aura sat sipping her tea and watching both Lily’s friend, Fazire, and her husband, Victor, silently squaring off.

And in doing so, she worried.

This strange Fazire, surprisingly, didn’t seem frightened of Victor. He hadn’t even seemed frightened of Nate and nearly everyone was frightened of Nate. Her son was that kind of man, dynamic, magnetic, tall, powerfully built. You took one look at him and you knew, no matter what, you should not mess with him.

Victor was older, softer but still held a certain menace that only Laura and, eight years ago, Lily, could see through.

Unfortunately, it appeared Fazire could see through it too.

Victor obviously didn’t like that. He’d put a great deal of effort into honing his legendary menace.

“They’re taking a long time. Tash-child, go see what they’re doing,” Fazire ordered, his arms still crossed on his chest, his head still tilted back ludicrously to stare at them down his sloped nose as if he was used to a greater height.

“Let them be. They’ve things to discuss,” Victor contradicted as Natasha began to do what she was asked. The child glanced at Victor and then settled back in the couch again and turned to Laura.

“There’s lots of photo albums, lots and lots. Fazire likes to take pictures,” Natasha explained her child’s idea of what was taking her parents so long.

Laura silently hoped there were hundreds of albums.

Thousands.

“I can’t wait to see the pictures, my darling,” Laura smiled at her granddaughter then, as she had been wanting to do since she saw her, she touched the soft skin of her cheek. “Do you know how lovely you are?” she asked, mainly because she couldn’t help it.

The child’s response startled and delighted her.

Natasha nodded happily. “Oh yes, Mummy calls me the most beautiful girl in the whole world.” She giggled to herself at this idea, as if it was funny, as if it was not the absolute truth.

Laura thought that she was the most beautiful child she’d ever seen. Who would have thought Nathaniel’s intensely masculine features in feminine, child-like form could be so striking.

“Tash,” Fazire called warningly and dropped his chin to stare down at her in a practised way that expected obedience.

“Oh, all right,” Natasha gave in, sounding mock-disgruntled and she scooted to the end of the couch, found her feet and skipped out the door.

The minute she was out of sight on the stairwell, Victor pounced.

“They need time together,” he snapped at Fazire.

Fazire turned to face Victor and shook his head slowly. “They do not.” Each word was said with absolute certainty.

“There are things Nathaniel needs to explain.” Victor was leaning forward at the waist, trying to hold his temper.

One look at her husband and Laura said soothingly, “Victor.”

Laura knew that this Fazire meant a great deal to Lily. Laura had heard Lily talking about him, she told Laura stories about him. He was far younger than Laura would have guessed, considering he was with Lily’s family before she was born and he looked to be in his forties.

It simply would not do to have Victor go head-to-head with him in Lily’s living room on this, their first, most delicate visit with her.

Fazire, still not seeing any of Victor’s notorious menace, retorted, “Then he should explain them to me. I was the one who stood outside your door when your daughter told Lily he was dead. I was the one who stood looking into the devastated eyes of a twenty-two year old pregnant girl who was all alone in the world except for me. I was the one who called the ambulance when the blood was pouring out of her and she nearly lost Natasha. I have been at her side all these years, while he lived two hours away and didn’t bother to travel the distance to knock on the front door.”

Victor’s face was turning an alarming shade of red and Laura stood to put a restraining hand on her husband’s arm. Every word the man said pounded into them both like sledgehammers.

Fazire wasn’t finished. “And I was the one who she came to after she’d gone to your home days ago, intent on finally telling you about Natasha, which she’d been talking about doing since Tash was born. She’d even felt guilty about it, not going to you, even though she’s had barely two pounds to rub together for eight years. I was the one who saw the state she was in when she returned and I was the first one to see the bruises you gave her.”

The red in Victor’s cheeks was now there for another purpose.

“We thought she’d –” Victor began.

“It doesn’t matter what you thought,” Fazire cut him off. “Anyone who spends an hour in Lily’s company knows she’s worth a trek up the side of a treacherous, threatening volcano to get her back, much less a two hour automobile ride.”

Finally, having had his say, Fazire turned away and dismissed them, sipping daintily from his teacup. He idly watched as Mrs. Gunderson sauntered in the room, took one look at him, blinked as if communicating to him that his short, effective tirade was well-stated then sauntered out again.

Laura decided to play mediator. “We have to all get along, for Nathaniel and Lily’s sake. For Natasha’s sake.”

Fazire’s gaze slid to her. “There is no ‘Nathaniel and Lily’. Lily won’t have it. Lily is through with your son. And, unfortunately, I can assure you that the Lily you knew all those years ago is not the Lily of today. When the Lily of today won’t have something, it simply isn’t to be had.”

Laura felt a sinking feeling in her stomach and her dismayed eyes flew to her husband but he was looking at Fazire and Laura saw that Victor was smiling.

“What you don’t know, Fazire,” Victor proclaimed, “is when my son wants something, he finds a way to get it.”

Fazire squared off again with Victor.“We shall see.”

At that, there was a great clamour from the stairwell and Natasha came down, grinning from ear-to-ear and carrying a photo album. She ran into the room and slapped it down on the table in front of Laura.

“Here’s the first one we should look at. It’s the most recent but it has the best pictures, eh… ver,” She announced.

Lily and Nathaniel followed more slowly, both carrying albums of their own. Lily walked into the room with her cheeks flushed becomingly, making her look more healthy and alive than they’d seen her in these recent days. However, her eyes were wary.

Nathaniel, on the other hand, walked in looking very pleased about something.

Laura glanced at her husband and that sinking feeling lightened wonderfully.

Before anyone could say anything, another great racket came from the hall.

“I’m late, I’m late.” They heard before they saw the body behind the voice. “I know I’m late. Tesco was a crush. The Witches Dozen was a madhouse. I barely…”

Then the door was filled with a large, very pretty, older lady who looked somewhat like Elizabeth Taylor. She was wearing a long, amethyst-coloured caftan liberally threaded with silver. She accented this with lots of silver jewellery that jangled noisily and very high-heeled purple mules with pointed toes, festooned with sequins. She was carrying a baker’s box and four, dangling carrier bags from Tesco.

She stopped dead at what she saw. First Natasha kneeling on the floor, opening an album. Then her eyes shifted to Laura. Then to Victor standing beside Laura. Then to Fazire scowling ferociously. Then to the blushing Lily.

Finally, closest to her, she spied Nate.

At the sight of him, her eyes bugged out comically, her mouth dropped right open and she freely gaped at him.

Seconds into her astonished stare, she tore her stupefied gaze from Nate to look at Lily. Her eyes narrowed on Lily’s face then shifted back to Nate.

After a moment, her mouth snapped shut again and she seemed to come to some conclusion. She walked into the room, right to Nathaniel and Laura held her breath.

“You,” she stated, that one word crackling with meaning then immediately her face melted into an absolutely stunning smile, “must be Nate.”

She leaned in and kissed his cheek.

Laura’s breath went out in a rush and, if she wasn’t mistaken, she also heard Victor’s do the same thing.

Nate walked to the table, set the three photo albums on it and came back to the woman.

“I’ll take that.” And without waiting for a response, he divested her of the box and two of the bags.

“Gallant!” she declared in a near-shout, as if he’d thrown himself bodily over a puddle so she wouldn’t have to get her elaborate mules wet. Laura was intensely relieved that all her years at drilling gentlemanly behaviour into her son were finally paying off.

“Since Lily seems unable to speak and Fazire isn’t polite at the best of times, I’ll introduce myself,” she announced. “I’m Maxine Grant, family friend.” She was looking at Nate when she said this but then her eyes moved to Laura. “You must be Laura,” she stated warmly.

Laura nodded and walked to the other woman, her hand extended.

Maxine, Laura learned quickly, was not the type woman who shook hands. When their hands met, Maxine’s closed over Laura’s firmly and, with a hearty tug, she pulled Laura forward and kissed her on one cheek.

After this, her eyes looked over Laura’s shoulder and she took in Victor. The warmth in her face and voice froze. “And presumably, you’re Victor.”

Victor, who was paying dearly (even Laura had to admit he deserved it, no matter how much she loved him and understood his actions) for his behaviour of a few days before, nodded and correctly read that he would be receiving no kiss on the cheek.

“Maxine,” Fazire proclaimed her name as if he was about to make a royal announcement, “you forget this is not a joyous family reunion.”

Natasha’s head jerked up in surprise, “Yes it is, I just saw –”

“Right!” Lily cried, interrupting her daughter, moving forward and setting her albums on the table with the others. “It’s time for elevenses.”

Laura saw Nate grin as he watched Lily and at the sight, Laura felt that lightening feeling in her belly as it flew to the stars.

Lily walked back to Nate, ignored the devastating grin indeed, she didn’t even look at his face, and pulled the box and bags out of his hands. She did this carefully, as if contact with his skin would burn her like acid. She moved industriously to the door and threw over her shoulder, “Maxine, would you mind helping?”

Without further ado, both women exited the room.

Everyone else stood and waited then Fazire made the peculiar proclamation. “I have some channelling to do,” he stomped to the door, whirled and stood, spearing all the adults in the room each with a glare, “a lot of it.” Then he stomped out.

Before anyone could react, Natasha called, “Daddy, come take a look at this.”

Nate’s gaze shifted to his daughter and his eyes warmed almost palpably. Laura noted he was happy. She noted that, even though she had no idea what was happening, whatever was happening, Nathaniel thought it was going well.

Laura felt the tension completely ease out of her as Nate went to sit on the couch. He reached forward and gently pulled his daughter between his legs. Together, both of their identically dark heads bent, they looked at the album.

Victor moved to join them as Laura stood uncertain.

“I think,” she said and all eyes turned to her, “I’ll go and help Lily and Maxine.”

“You do that, love.” Victor gave her an encouraging wink but Laura waited for Nathaniel’s approval.

The tips of his mouth moved up nearly imperceptibly and he nodded once.

She needed no more encouragement and she nearly ran out into the hall.

Eight years ago, Lily Jacobs had come into their lives and everything had changed. Laura couldn’t have explained how it happened if someone was forcing her to do so with a gun pointed at her head. It was simply a matter of fact that Lily was supposed to be with them, part of their family.

She belonged.

Then something terrible happened (and Laura was trying very hard not to think of what that was as it was too painful to bear).

Now, not just Nathaniel, but they all had work to do to win Lily back, win her trust and bring her back to her rightful place.

As she approached the back of the house where she saw the kitchen, her steps slowed when she heard the voices.

Laura was not the type of person to eavesdrop, indeed, she found the very idea appalling. But something about Lily and Maxine’s hushed voices, their tone, made her stop. She pressed herself against the wall unseen and she listened.

“Lily, talk to me,” Maxine was urging, “tell me what’s happened.”

“Nothing,” Lily answered and even Laura, who could not see her face, knew it was a lie. It was also said in a tone that clearly stated she was not discussing it.

“You didn’t tell me he was that good-looking,” Maxine said and Laura heard the noise of carrier bags rustling.

“Yes I did,” Lily returned

“You… did… not. He’s impossibly handsome,” Maxine noted.

“Maxine, I don’t want to talk about this,” Lily stated firmly.

“Unbelievably handsome,” Maxine was undeterred, “you didn’t do him justice when you described him.”

“Maxine! I’ve waxed poetic about Nate’s looks for years!”

At that, Laura smiled to herself and leaned a little closer to the door, careful not to get close enough to be seen.

“You still didn’t do him justice,” Maxine muttered.

“I’m not talking about this,” Lily snapped, clearly losing her patience.

“Then we’ll talk about why you’re blushing.” Maxine was like a dog with a bone, she was not, Laura thought delightedly, going to let it go.

“I’m not blushing,” Lily denied and, Laura thought, lied.

“You are!”

“Maxine, drop it.” Lily’s tone was full of warning.

“No. What happened? Did he say something? Do something? I hope he did something,” she said fervently.

“Maxine –”

“Lily, sweetling, you can tell old Maxie.”

“He kissed me!” Lily uttered in a disbelieving whisper.

This was met with silence and Laura, surprised herself at her son’s forward behaviour, leaned even closer to the door to hear Lily’s reaction.

Finally, Maxine broke the silence. “Did you kiss him back?”

“No! Yes! Well, not the first time,” Lily answered.

“He kissed you twice? How late was I?” Maxine asked in a muted-shout.

Lily didn’t bother responding to that.

“Was it nice?” Maxine pushed.

“Yes it was nice. It was always nice with Nate,” Lily said this in a voice that made it clear she was not happy that it was nice.

“I’ll bet it was nice,” Maxine muttered. Then she shot off a set of rapid-fire questions. “Did you talk? Did he explain? Did he say anything?”

Silence.

Maxine pressed on. “He must have said something, must have told you why he didn’t come to you.”

More silence.

Maxine kept at Lily. “He wants to marry you.”

Utter silence.

“In two months!” Maxine, now, was losing patience.

“I’m not talking about this.”

“Lily!”

There was a sharp noise as if something was slammed on a counter.

“He promised me he was never letting me go! He told me he’d take care of me!” Lily hissed.

“Sweetling –” This was said placatingly and Laura didn’t have to be in the room to see Lily to know what she was feeling. It was blindingly apparent from the emotion trembling in her voice.

“No, Maxine. You of all people know what it’s been like, what we’ve been through. No. He promised me.” She broke off, not able to go on with her thought then she continued. “For eight years, I thought he was dead.”

There was a rustle of movement and then, “I do know, sweetling, but he’s not dead and he’s here and –”

Lily interrupted her friend, her voice now was bitter and the sound of it broke Laura’s already wounded heart.

“I believed him. I trusted him. And he didn’t come for me. He thought I left him, just like that.” Laura heard a snap. “Me leaving him. It’s ridiculous! And with no explanation, no reason, just packing up and moving away after what happened between us. He didn’t come after me. Even if he thought I’d left, he didn’t come for me, to ask me to explain, to convince me to come home. He lied. He said he wouldn’t let me go and then he did, without saying a word, doing one single thing to stop it.”

Maxine spoke. “Perhaps you should talk to him, perhaps he has an explanation.”

The sounds of busy work resumed.

“Too little, too late,” Lily returned. “We’ve struggled, no… I’ve struggled. I had to depend on you and Fazire and… and… he’s a man who can transfer seven million pounds into someone’s bank account in a day! You’ve seen him! He dragged me into a room with solicitors and threatened to take my daughter away from me. He thought the worst of me. He thought I was some flighty, besotted idiot who went and got herself pregnant and then hid the knowledge from him for years.” Laura heard the determined noises of Lily staying busy. “He can’t explain that. I don’t want to hear anything he has to say. It’s over. We’ll agree a visitation schedule and I’ll have to see him when he comes and gets Tash and when he brings her home. That’s it. The end.”

“Lily, I can’t help but think you’re making a mistake,” Maxine warned and Laura felt a moment of hope.

Then, at Lily’s next words, that hope was dashed.

“No, I already made the mistake, eight years ago. Now I’m protecting myself. I couldn’t endure it if it happened again and, Maxie, I need you to stand by me.”

More noises and then a muffled, “You know I will. I always have. I want what’s best for you.”

The conversation was over and Laura stood in the hallway, wondering what to do.

She should, of course, tell Nathaniel.

She should try to talk to Lily, to tell her about Nathaniel and why he would think she would leave him. Why, Laura knew in her heart even though he’d never told her, Nathaniel let her go. Laura wanted to explain all that was her son because she knew, she knew, Lily would understand.

But it was not her place.

Nathaniel would not thank her for sharing the information about his former life. He wore it like a badge of honour at the same time he hid it like a dirty secret.

Laura, like Victor, thought Nate could do anything. She thought this because he’d proved it time and time again. He didn’t need anyone, he had taken care of himself since he was born. He’d never asked for a thing since she’d known him, if he wanted it, he got it for himself.

This time, even though he didn’t know it, he needed his mother.

And she was going to be there for him.

Laura waited until there was enough time for the two women in the kitchen to be assured she hadn’t overheard anything and then she walked in, smiling brightly.

Once in the room, Laura asked, “Can I help?”