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W hen Thursday came around, Lucy was so hyped up that the slightest sound had her jumping. Her stomach was in knots, and she had a raging headache. Whenever she thought of meeting Allison, nausea threatened to send her to the toilet. She wanted to hide away until her daughter left.

Both men had gone to work early, and they’d promised they’d be home well before four. Jack had left orders with Lucy for preparing the vegetables and marinating the meats.

After downing some paracetamol, Lucy made a mango and macadamia cheesecake with a salted caramel topping, and a tray of brownies for dessert. Really, it was to do anything to keep busy and keep her mind off Allison.

But now, at three o’clock, she kept fidgeting, getting more nervous with each passing minute. She roamed the house, checked the chickens, and then wandered through the house again.

Going to the bedroom, Lucy changed into a clean pair of jeans and t-shirt she’d bought yesterday. Going back to the kitchen, she checked the clock for the hundredth time.

It was twenty to four when she heard the garage door open and a few minutes later her two men walked in through the hall next to the pantry. Sebastian had an enormous bunch of roses for her. They both enveloped her in a huge hug, then Sebastian held her at arm’s length and looked critically at her.

“It’s going to be fine, my dearest. Try and relax.”

She snorted. “Easier said than done.”

“Come on, Jack. Let’s change into something casual so we can calm our girl.”

A few minutes later, they were back downstairs. Jack had pulled on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt while Sebastian had settled for jeans and a tee. Jack checked on the preparations while Sebastian made Lucy a cup of herbal tea.

He led her outside to one of the large outdoor settees and sat her down. It was a perfect summer afternoon. The sun shone brightly, but it wasn’t too hot thankfully, just hovering in the mid-thirties.

Lucy tried hard to appear calm, but it was impossible. Finally, they all heard the sound of slamming doors then shrieks of childish laughter.

A few moments later, two little people came running around the side of the house and flung themselves into Lucy’s arms.

“Hey, Nan! Guess what? Lizzie’s got a wiggly tooth!”

“Aw, Colin, not fair. I wanted to tell Nanny!” Lizzie screwed her face up, about to cry.

“It’s okay, Lizzie. Don’t cry. Let me see.” Lucy studied the tooth, complimenting her on how much it wiggled

Lizzie bounced over to proudly show her two uncles.

Tooth properly admired and commented on, the two children raced off down the yard to ‘talk’ to their chickens. As far as they were concerned, nothing had been wrong, and everything was perfectly normal.

Geoffrey, holding Davie in his arms but with Allison close behind him, came over and kissed her hello before shaking hands with the two men.

Jack immediately took Davie from him and began playing with him. Jennifer and Andy’s first child was due at the end of March or early April, so he wanted all the practice he could get with babies.

The moment Lucy had been dreading was now in front of her as Allison hesitantly approached her.

Any one of them could have heard a pin drop. All conversation stopped. All that could be heard was the distant giggles of the two children. Jack and Sebastian had moved to stand behind Lucy, Sebastian’s hand gently resting on her shoulder.

“Hello, Mum.” Allison’s voice sounded strained.

Lucy took a breath and looked at her daughter.

Allison promptly burst into tears and threw herself on her knees, her head on Lucy’s lap. “I’m so sorry,” she sobbed. “I was a fool. I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” she mumbled over and over again.

Lucy looked down at her daughter’s head in bewilderment. She looked from Jack to Sebastian, confused. This was the last thing she expected. Hesitantly, she put her hand on Allison’s head. It surprised her to feel her own tears run down her cheeks.

Rocking back on her heels, Allison finally looked up at her mother.

“I mean it, Mum. I’m so sorry. I was so wrong, a fool.

I almost ruined your life and I ... I didn’t care.

Please say you’ll try to forgive me. I .

.. you.” She took a ragged breath. “What almost happened, it was all my fault. If I have to spend my life apologizing, I will. Please!”

Lucy had no idea what to say. She looked at Jack and Sebastian who both smiled, and Sebastian nodded at her, squeezing her shoulder.

Allison peered up at the two men. “I’m so sorry!” She looked back at her mother with her hand across her mouth, waiting for Lucy to speak. Her face now filled with fear of rejection.

Lucy wiped her eyes on the back of her hand. “It’s over, Allison. It’s in the past.”

Allison’s face held disbelief. “Do you mean it, Mum? Can you honestly forgive me?”

“I’ll be truthful and say you hurt me more than you could ever imagine, but you’re my daughter. If you honestly mean it, then I can do nothing but accept your apology.”

“Oh, Mum!” She burst into loud sobs again, wailing, “I know what I did. I know how much I hurt you all. I’m so, so sorry.”

Lucy let her cry herself out, wiping her own tears with a tissue that Sebastian had gotten for her.

Allison finally wiped her own face then stood up.

She walked over to where Sebastian stood.

“I know it will be hard to ever forgive the way I behaved. The way I spoke to you was disgusting. I acted and behaved so badly to you. Right from day one, I was vile toward you. I can never expect you to like me, but I honestly...” She took a gasping breath.

“I am so sorry. I should never have spoken the way I did. I should never have treated you the horrible way I did. I apologize to you.” She looked over at Jack.

“And to you also, Jack. Everyone deserves their happiness, regardless of how they find it. I finally understand that now.”

She looked from one man to the other. “I realize now that you two are the best thing that could have ever happened to my mother. I know how much she loves you. At last, I get it that the three of you are meant to be together.”

She turned and walked to Geoffrey, who had been standing close by. She let him enfold her in his arms and began crying again.

As Sebastian walked to them, Jack handed Davie over to Lucy and joined him.

Sebastian touched her arm. “Allison, how about we start all over.”

She lifted her face from Geoffrey’s chest to look at him in hope.

“I don’t want any of this to poison our relationship. You’re Lucy’s daughter. If you honestly mean what you say, then Jack and I will accept your apology. We’ll definitely be rather shaky to start, but I hope we can all put the past behind us and move forward.”

“That’s so much more than I ever hoped for, Sebastian. It’s far more than I could ever deserve. Thank you.”

He cocked his head at Jack and Lucy.

“I guess we should tell you our news. Jack and I have asked Lucy to marry us. Well, officially one of us, but you get the idea. Lucy’s agreed. We’ve also moved in here. It’s better than her moving into the apartment.”

The smile on Allison’s face took everyone by surprise. They all expected her to show some sort of repulsion at the idea. Instead, she appeared delighted.

“I’m so happy. So pleased that Mum is finally getting what she deserves most—happiness and love.

” She looked from her mother to each of the men.

“You probably find that hard to believe, but I’ve had time to do some honest thinking in the past few days.

When I found Mum on Saturday, it...” Her voice faltered, but she took a breath and continued.

“It came home to me more than anything else of what I’d done.

When I heard her voice on your tape, I knew there was a chance you could save her and you did.

“I will be eternally grateful to you both. I can honestly say I would be proud to have you both as step-fathers, and, at last, I don’t care who knows it.”

“Hallelujah!” Jack’s voice echoed across the back deck and everyone laughed, breaking the tension.

Lucy stood. She went to her daughter and held her. Everyone knew this was only the beginning, that the raw, open wounds needed time to heal, but the first step had been taken, and it hadn’t been as painful as Lucy imagined.

The twins came over, demanding the men play soccer. Lucy nursed Davie and Allison sat alongside her, watching the family playing, and finally Lucy relaxed.

Half an hour later, the men came over and began cooking. The meal that followed was actually a pleasant one. When Allison complimented Lucy on the cheesecake, she told her it was a recipe Jack had made up and Allison actually asked him if he would write it down for her.

When they left later that night, Lucy closed the front door and sighed deeply.

Sebastian held out his hand. “Come on, my dearest. Let’s go to bed.”

She smiled at Sebastian and took his outstretched hand in hers, while Jack draped an arm across her shoulders and onto Sebastian. Together, they climbed the stairs to their bedroom.