Page 146 of The Me I Left Behind

An older, plump, gray-haired woman stood there, looking back at them.

“G’day,” she said. “You must be the family from the states. Well, come on in, then. We have tucker on the deck. Lilly’s orders. But I think it’s too cold out there.” She turned and headed up the stairs.

Maggie glanced at Carol and grinned. Carol pursed her lips, holding back a giggle. They followed her to the second level, where they stepped into a large great room, the kitchen area to the right, and a living area on the left. The wide glass doors opened onto a sunny deck overlooking the bay.

“Wow,” Carol whispered. “This is so pretty.”

“Do you think it’s too chilly to eat outside? The afternoon sun really warms the deck.” Lilly stepped into the room, holding Leo. “Good day, Maggie and Carol. Please meet Leo. I’m glad you are here.”

Maggie thought Lilly looked calmer, and a bit more put together, than she did the day before. After a night of mulling things over in her head, Maggie felt better about the entire situation, too.

Carol stepped toward Lilly, moving more quickly than Maggie. She felt like hanging back, letting her daughter take a minute to meet her new baby brother.

Fuck. That sounded weird. Reality can certainly take a turn, can’t it?

“Oh, I would love to hold him,” Carol said. “May I?”

“Of course. He’s just been changed, so he’s good to go.” Lilly handed him over and Maggie watched as her girl smiled and lifted Leo into her arms.

“Hey there,” she said, whispering. “You are a bit of a chunk, aren’t you?” Smiling, she glanced at Maggie.

“I made sandwiches and salads,” the older woman said. “On the deck.”

Maggie turned and smiled. “Sounds lovely.”

“It’s all cold. Everything’s cold.”

Lilly laughed a little. “She thinks it’s too cold to eat outside. Maggie, meet my nanny and long-time friend, Poppy. She took care of me growing up, and now she’s helping me take care of Leo.”

“Nice to meet you, Poppy.”

“And you.” She stared a minute, then said, “So, you were the one married to that nasty bloke. I feel for ya.”

Maggie stifled a smile. “I had filed for divorce.”

“Well, good on you. He was a piece of—”

Lilly intervened. “Poppy. How about you bring us a cuppa out to the deck? Maggie, come with me? Carol, you can stay here or come too, whatever you wish.”

“Are those Leo’s toys on the floor?”

“Oh, yes. He loves that ball. It’s good for him to practice sitting up. He’s such a plump sausage, and he rolls over a lot.”

Carol laughed. “We’ll be out in a few minutes.”

They had no sooner seated themselves at the patio table when Lilly started talking.

“Maggie, I want you to know that when I met Max, he said he was divorced. I would never have entered a relationship had I known that was not the case.”

Poppy brought the cups of tea and Maggie reached for hers.

“I also want you to know that I want nothing. I’m fine financially and can support Leo. Whatever assets Max had, those belong to you and your children. I do not want to cause trouble.”

Maggie paused for a moment, thinking, swirling the tea in her cup. “Lilly, you’ve worried about all this, haven’t you?”

“Oh, you don’t know how much. That video call at Christmas? When Carol saw what she saw? I was confused and mortified. But by then, I was in it deep.”

“And you had Leo.”