‘OK, OK, I won’t pressure you about it, but remember you know you can come to me anytime, with anything. Speaking of exes, I saw your dad the other day.’

‘What? Why? You’re not getting back with him, are you?’ Vanessa was worried for her mom, her dad had done the wrong thing by her and kept it a secret for all those years. Her mom was still vulnerable from spending thirty years with the man.

‘No, I’m not taking him back, I have no intention of it, but he’s having money troubles, so he’s asked if he can move into the guesthouse out the back for a while. I said yes.’ She sipped her tea. ‘Thoughts?’

‘Mom, you can’t. This is just a ploy to get closer to you and you’ve let him come back halfway already by letting him stay on your property. Before you know it, he’ll be back at home. Tell me you’ve thought this through?’ Vanessa was worried, very worried. Her mom was fragile, and she never could say no to her dad.

‘Oh honey, I have. I’m not getting back together with him, I’m just helping him out till he’s on his feet again. He made a terrible mistake and I believe he’s sorry, but it’s over. He wants to see the boys every now and then. He misses Wren and he’d love to meet Ty. Would that be OK?’

Vanessa looked at the doorway as if expecting her children to magically appear, conjured by her memory.

‘That’s a serious ask. You may have forgiven him, but I haven’t. Not yet.’ She ran a hand through her hair, mussing it up.

Her mom stood up, rinsing her cup and putting it on the draining rack. ‘Have a think about it, and I’ll see you and the boys tomorrow.’

‘OK, Mom, thanks, I’ll drop Ty off first thing in the morning, take Wren to school then go check out the cafe.’ She kissed her mom goodbye at the door and watched her drive off. There was something a little off about her mom, but she put it down to her dad coming back into her life. The nerve of him to ask her for help after what he did.

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