Emily Collins sat in her living room her leg propped up on an ottoman, her ankle wrapped in an ace bandage awaiting the arrival of her son, Zachary from the states. She hadn't planned on falling and spraining her ankle but she saw it as a happy accident that would get her what she wanted, her son away from that woman and her child.
"Has he arrived yet?" Abigail asked rushing into the living room with a glass of water for Mrs. Collins bringing Emily out of her thoughts.
"No, he hasn't," Emily replied her exasperation with the young woman growing. "It has only been two hours since we notified him about my accident. He won't get here until later in this evening."
"I'm sorry for causing you to fall," Abigail said a hint of guilt in her voice , the image of Zach's mother tumbling onto the floor as she tripped over her foot coming into her mind.
"I've told you it wasn't your fault," Emily said. "I'm the one who didn't see your foot sticking out in my path."
"Do you think that woman and her child will come with Zachary?" Abigail asked changing the subject of their conversation.
"I don't know," Emily replied cringing at the thought of Zachary's pretend family coming with him. "I hope they don't and I think it's highly unlikely. The child is in school and with her legs in casts; Zachary would have to make preparations ahead of time to get her ready for a trip back to London. Besides I don't see the child's mother interrupting her routine to come here with Zachary to see about me simply because I sprained my ankle."
"Even so, Zachary might talk her into coming with him," Abigail remarked.
"Why would he do that?" Emily asked. "Zachary isn't serious about this woman. He only married her so that he could get his inheritance and nothing more. He has no feelings for her nor her child. If he does, it is only because of their situation and nothing more. When the two year requirement has been met their marriage will be ended and they'll both go their separate ways."
"She might try to talk Zachary into staying with them," Abigail said.
"As I said I don't see that happening," Emily said her tone confident.
"What about the little girl?" Abigail asked. "Zachary has only been there a day and now he has to come back home. The little girl might start crying because he has to cut his visit short and that might convince him to stay."
"I'm Zachary's mother," Emily said. "He loves me; his concern for me will override any tears the child might shed."
The ringing of Emily's phone cut off Abigail's response.
"It's Zachary," Emily said pressing the button, answering her mobile phone. "Hello."
"Hello, mother," Zachary replied.
"Hello, Zachary," Emily said holding her breath worried about what her son might say.
"How are you feeling?" Zachary asked.
"I'm fine," Emily replied. "Why're you calling? Have you changed your mind about returning home?"
"Hold the line, mother," Zachary said.
Emily strained to hear the mumbling she heard on the other end of the line as Zachary spoke to someone but she couldn't make it out because Zachary had his hand over the phone.
"What's going on?" Abigail whispered.
"Shush," Emily told her. "I'm trying to hear what's going on."
"Is she trying to talk Zachary out of coming?" Abigail asked becoming angry at the thought. "Are they fighting?"
"Shush girl!" Emily said her voice more intense this time. "How can I hear what's happening with you jabbering in my ear."
"Are you still there mother?" Zachary asked coming back to the phone.
"Yes, I'm still here," Emily replied. "Is there a problem?"
"No," Zachary told her. "I'm calling to give you the details of my flight."
"Do you want me to meet you at the airport?" his mother asked.
"No, mother," Zachary replied. "I just wanted you to know when I would arrive back in London."
"I'll be waiting," Emily said as she wrote down Zach's flight information, slowly releasing the breath she'd been holding the entire time she spoke with her son. "I can't wait to see you."
"I've only been away a day mother," Zachary said. "That's hardly enough time to miss me."
"I know dear," his mother said. "I'm just glad you're coming back home."
"I'll see you when I arrive mother," Zachary said. "Goodbye."
"Goodbye," his mother said.
"Is he coming?" Abigail asked as Mrs. Collins hung up the phone.
"He's coming," Emily replied a big smile on her face. "My boy is coming home."
"I think I'll be there to meet him at the airport," Abigail said.
"I think that would be an excellent idea," Emily said passing the piece of paper containing Zachary flight information over to Abigail. "Your being there alone to meet him at the airport will give the two of you the opportunity to talk and renew your relationship."
"Great minds think alike," Abigail said taking the piece of paper leaving Mrs. Collins home, heading to her home to prepare for Zachary's arrival.
*****************
"I want you and Emilee to come to London with me," Zachary said to Ciara.
"We can't go with you, Zach," Ciara said. "Emilee has to attend school and she has physical therapy three time a week."
"I can..."
"No," Ciara said determined not to allow Zach to change her mind. "We can't go with you. You should go to London to take care of your mother alone and come back to see us when you can."
"But I've spent less than a day with you and Emilee," Zach said giving Ciara a sad puppy dogface. "I miss having both my girls around."
"We're not your girls," Ciara said fighting to maintain her resolve of not going to London with him. She hated to admit even to herself that she missed him too.
"You are for the next two years," Zach replied a stupid smile on his face that was making it even harder for Ciara to maintain her desire not to give in. "I want my girls home with me. Please?" Zach said his puppy dogface growing even sadder as he walked closer to Ciara.
"Zach," Ciara said wondering how he managed to slip his arms around her waist without her realizing it, "the situation that would be created by Emilee and I going home with you wouldn't be a good one for Emilee, me, you nor your mother. It would be very stressful for everyone."
"We could make it work," Zach said. "Together we can make things pleasant for everyone. Please come home with me, Ciara."
As he spoke Zach kissed Ciara gently on the lips at the end, he gave her a long gentle kiss. Ciara knew that Zach was asking her to do more than to come home with him. After dinner last night, he told Ciara that he wanted them to change their relationship from a pretend one to a real one. Hearing him say that surprised and caught her totally off guard. It wasn't something she was sure she ready or capable of doing. She'd imagine in her mind her relationship with Zachary changing but it wasn't something she'd ever saw happening. Now that he was asking her to do the thing, she'd imagined she wasn't sure she could do it.
"I don't think we should change the status of our relationship," Ciara said moving out of Zach's embrace away from his lips so that her mind could be clear and she could think. "Nothing between us is supposed to be real. We are only pretending to be in a relationship. Remember?"
"Are you saying you're not interested in having a real relationship with me?" Zach asked his eyes daring her to deny what was happening between them.
"I'm saying that we need to really think about this," Ciara replied. "Your mother isn't happy with me. I think the only reason she's able to deal with me at all is because she knows that what we're doing isn't real. How do you think she'll react to hearing that we're thinking about actually seeing each other romantically? She's going to pop a blood vessel."
"Let me worry about my mother," Zach told Ciara easing his arms back around her waist. "We're talking about us and what we want. That is the only the only topic of this conversation."
"Maybe you should go home, take care of your mother and think about whether or not you really want to do this," Ciara suggested. "Maybe we should both take some time away from each other to think about whether or not this is a good idea."
"It's all I've thought about most of the time you and Emilee have been here," Zach said. "I'm sure this is what I want."
Shocked by what he'd said Ciara looked him in the eyes. She searched them looking to see if they match the tone of his voice. She saw no deception in his eyes and she heard none in his voice so she decided she too would go with her heart.
"Are you sure Zach?" she asked her voice pleading with him to be sure this was what he wanted.
"I'm sure," Zach replied resting his chin on her head.
"I guess we could give it a try," Ciara said.
"I want you to promise me that from now on instead of trying to handle things on your own that you'll come to me with any problems you might have," Zach said.
"But Zach..."
"Promise me," Zach demanded.
"Alright," Ciara said relenting, "I promise."
"No matter what it is," Zach added.
