO rings! Cara wanted to have proof to Jay and Amanda that they were really together.

"Are you sure that's all we'll ever need?" Kenny hadn't made a fuss, but it was like he expected her to have a tantrum of some kind. Like she was expecting a marriage of some kind.

"This is all I need," she'd sighed on that snowy morning a few days after Valentine's day. She would not ask for the world. "Besides, it might end in divorce and well, I have nothing to give and I don't want to take anything from you."

After all, there was a little something going on the side. They were sharing a bed now and cold nights could only heat up shortly if they put their mind to it. And she thought she'd taught him a thing or two in the process. She smiled back at him as if he shouldn't question her.

"I could always be your common-law wife," she grinned as if she could go the distance if he could.

Kenny had nothing to say to that. 

"Besides, Fan will never marry Sal." She shook her head.

"Why do you have to do everything Fan does?" He was getting a little bitter now as he was going on to make the morning toast with the eggs he'd scrambled.

She thought about it for a second or two while she sipped her coffee. "Because, she's the mother I never had, and well..I think she knows a thing or two about men."