Chapter Four

Anna's Apartment, Paris

Anna held the cup of hot coffee in both hands, glancing at the closed bedroom door.

David was still asleep and had barely stirred when she got up to shower.

Her thoughts drifted back to the night they shared, raising the corner of her lips into a contented smile. For all the hours they'd spent talking at the restaurant, they had exchanged at most a handful of words in the hours that followed.

'We never needed words,' she thought. 'And no matter what happens next, what happened last night was wonderful.'

The sound of a key turning in her apartment door wasn't enough to shake Anna from her thoughts. Not until the door opened in front of her eyes and Anna saw Robin step inside.

Her daughter smiled, more awake and buoyant than anyone had a right to be this early in the day. "Hey, Mom."

"Hi sweetie," Anna said slowly, puzzled to see her here. "Did you say you were going to drop by?"

Robin rolled her eyes. "Breakfast, Mom! Remember I told you about this new place by the Metro stop? You told me you were working late today and we said we'd have breakfast there together. Don't tell me you forgot?"

Anna cringed, making Robin roll her eyes again.

"You did forget, didn't you?"

Her daughter sighed.

"One of these days you're going to get organized, Mom. I suppose I could wait until you get ready," Robin suggested, tossing her backpack off her narrow shoulders. "I'll drop my bag in your room…"

"No," Anna said, louder than she intended, as she waved her hand. "You can't go in there!"

It took her daughter's clever mind a mere second to register what she'd said. A smile played on her lips. "Mom…what are you saying? Who's in there?"

Anna blushed.

Robin's smile broadened. "It's a guy isn't it? Mom! Why didn't you tell me you're seeing someone?"

"I'm not…" Anna tried.

Robin wrinkled her nose, puzzled. "You mean there's someone in there you don't know?"

Anna groaned. "No…I didn't bring home a stranger if that's what you're…"

Robin laughed. "I wasn't…I mean, I don't think I was, and I guess if it is, it's okay. I mean, you haven't seen anyone since you've been here, Mom. But… okay, what I'm trying to say is, I'm not sure I understand."

"David," Anna explained. "David is in that room."

"David Hayward?" Robin asked, arching her eyebrows. "David, your ex-husband?"

"Yes. David."

All of a sudden, Robin's face lost all trace of amusement. "When did he come to Paris?"

"I ran into him yesterday, at the Palais des Congres."

"After all this time of not hearing one word from him, he just shows up here and weasels his way into your bedroom?" Robin asked in disbelief.

"Robin!"

"I don't get it, Mom."

Anna knew the root of the accusation that was in her daughter's voice, and because of it, she couldn't find it in her heart to fight back. Even so, she wished the words wouldn't have stung quite so much.

"I saw him at the Palais des Congres and we went out for dinner afterwards, that's all."

Robin turned an angry glare towards the closed bedroom door. "Obviously that's not all."

Warmth flooded Anna's cheeks. "Are you lecturing me?" she asked, her defenses finally rising.

"No, I'm trying to understand you," Robin replied, her delicate features making no effort to hide her frustration. "You left Pine Valley because you and David couldn't work things out and then he comes here, out of the blue, and…"

"No," Anna interrupted, correcting her. "You're wrong…I left Pine Valley because Leora died."

"It's been over a year, Mom!" Robin countered. "What did David do since then? Nothing! Not one phone call! Not one…'Hey, Anna how's it going? How's your life? Your job?' "

Anna shook her head, taken aback at the force of her daughter's anger

Robin was gentle by nature. She weathered most of the chaos in her young life with the grace of an old soul. Circumstance rarely angered her, but at the same time she fought for those she loved with a force that belied that gentle nature.

"Hey, sweetie…" Anna got up to put her arms around her, ignoring the bitterness in Robin's voice. "Please don't blame David for something that wasn't his fault."

Robin brushed off the attempted embrace, fighting back tears. "He has no idea, Mom! He doesn't know what happened. He doesn't know about your break-down, Mom, does he? That selfish idiot has no idea how much you needed him after you came here!"

Robin's words were swallowed up by an abrupt silence when she heard the opening of the bedroom door.

"No," David answered for her, as he turned to Anna. "He doesn't."