AN: Well, here it is, our last chapter…

…before the epilogue! Lol, anyway, we sincerely hope you've enjoyed our story. We've certainly enjoyed writing it! We thank you for all your support and beautiful reviews – we are always happy to read your comments.

We'll be uploading the epilogue soon!

H&L

Chapter 32

Neither Mia nor Lottie knew who woke first the next morning. They'd been too upset and scared of what would happen the next day to sleep in separate beds. Neither had wanted to let go of the other – not even to let Mia go to the inflatable mattress she'd been using for her time there as herself.

They'd wanted to spend at least a little longer as sisters should, before their parents put things back the way they'd been, and they were left thousands of miles apart, not knowing when they'd see each other in person again.

"What time is it...?" was the first mumbled question to come from Mia, the moment she'd noticed her sister was awake.

Stretching and stifling a yawn, Lottie turned over to check her bedside clock.

Her heart sank into her stomach when she read the numbers.

"Ten thirty," she said mournfully, starting to wipe at her eyes for reasons that only half had to do with tiredness. "We overslept...!"

She turned back over, more awake than she'd ever felt but with less energy to do anything than if she hadn't slept at all. Just looking at Mia, she could tell her sister felt the same way.

How could they have let this happen...?! On the one morning they had left to spend together, they'd managed to waste most of it! Mia and their mother would have to leave soon, and then...and then...

Then they wouldn't be a family anymore. Not like they'd tried to make happen, anyway. Their parents didn't love each other, even if it maybe had come close, and they weren't all going to magically live happily ever after, even if they'd gone above and beyond to make it possible.

Some dreams were just too far out of reach.

Defeated by it all, and wishing the world could just stop right then and there, they continued to lay there in bed, in complete silence.

Until Mia's stomach began to rumble, that was.

Lottie frowned, "You're hungry."

Mia turned on her side, curling over, "I wish I wasn't."

Her sister completely understood how she felt. Being hungry seemed the least of their worries, at that moment in time. They were on the verge of losing everything they'd worked to have - all after getting the tiniest glimpse of what most people they knew had; a whole family, present and loving and not hidden away anywhere.

But all of that wasn't going to change the fact that one of their parents - probably their mother, after how she had obviously felt last night - would come to the room soon enough, to make them get up and start the day. All so it could be over in a shorter amount of time.

Besides, their bodies weren't going to stop being hungry for this.

"You still need to eat," Lottie said, feeling the heat of tears stab at her eyes. "You're...it'll be a long flight..."

Hearing her sister's distress, Mia turned back over, hugging her tightly in the process and letting her sob.

Eventually, however, they both had to come to the agreement that they would have to get up. Delaying the inevitable wouldn't stop it from happening. Besides, a furiously, frustratedly angry part of them wanted their parents to see exactly what the day was doing to them both.

So, still slightly bleary-eyed and tearful, they slowly got up from the bed, put on dressing gowns and slippers and made their way downstairs.

They managed to make walking down the stairs seem to take a lifetime, but even then, it was still too short. They couldn't linger any more than they wanted to, anyway; not if they didn't want one of their parents to have to come, find them and make them hurry up.

Not that it seemed to be happening, for some reason. It smelled as though breakfast had been cooked (aggravating their own hunger problem), but they couldn't hear the water running, telling them their father had started doing the dishes. The only noise in the house was the buzz of adverts on the television, getting louder the further down they went - not the sound of hurried footsteps, or awkward small talk, or even a yelled demand for the kids to wake up so they could leave already.

There was...nothing. Just like there were no suitcases blocking the hallway as they made it downstairs.

Wasn't their mother ready to go? It didn't seem like her to not be - she was the most organised person either of the twins had ever known; they were almost convinced that she could run the entire world like clockwork, if she invented a method of being in more than one place at one time.

And their father...he wouldn't encourage her to go, but he wouldn't exactly force her to stay, either. He knew he couldn't do that. He'd let her go, if it was what she wanted.

Mia was busy staring, forlorn and confused, at the empty hallway floor when she felt Lottie nudge her arm.

"Mia, look!"

Snapping her head up to where her sister was pointing, Mia's brow furrowed at the sight that met her eyes.

On the kitchen table, side by side, were two plates stacked high with fat, golden-coloured pancakes. A little bottle of maple syrup stood next to them, and a jar of chocolate spread next to that, with a note tucked underneath.

Approaching in awe, with wide eyes and open mouths, they gazed at the absolute feast before turning to the little scrap of paper to read it.

"We're in the living room – bring your breakfasts!"

There was a little smiley face and a heart next to the end of the sentence. But...but what could it mean?

Were they just trying to make their last breakfast together nice? To soften the blow of their plan taking a fiery nosedive into a place Mia had deemed "Failuretown"?

That didn't seem right. It wasn't like either one of them to drag out meetings that neither of them wanted. Not even for their children.

But, again, they didn't really have a whole lot of choice in the matter, did they?

So, picking up their plates, cutlery, and each taking one condiment, they carefully balanced it all on their way to the partially-closed living room door.

Pushing it open took a little bit of work.

Not dropping everything when they saw what was on the other side took the struggle Atlas had holding up the sky in Ancient Greek stories.

Their parents...dressed only in pyjamas, and cuddled up on the sofa! Each had their own stacked plate of pancakes, balanced precariously on themselves and each other, as they had clearly been watching television and eating at the same time!

But...but what?!

Since when had they decided to...to do this?! They'd both left each other last night, on the stairs, hadn't they?! Neither twin remembered hearing them talking after – and it had taken ages for them to fall asleep!

When had they decided to be together? Had they decided it? They must have - nobody could be like that (their mother was kind of sprawled out, her back on their father's chest) and not be together!

But before they could say anything, or so much as mutter "Huh?", their parents had looked up, starting to smile. They'd noticed them at the door.

"Well, hey! Look who finally made it out of bed this morning...!" their mother beamed, before she took a closer look at them both. At their teary faces. Then the happiness faded away to concern. "But...what's the matter?"

Their father had noticed, too, "Did something happen?"

In a flash, both parents were up, their breakfasts were out of the way on the coffee table, and the girls' breakfasts were put alongside them, along with the syrup and the spread.

"What's wrong, sweethearts?" Niles asked as he and C.C. crouched before them. "What happened?"

The twins shared a look – a weary, fearful look. They didn't understand what was going on, but could they tell them that they'd overheard them breaking up the night before? Or at least they'd thought they had. Still, they had been clear about them having to be in bed by the time they returned, and both Lottie and Mia weren't sure they'd appreciate having been spied on.

Lying, however, wasn't an option – they wanted to know what had happened between their parents, even if it meant facing rather unpleasant consequences.

"We…uh…we were worried," Mia started, eyes falling to the ground.

"About what?" their mother asked.

"About us…" Lottie said, also looking away from her parents. "About our family – we overheard you and Dad talking last night, when you came home. You…you said you and Mia would be leaving today, so we figured…"

"…that you weren't going to get back together," Mia completed. "And that we wouldn't get to see each other as much…"

Niles and C.C. both felt their hearts simultaneously melt, and they shared a look of both understanding and touched worry.

Of course they'd been upset about that! The – fortunately, it seemed, limited – things the girls had heard last night wouldn't have painted a good picture at all! They'd only seen two people who'd had...well, more than a few misunderstandings, it seemed.

But all of that had been cleared up last night. And again, a couple of times that morning.

Not that it was important right then. Their girls needed them, and needed their reassurance.

It was heart-warming and heart wrenching in equal measure, knowing that their little ones had been so anxious over this! All they clearly wanted – all they had ever wanted – was to be a family. And that had nearly been snatched from them.

It had nearly been snatched from all of them, even if both adults knew they would have kept how much it hurt to themselves.

It was still painful to even think about, even if they knew such a thing would never happen.

"Oh, sweethearts, you don't have to worry about that!" their mother cried out, looking nearly on the verge of tears herself. She reached out to start to bring them in for a hug. "Come here, it's okay...! We worked it all out!"

The twins looked up, both apparently hesitant as they moved towards their mother. Like they were afraid that this was just a dream and they'd wake up to a much different reality at any moment.

"You mean it...?" Lottie asked quietly.

Niles looked at C.C. for a quiet smile of confirmation before he answered.

"Of course we do," he said, also opening his arms to join in on the hug. "Come on and give us a hug, and we'll all have a nice breakfast together. As a family."

The girls took a step towards them, before Mia stopped again.

"Wait, so, um..." she pointed between the two parents, clearly unsure but wanting to be. "This means that you're back together, right...?"

Her mother and father gave each other a smile that might've confirmed it on its own, had her mother not verbally replied as well.

"We're going to try. And we'll be straightening things out as we go," she explained gently. "The first port of call is getting back to New York to go and get our things."

The very mention of New York had made the girls' hearts sink all over again, but the rest of what she'd said lifted them slightly, letting them hang precariously between joy and the abyss.

"New York...?" Lottie echoed weakly. "But...why?"

C.C. smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind Lottie's ear.

"Well, if your sister and I are going to be moving to London, it's only fair that we get to bring our things with us...!"

"Moving to London?!"

The question was out before the girls could stop themselves; the shock had taken them over.

Moving. To London. Both of them, living in the same city, for the first time since...since ever! The only time they'd "lived" together before was at camp, but that didn't really count, did it? It wasn't like living in a house with your parents!

It wasn't like being the family they'd always hoped for...

The excitement was starting to build and quickly overcoming them. They couldn't believe it! Their parents were going to try, they got to be a family and they were going to be living in the same place! This was starting to feel like the best day either of them had ever had, even if it had started off feeling like neither would see each other ever again!

They'd see each other every day now, and get to be sisters, like they were supposed to be.

"Why, of course!" C.C. said, smiling. "Your Dad has a restaurant to run over here, and I've already called your grandfather and arranged to work for the company from here! I'll be starting a few weeks after you go back to school."

"And you, miss, will be starting at Lottie's school this September!" Niles added, playfully poking Mia in the stomach.

"Really?!" the twins said in unison, smiles stretching across their young faces.

"Really," Niles said. "I've already spoken with your new headmistress and we've also let your old school know you won't be attending anymore. It's all been agreed – you and your mother just need to get your things back from America."

"That's why all four of us will be flying back to New York today!" C.C. said, "We'll get everything and–"

"Excuse me?! All four of us? What am I, chopped liver?"

The sudden voice in the doorway made the whole family – and that was what they were now – start. Their eyes went straight to the door, where they found Marie stood with her hands on her hips.

Niles immediately spoke up to say something, "Maman–"

"You zhought zhat you could just leave for America wizhout me, zhen?" she asked, her tone stern but her eyes and small smile betraying that she was still delighted by the sight. "Even after everyzhing zhat I 'ave done for you? Especially over zhese last few weeks!"

Niles felt himself deflating. Of course, she was right – the girls' entire plan would never have come together, if it hadn't been for his mother! She had chosen to work together with Lottie and Mia, in order to bring about a reconciliation!

And to get rid of Kathleen, of course. Looking back, he wondered why he'd never joined in on the French insults...

Besides, even beyond that, she'd been the one to tell him to go and fight for what he wanted. Not to just sit there crying in the dark. Her pep talk had made everything happen, when it looked like it had all failed.

This was her work, and she deserved thanking for it.

"Of course, we owe you everything, Maman," he told her, starting to smile again. "Would you like to come to New York with us, to help C.C. and Mia get ready, and maybe do a little bit of sightseeing before we all come back here?"

"I zhought you'd never ask, son," replied the Frenchwoman, coming to place a kiss on each of Niles and C.C.'s cheeks. She then turned to her grandchildren and clapped her hands. "Chop chop, you two! We 'ave a lot to do before we leave!"

"Oui, Mémé!" replied the twins, who (after giving their parents one last hug) were soon trotting behind the eldest Brightmore, chatting animatedly about all the fun that was to be had in New York City.

Niles and C.C. watched them go, sharing a chuckle over their girls and their excitement. They had every right to be, of course – this was a whole new adventure for them.

It was a new adventure for everyone. Themselves included.

That in itself felt like the moment before a drop on a rollercoaster - quite scary, even in the thrill. They didn't know what was to come, what twists and turns they'd face, or where they would be by the end of it.

But the difference between now and the first time they'd "tried" was that it didn't matter where they would be, or what would happen. They knew they could face it together, and could make it work all the same.

They were on the same page, this time. All thanks to the ingenuity of their little girls.

"We really do have the best kids, don't we?" C.C. asked.

Niles put his arm around her shoulders, "I don't think we're biased in admitting that."

He felt her laugh lightly, then turn to him, reaching around and leaning in for a full hug and a kiss that he was more than happy to reciprocate.

It was marking the moment. The time when they had announced their fresh start.