Emily returned to her art classes as more and more students came back from the Christmas holidays. She was looking forward to seeing Katie despite the drama with her brother. She was worried Katie wouldn't show up, but she did even though it was a few minutes late. The teen was shy and awkward when she first walked in."I'm really sorry about what happened," Katie said, looking down."Katie, it's not your fault." Emily came towards her and gave her a strong, reassuring hug. "If there's anyone who understands that my brother can drive someone crazy, it's me.""I feel bad about breaking up with him when he seems to be so troubled." Katie finally looked up, her perfectly groomed eyebrows drawn together in a frown."There's never a good time to break up with someone," Emily said. "You did what you had to do. I'm never going to hold it against you. I think we've got too much going for us as friends, don't you?"Emily had always liked Katie's passion and drive. The teen might have had s
Right after Byron found out what happened, he got on the phone with his lawyer. Emily listened intently, trying to tell by the expressions on his face and what he was saying whether there was any hope for Nick. Byron seemed to be frowning a lot, but it was hard to tell whether he was just concentrating or something discouraging was being revealed."The bad news is he's eighteen, so he'll be tried as an adult," Byron said after he got off the phone, "But maybe it could be possible for him to avoid serious jail time since he's not a violent offender, at least I hope he's not.""I don't see him ever being violent," Emily said, rubbing her temples, "Although he's deceived me before so who knows? But no, it's really unlikely.""Well, I guess dinner is cancelled," Byron said, "let's go get the kid. Don't worry, I'll put up the money for his bail, whatever it may be." Byron was already putting on his jacket and getting ready to go."Byron, you don't need to do that. It's not your proble
Everything worked out just like Byron's lawyer had said. Nick got off on probation and was not allowed to touch any drugs with a ten foot pole. He would have to go for drug testing each month. It was a great relief, knowing he would be forced to stay on the straight and narrow by legal means."Are you not going to come out from under there?" Emily asked.Her brother was lying on the floor wrapped up in a blanket."No, I'm good."Nick was just hanging out at home and vegging out most days, and Emily didn't pressure him to do anything. She knew he had been through a lot, and she wasn't mad at him anymore for what he had done. Deep down, she knew he had a good heart."Pam is coming over, just so you know," Emily reminded him.He made an indecipherable noise. Emily shrugged. Pam was tough enough to deal with anything, much less someone acting a little weird.Pam didn't bat an eyelid when she saw Nick huddling away on the floor."Are you cocooning away from the world?" she asked.
Living together as a couple started out very good on the first night. Emily brought some of her stuff over, and they had drinks on the balcony to celebrate her arrival.The next morning morning, Emily wanted to spend some time on her sketches but kept being distracted by Byron traipsing in and out of her room between work meetings and chatting about random topics. It was hard to get angry with him for interrupting because he was so happy to see her there. But did he have to come in nearly every half hour and interrupt her workflow?Finally she tried to tell him gently that she wanted to get some work done."You're right," Byron said at once, "I should have thought of that! How about you keep your door closed, and I'll knock if I have something important to say?""Sounds good," she replied.It was going to be a process of adjustment since she had previously only come here to hang out and play, not to live.The sun came out in the afternoon, and Emily rolled out her yoga mat in the
"Okay, Mr. Real Estate, come in," Emily said.She wasn't sure what he had in mind, but she was so glad to see him again.They sat down at the kitchen table, and Byron opened up a folder filled with pictures and information on various homes for sale not far from her current place."I think you'll find these more than satisfactory," he said, "they're in your favorite neighborhood, and you'll enjoy the quiet, tree-lined streets and closeness to the beach while still being within easy reach of downtown. Maybe you and your boyfriend could make a new start there together?""You want to buy us a new house?" she asked. It seemed too good to be true!"For you and Mr. Pomeroy, yes," Byron said, not dropping his real estate agent act."Is Mr. Pomeroy okay with leaving the familiar comfort of his suite for a whole new house?" she inquired disbelievingly."Yes, we've talked about it, and he is quite happy to do it.""But would he really be happy away from the bustling downtown core?" Emily
Pam came out of the change room in a dress that did not suit her at all. It looked like it wouldn't suit anyone. It had a short skirt that gathered in at the hem, making her butt look comically big. The neckline seemed to have some sort of paperbag-like fabric sticking up all around her chest. The whole thing made her look like an over-decorated puffball. "Okay, I know this is a bit unusual," Pam said, "but I really like this one. What do you all think?"Pam's mom and dad, sister and several friends including Byron and Emily sat around in a semi-circle as the bride-to-be stood in the center. Everyone stared at her, most people humming in uncertainty. No one dared to say that it was horrible."Haha! April Fools!" Pam exclaimed, laughing uproariously, "Isn't this the worst dress ever? I just wanted to see your faces when you saw it.""Pam!" her mother reproved, "You're being silly. And Laurent is probably not impressed with you making fun of his dresses.""It's fine, it's fine," th
Emily was glad when Pam called her the next day to say she changed her mind about making ugly bridesmaid dresses."Sorry," Pam said, "I don't know what I was thinking. I feel like a bad person.""No, it's okay," Emily said, "You're probably nervous before your big day.""It's true, my hormones are driving me crazy. So, what are we doing for your birthday?""Uh..."Emily had hardly given it much thought, but her birthday was coming up. Since she had been occupied with Pam's wedding plans, she wanted to enjoy a low-key birthday. She cleared her work schedule for the whole day and asked Byron not to plan any surprises. She half suspected him of organizing a scuba-diving expedition or some other extreme adventure, but all she wanted was to spend a relaxing day at home or lazing on the beach and maybe see some of her friends."Let's meet up in the evening for drinks," she said."Okay, I'll see you soon, birthday girl."Emily went back to browsing bridesmaid dresses online, looking f
After spending the day with Byron and the new dog, Emily put on a shiny evening dress and got ready to meet the girls for drinks.Byron was nearly asleep and happy to let her go out by herself. After 'playing' with him for a while, she had quite exhausted him and left him to recover from his pleasant daze.Meeting up with her girlfriends at a neighborhood bar made for the perfect ending to her day."I have a new dog!" Emily blurted out when she went to order drinks with Pam. "I wanted to name her Sandy because I met her on a beach, but then to make it more interesting, I called her Shandy.""That's awesome," Pam said, "you've waited so long to have one!"They waited to get the bartender's attention, but he was swarmed with customers."I might also have something new..." Pam said."What is it?" Emily was intrigued. The bartender turned to them, and Emily ordered a gin and tonic while Pam ordered ginger ale. Emily started to understand what was likely going on.Pam leaned close
Emily felt such a strong current of desire running throughout her frame. It was always the most overwhelming sensation, being engulfed in the torrent of his kisses. It was one of those times when she was reminded how fierce and powerful her love for him really was. Sometimes day-to-day life interfered and made her forget that there was a man by her side who would do anything for her. When he showed how much he loved her, whether it was with grand gestures and romantic trips or simply the way he kissed her, it felt like the rebirth of a love that was too beautiful for words.Holding him in her arms and knowing how much he desired her nearly made her faint every time. It enchanted every single cell of her being, making the rest of the world a mere blur compared to the hot passion coursing through her body."I love you," she murmured as they rested in the sumptuous bed. "Thanks for always being there for me.""You don't have to thank me," he said, gazing back at her with a look fi
A few days later, Emily woke up to a grey and rainy day, but she was eager to get out of bed. It was the day of their trip. Byron was already up, pulling a tight t-shirt over his muscular torso. He looked way too awake for the earliness of the hour."Today's dress code: motorcycle gear," he said, eyes shining eagerly."It's a road trip?" Emily exclaimed."Yes indeed!"They could have flown anywhere in the world on their private jet, but for some reason Emily was more excited about a trip to the nearby mountains, just like they had always done. It reminded her of the early days of their relationship when they swiftly fell in love, and she had fallen in love with everything about this landscape too. And in some ways, not that much had changed."It's going to be a rugged journey," Byron said, "but don't worry, I've prepared some amenities at our destination.""What is that supposed to mean?" she asked."You don't need to pack too much stuff, just your basic clothes."They left t
Byron poured a lot of funds into the construction of the wave pool, and a few months later, it was built and ready for use.The building looked sleek and contemporary on the outside, while inside it was a warm oasis away from the autumn chill.Mandy swam and frolicked in the waves with her friends, stopping only to sip a bit of juice, then she was back in the water for more splashing. The high ceiling allowed natural light to come in through its numerous skylights, giving the space the ambience of a warm beach. The wave pool was definitely a hit. Emily and Byron watched the kids, lounging on deck chairs by the water."It's not quite as relaxing as a real beach, but it'll do," Byron said as the echoes of children's voices bounced around the vast space. Ripples of sunlight reflected off the water and played over his face."The kids don't seem to care if it's relaxing or not," Emily said, observing them race each other in the waves. "But as long as they're happy…""Do you think Man
"Can I do it when I'm six?" Mandy asked, not letting go of the idea of being on television."No," Emily said firmly."Can I do it when I'm seven?""No.""Ten?""Maybe." Emily hoped the whole discussion would be forgotten after that many years. She never wanted her child on a so-called talent show which was probably rigged anyway.Luckily, Mandy was distracted by her friend, and the two girls went to play outside."She's so talented," Katie said, "You should take her to a music academy. I'll bet she's going to be a sensation."Emily shook her head. "She's way too young. Please don't get excited. I know it seems like showing her talent to the world is a good thing, but too many child stars have started out on brilliant careers only to burn out as teenagers. I definitely don't want that for Mandy.""You're right, Talent Quest is a bit of a freak show," Katie said, "but don't you want her to at least learn as much as she can to reach her full potential?""She's got all the time i
Byron took a long breath. "Okay, don't be mad at me but… I bought Charmers. And now every single branch of Charmers will carry your brand of clothing.""Byron, you promised me you wouldn't do that!" Emily was so disappointed she was hardly even tempted by the creamy pasta."I promised I wouldn't destroy them," he said, a sly smile playing about his lips, "and I don't intend to. I've even kept Simone around, though in a slightly less senior role. She couldn't be induced to resign. The woman is very stubborn, but I know you don't like us to make enemies…""So you took over the company she was running, and you don't think she'd be mad?""Not as mad as I was when you told me she dropped your products," Byron retorted, "But believe it or not she's actually okay with the takeover. Charmers were struggling financially anyway. Believe me, I did them a favor.""Well you didn't do me a favor," Emily retorted. "I didn't want you to get involved.""But—""I'm capable of solving my own probl
"I pet a big white dog!" Mandy announced when they got home.The dogs spun around the new arrivals in a furry whirlwind, and Emily was relieved to be with her four-legged friends. She was glad she hadn't brought them to work that day to be despised by Simone."That's good," Byron said, greeting Mandy and Emily with kisses."I was not so lucky," Emily said."Mommy didn't have time to play with doggie," Mandy said sadly."And on top of that, I lost a really big client…" Emily added. She took off her shoes and collapsed on the living room couch."Lady said the 'f word'," Mandy recalled. Byron raised his eyebrows. "I know I'm not allowed to say it," Mandy continued, "but she didn't know that.""What the heck happened over there?" Byron asked."Ugh! I can't even go into right now," Emily lay back on the couch and closed her eyes, trying to shut out the stress of the day. "Simone made me so mad.""Lady was silly," Mandy said."Yes, she was very silly," Emily confirmed.Byron s
Emily was in a playful mood the next morning. She didn't want to get out of bed, even though she had an important meeting. The date night had ended in a rather passionate episode. Mandy was already asleep by the time they got back home, and they made the most of their time. It was not exactly rare for them to have alone time, but maybe it didn't happen as often as before."You're very giggly," Byron noted. "I thought you'd be tired after last night."He was a bit sleepy but didn't mind indulging her desires when she kissed his face and body all over."Thanks for helping me feel relaxed when I should be nervous," Emily said as she got up to get dressed. "Simone Cather is coming in for a meeting today. I've never worked with her before, but I hear she can be difficult. I'm going to bring Mandy with me to win her over with cuteness."Simone had just taken over leadership of Charmers, the biggest fashion retail store in the country. Emily had a good relationship with the previous CEO
Emily was able to run some errands while Sylvia gave Mandy her first piano lesson. She was glad to have a bit of time to shop, and Sylvia insisted on not having anyone interfere in her tutelage anyway. Emily wondered how Sylvia would cope being left alone with her granddaughter. She had been out a couple of hours, and she hoped they hadn't killed each other.Contrary to her expectations, the house was quiet when she entered. Sylvia and Mandy were deep in conversation over tea and cookies."Mommy! Mommy!" Mandy ran over to greet her."How was your lesson?" Emily asked."I learned to play piano!""She did fairly well," Sylvia said. This sounded like high praise from someone who was more used to criticizing.Mandy sat down at the piano with very good posture to show Emily what she'd learned. She played Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. It was a simple piece that most kids started with, but Emily was amazed that Mandy played it so flawlessly. She kept up a steady rhythmic accompanimen
Unschooling was a little harder to commit to than Emily had imagined. She knew that there were plenty of learning opportunities for Mandy at home, but sometimes work demands, or just wanting a bit of time to herself made her reluctant to teach the kid.It was early September, and the unschooling had been going on for a week. Emily was working on her sketches in her home office while Mandy watched an educational program in the cinema room. It didn't seem like too much time had passed, but when Emily looked up from her sketch, the house felt unusually quiet. She went into the cinema room and saw that Mandy must have finished her program and dutifully turned the screen off. She was an amazingly responsible child in some respects."Mandy!" Emily called, "Where are you, Mandikins?"An eerie silence filled the large house. Emily checked all the rooms, but her daughter was nowhere to be found. Surely she wouldn't have gone outside all by herself? For a chilling moment, she thought the