Retreat then Restore...Revisiting the Past

She went away, and now she's back...but how does she explain the fact that she wasn't dead, and didn't kill herself?

Just a word of warning to all...My exams start in May and there's going to be a lot of pressure on me work wise until the end of June. So posts may be sparse.

'It's hard when our own little bubble bursts, isn't it?' asked Diane. 'When we realise that it's not just the three of us in the world, but there's work and more responsibilities.'

'But we have each other,' replied Ric, kissing her softly.

'Yes we do,' said Diane softly. 'And I never want that to change.'

'Me either.'

As they gazed into each other's eyes, they were interrupted by Diane's ringing mobile.

'Diane Lloyd?' asked the voice. It was the voice of a woman, she sounded Welsh, and mature, middle aged perhaps?

'Yes, speaking. Who is this?' she asked.

'Gwendolyn Cunnick,' she replied quietly. 'Gavin's mother, Cassidy's grandmother.'

'What do you want?' said Diane angrily. 'I have nothing to say to you after what your lowlife of a son did to Cassie and I!'

'Please,' she begged. 'I just want to talk.'

'What do you want to talk about Gwendolyn?' she shouted. 'How your son was involved in organised crime? How he tried to kill me and your granddaughter? How he had a gun to my womb? How I wrestled it away from him and killed him?'

'I was willing to hear you out Diane, I know what my son did...but I can plainly see that you have the heart of a cold blooded killer. You killed a man, you're unmarried, and you're living in a grotty council flat. I'm going to sue for custody of my granddaughter,' her voice increasing volume as she spoke.

Seeing the perturbation on Diane's face, Ric took the phone and said, 'She may be unmarried, but she won't be for long. I'm Ric Griffin, her fiancée.'

'Well Ric Griffin,' she said snootily. 'I'll see you in court.'

'Bring it on,' said Ric, slamming the phone down.

The room was quiet for a little while as both Ric and Diane tried to digest what was said.

'She knows where I live,' said Diane quietly. 'I've been here for 2 days and she's found me already?'

'Which means she has a contact...' said Ric.

'It must be at the council here,' replied Diane. 'Only they'd know that I was back in the area.'

The room was awkwardly quiet once more.

'I'm sorry about the marriage thing,' said Ric in almost a whisper. 'It was a spur of the moment thing.'

'Do you want to marry me?' asked Diane.

'More than anything,' said Ric, squeezing her hand. 'But I didn't mean for it to come out this way. You've only been back for a few days, I didn't want to push it.'

'So, we are?' asked Diane.

'Well, I haven't got a ring, but, Diane Lloyd, will you marry me?' he asked. 'I want to be a Dad to Cassie, a husband to you, your friend, your lover, your confidant, everything.'

'Yes I will,' said Diane, pulling him close and kissing him, until Cassie grumbled at the lack of space.

'Sorry Cassie,' said Diane, picking her up and tickling her stomach. 'How do you fancy being a Griffin?'

She cooed gently.

'You have her approval, and you have mine,' said Diane with a smile.

Smiling back, Ric said, 'Firstly, move into my house with Cassie, it kills me to see you both here. And we'll call my lawyer in the morning about Gwendolyn and her pointless custody battle.'

'Thank you,' said Diane quietly. 'You don't have to do all of this for us.'

'I can and I will,' stated Ric. 'I love you.'

'I love you too,' she replied.