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“I ran by for a coffee with my friend before my doctor’s appointment,” she said “Remeoing to be running late I got ho an accident? I didn’t even put two and two together until I saw Holly tonight”

Then, as if goading hts he said, “Well, all turned out well, Cecile My little ht about the coffee There’s so much to think about when you have a little one to look after”

I hated the thought, but I have it into cover so that I didn’t catch the part about hi at her house I’d spent the time in the ER with our son and with Rose and the rest of the day alone Now, I find out that Aiden wasn’t working at all He was running errands for Cecile while she was in the city burning our son

I stood rooted to my spot I was stunned Aiden was in this a lot deeper than I had guessed How long had this been going on? With Eric still ondish to take it into the kitchen before I said or did soret I doubted it would be retted it

As I turned to leave the room, I heard Aiden say, “Here, let me take Eric while you do that” I looked at my son; the little traitor had his arave him to his dad

“Would you like some help?” Cecile asked I was at the point where I’d rather pull out ernails with a pair of pliers than talk to her but I ed to spit out a response

“No, thank you” I couldn’t be alone with her I really didn’t trust myself not to choke her By the ti around the living rooht o’clock It was past ti Eric ready for bed and I wanted this woman out of my home

Before I had a chance to suggest that she leave, she said, “You knoe should do? We should open a bottle of wine Aiden, do you have any of that ’74 left that we got on our trip to Sonoma?” Cecile let out a little chuckle, like there was some “private” story behind the wine

“Wine? No No one is having any wine here I don’t think so,” I said “I’ht is over It’s tio to bed and ood mother you like to pretend to be and take your own son hoht?”

Cecile was giving me a shocked look That was okay What wasn’t okay was thatat ed with disappointment as well I tried to tellto wonder Cecile on the other hand was a tad siven her credit for, however She suddenly changed her tune, either to prove she was a good mother, or because she kneas about to rip her hair out

“Holly’s right Mark and I were having so ht Oh dear is it really alht o’clock? Mark, tell Holly thank you for her hospitality and give Aiden a kiss and hug”

Mark did as his mother asked and then in a move that stole my heart, he kissed Eric on the head too and said, “I like you, little brother”

Aiden sood-bye and just before they left, Cecile turned to me and said, “This was lovely, Holly Thank you” I didn’t even try and force out a nicety I had truly exhausted every fraction of patience I had in my body She knew it, and she was happy about it She suests”

By the time Aiden showed the hiiveto charht in the world to feel the way I did after all of the things I found out today about Aiden’s lies I didn’t have anything nice to say to him, and I didn’t want to berate hih I kneas too little to understand I felt strongly that Eric could sense , I just watched as he cooed at and kissed Eric and told hiht

“Daddy loves you littleto smile, but I warned him off with a look of my own

I finished putting the baby down and found hi in the den when I came back out