Hannibal Lecture stood at his kitchen counter preparing dinner for himself. While he was preparing the sauce for is meet the door rang. Not expecting visitors that night he frowned and turned the hob off as not to ruin the sauce. Wiping his hands on a towel he headed to the front door to open it.
There standing on the bottom of the steps stood a young lady in her late twenties both of her hands on a baby stroller the December snow falling down around her covering her and the stroller in a white blanket.
"Sophia what a pleasant surprise. To what do I owe the visit?" He asked. Sophia looked up at him and shivered as she felt him watching her.
"I need to discuss something with you please. It's pretty important." She said. Hannibal glanced at her one more time before helping her carry the stroller up the stairs and into the porch. He watched as Sophia lent down and took a child then another from the stroller. He led the family into his lounge before sitting himself down to the sofa watching as Sophia did the same with the babies.
"Why are you here Sophia, it is not exactly the best weather to be out in with such young children." Hannibal demanded. Sophia squirmed in the chair. Both of the children picked up on their mothers distress and stated to fuss. She tried to settle the babies but struggles to do one and then the other. She thrust one of the children into Hannibal's arms while trying to sort the other.
"The children are yours. Hannah and Marion are the product of our affair and until recently I believed I could look after them by myself." Sophia explained. Hannibal looked down at the child in his arms. She looked up at him with her dark eye and in that moment Hannibal knew without a doubt that this child was his. He looked up at Sophia with such acrimony that she physically recoiled.
"What do you want from me Sophia?" Hannibal asked again.
"Help in raising your daughters. I can't cope with raising them alone anymore." Sophia told him.