The door shut with a loud bang behind Robert. He saw Anna on the couch surrounded by packing boxes.
"You're still dressed," said Robert.
"Why wouldn't I be?" asked Anna.
"I'm a newlywed. When my gorgeous wife tells me to come home early, I can only think of one thing," said Robert.
"What will you be thinking of after a year of marriage?" asked Anna motioning for him to sit on the sofa beside her.
"Same thing I'm sure. I am a man of certain habits and indulgences." Robert sat down. "What's all this?"
"These are my things from the warehouse."
Robert eyed all the boxes of every possible size and shape. "It's all legal right?"
"Yes. I thought you'd like to see it first." Anna opened a box on the coffee table.
"See what first?"
"You remember my brownstone in New York City?"
"Yeah. Very elegant and-"
"Cold and lonely," said Anna. "There weren't any pictures of Robin or anyone, anywhere."
"You couldn't have them. Robin didn't even know you were her mother."
"My brownstone was a cover not a home. I didn't feel right putting all my things in my house with Duke."
"This place is all ours. Decorate to your hearts content. As long as there are no pink walls in our bedroom, I'm happy man."
Anna laughed. She pulled out a large package wrapped in blue velvet. "You're so easy to please."
"The less complicated my personal life is the better." Robert watched as Anna unwrapped the package with careful hands.
"I used to have this in my brownstone but I had a break-in and moved it all to the warehouse where it was safer." Anna flipped the last layer of cloth over revealing picture frames with the patina of old age. "I couldn't risk losing these." She handed one frame to Robert and laid the rest on the coffee table. She reached for another box. "It's been ages since I've looked at them."
Robert recognized the black and white photograph. It was of him, Anna and Philomena posing by the fountain right after their wedding. He couldn't speak. The next picture was of Anna sitting on the edge of the fountain caught unaware and visibly pregnant.
"Filomena took that one. We were on the way somewhere and I was tired," said Anna.
"You ... look ... bigger than I thought you would," said Robert finding his voice.
"Robin rode low. Filomena thought she'd be a boy," said Anna. "Fortunately, I only have two pictures of me pregnant."
Robert traced Anna's face in the picture. "You looked exhausted." He peered closer. "What's that white stuff?"
Anna bit her lip. "Bandages. The doctor was fixing my face little by little. I refused to have any operation until after I delivered."
"You had ... had burns, Anna. That's not ... not pain-free and pregnant." The longer he looked at the picture the more upset Robert became. "You ... should have ... contacted me. I should ... "
Anna took the frame away from Robert and replaced it with a picture of her holding Robin for the first time. "These are old friends. Reminders of the sad and the happy times. This picture I had at the hospital whenever I went in for surgery. I kept it under my pillow."
"God bless Filomena for being there."
"I couldn't have done without her. She saved mine and Robin's lives."
"How many surgeries did you have?"
"The scar tissue was hardening. If I waited much longer, the result would have been worse. The doctors in Paris advised me to have the surgery as soon as possible. I got out and back home for two weeks then went to Paris for the surgery."
"How long were you in hospital?"
"I'd be in for a week or two then convalescing at home for a month waiting for the surgery and grafts to heal then I'd go back for another round. Four surgeries." Anna touched Robert's arm. "Maybe I shouldn't have showed them to you."
"It's all right. I needed to see and to know." Robert got to his feet carrying the picture of Robin and Anna. "Let's put this old friend somewhere nice and safe shall we?" He put the picture on the mantel above the fireplace. He added the picture of him and Anna. "There for now until we find a better place."
Anna smiled. "I like them where they are."
Robert sat back on the sofa. Together he and Anna looked at the pictures sitting on the mantel. "They're home, Anna, where they belong."
Choked with emotion, Anna could only nod.
"All the pictures and albums. No more hiding them away. They don't need to be."
"Some will have to be in the secret room once it's finished," said Anna.
"Like what?"
Anna picked through a box and pulled out a small travel-sized album. "I don't think we should have this one lying around."
Robert flipped through the album and grinned. "O'Reilly and Swede. And Sean. The old gang."
"I took those after we got back to Paris. Remember, Sean took us all out for a celebratory dinner," said Anna.
Robert said wistfully, "When things were perfect."
"What happened to leaving the past in the past?" asked Anna watching his face carefully.
"Still stings a bit. I can understand why you'd keep this stuff out of the way. The whiplash effect is something else," said Robert.
"I should have given you a warning about a trip down memory lane. Here this will take the sting away." Anna handed Robert several slim albums. "Your favorite subject."
Robert opened the first album. It was filled with black and white pictures of Robin's youngest years. "Ah, my baby girl."
"Robin's never seen most of these."
"She was so cute."
"Oh, yeah, until she started talking and then there was no stopping her." Anna continued to tell stories as they perused through the album.
Hours later, they jumped as the front door slammed shut. Robin and her friend Jody came in laughing.
"I'm going to have do something to that door," mumbled Robert.
"Trip is over. Back to lovely reality," said Anna getting a kiss from Robin.
"What's all this?" asked Robin.
"Stuff from storage. We're sorting through it. Pictures, keepsakes, jewelry and knick -"
"Jewelry?" asked Robin. "Anything you want to pass down?"
"Pass down sounds so ... so old," said Anna.
"We're not that. Definitely not," added Robert.
"That came out wrong," said Robin.
Robert chortled. "And she backtracks."
"Hey, no ganging up on me," protested Robin. "Not fair."
"All's fair in love and war," said Anna.
"I'm a lover not a fighter," said Robert softly.
"Can I spend the night at Jody's? We have a test to study for," said Robin.
"Mom said it was okay, Mrs. Scorpio," put in Jody.
"It's fine with me," said Anna.
"Great! Let me get a bag and we can go- began Robin.
"You're not staying for dinner?" asked Robert.
"Jody's mom invited me for dinner," said Robin. "That's okay, isn't it?"
"It's meatloaf night," said Jody.
"Sounds ... yummy," said Robert under his breath.
Anna nonchalantly looked through an album. "I don't have a problem with Robin going there now."
"Ah, well, I just thought that we could have a non-meatloaf night and-"
"We'll watch some television and get to bed early," said Anna.
Robert got the subtext. "That sounds good to me. I have no problems whatsoever with anything. Anyone. Anywhere."
"Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Dad. Moving here was the BEST idea EVER!" Robin and Jody stomped noisily up to Robin's room.
The End of This Story
Next Story: Harlequin Moon