For someone who was literally forced to take this vacation, Sara's having a great time. It's been a long time since she's been in New York, the last time being for Mike's funeral, so she's enjoying just being a tourist, taking in all the sights. Tony's a great host if not a tour guide, apologising for the strange hours he's working, because it means that she's left to her own devices a lot. She tells him that it's ok, that she of all people understands work, and they work around his schedule as much as possible.

When he's there, he's good company, taking her to dinner, to breakfast one morning at the Windows to the World restaurant. She's surprised when he presents her with tickets to Rent because while she's not much for musicals, she knows that these are like gold dust.

Things are different tonight though, because he's not just taking her to any old place for dinner. They're going back to his old neighbourhood, for his mother's birthday party, and she's not sure what to expect. But his mother insisted that she come, so she does, trying not to let her nerves show.

The house, tiny as it is, is crowded with people, family and extended family and family friends, all of whom are speaking in rapid-fire Spanish, all of whom, Sara knows, are covertly eyeing her. Her Spanish is decidedly rusty, but she hears enough whispers to make out that people are wondering if she's Tony's new girl, hears Tony correcting them several times, telling them that they're just friends.

Which doesn't seem to make much difference to his mother, because when she sees Sara, she pulls her into a hug before eyeing her up and down, telling her that she's too skinny, that she needs to eat, dragging her over to the buffet table to rectify the matter. Tony tells her to stop, but his mother is indomitable and Sara finds herself standing with a plate laden with food, Tony suffering the same fate.

He's as good a host as ever, not leaving her side at first, introducing her to everyone, reminding them to speak English in her presence. As the night goes on though, she grows more comfortable, so she doesn't mind it when she's on the opposite side of the room from him, surrounded by his cousins asking her countless questions about Harvard and San Francisco. She quite enjoys seeing him like this, so relaxed and open, and when she sees him with the younger members of his family, she's surprised to find herself thinking that he'll make a wonderful father some day.

It's late when they leave, after more hugs from his mother, and he chuckles to himself as they walk down the block. "I think Ma wanted to adopt you," he says. "Were you scared?"

She shrugs, but in truth, she loved it, never having had that kind of family experience herself. "No," she says. "I was happy."