Chapter 20

Sara kept one eye on the door and the other on the lunch menu the perky server had left at their table. Lunch out with her daughter on a weekday was a rather rare occurrence although Hope had suggested it in passing, downplaying Sara's suspicions that there might be something specific on her daughter's mind.

She glanced down at her phone, noticing Neal still hadn't replied to her earlier text. Predictably, she'd had to drag him out of bed after his over the top antics between the sheets the night before. He'd been truly wired following their little adventure with Mozzie. The tension which had been building all evening had finally culminated in the familiar manifestation of her husband's all too healthy libido. He'd once mentioned in passing that, back in his conman days, following a heist or a particularly high risk job, he'd needed sexual release in order to recentre himself. She found the whole thing rather amusing - although this morning when he'd rolled himself out of bed for his second root canal appointment, he hadn't found it amusing in the least.

She'd momentarily taken her eyes off the door to the café when she heard approaching footsteps and looked up to find Hope standing before her. Her thick, unruly hair had been pulled up in a loose chignon, the way she wore it most days she worked at the gallery in a not so terribly successful attempt at reining in the wild tresses that characterized her free spirit so well. A few tendrils had escaped, framing her face and her clear blue eyes shone as she smiled brightly. For all her insecurities following the damage to her face, she remained beautiful with full lips and high cheekbones, the small, almost imperceptible scars and imperfections only adding to her charm and unique look.

She leaned across the table to kiss her mom's cheek and Sara squeezed her arm lovingly before letting her settle across from her in the booth.

'This place is crazy busy' Hope commented as she reached for the menu.

'It always is' her mom replied of the tiny café located a couple of blocks south of Sterling Bosch.

'Do they still serve that amazing lobster roll?' Hope asked, perusing the menu eagerly.

'Only when it's lobster season' Sara replied, pointing to a particular item on the menu. 'Lucky for you, we're smack dab in the middle of it.'

'That's what I'm having then!' Hope declared decidedly, setting down her menu and turning her full attention to her mother. 'Oh, and by the way, lunch is on me.'

Sara stared back at her grown daughter. Every once in a while it hit her - how while she and Neal had been working hard to provide a good life for their family, their kids had become young adults, capable and responsible and living their own best lives.

'We missed you at breakfast this morning' she said.

'We started watching a movie… and then it got so late we decided it was safer for me to sleep over at Cam's.'

That was something else Sara had noticed as of late - Hope's increasing use of the pronoun 'we'. Almost everything these days was a mutual decision between herself and Cameron. They were a unit now, a committed couple who planned their lives around each other, just as she and Neal had learned to do early on in their marriage.

'So how is Cam? I feel like I haven't seen him in days.'

'He's good. We're getting a new exhibit in this afternoon but he insisted I take the rest of the day off… speaking of which' she continued, her voice dropping as if confiding a deep dark secret, '…you want to play hooky and go shopping?'

Sara sighed. 'Oh honey, I wish I could. I've got a ton of emails to get through and this report I'm writing —'

She stopped suddenly as Hope's clear blue eyes stared back at her wistfully. They were Neal's eyes - the ones that hypnotized her and made her do crazy things like forgo an extra hour of sleep for the sake of some hot late night sex.

'Oh, what the heck. I suppose I could do a couple of hours of work at home tonight' she said as Hope beamed back at her.

'There's this new shop by the gallery I've been dying to check out. It's kind of retro… like they've got this 70s tie dye stuff and…'

Sara listened and nodded although her mind had already begun to wander. She and her daughter couldn't be more different when it came to their taste in clothes. Whereas she'd always tended towards classic cuts that never went out of style, Hope was a bohemian at heart and her choice of clothes reflected her more relaxed style. But then again, clothing style had little to do with this impromptu getaway and they both knew it.

'That sounds great' she replied, just plain happy to be spending time with her girl.

'Uncle Peter told me what happened last night' Hope said, taking the conversation in a totally different direction. 'Did you and Aunt Elizabeth really get arrested for picking up some guy in Hookerville?'

A woman from another table glanced in their direction and tsked.

Sara frowned, giving her daughter a reproachful stare. 'Hookerville? Really?' she murmured under her breath.

'Yeah… everybody knows that strip of Prentiss is strictly for prostitutes. How could you not know that Mom? Dad's art school has been there for like four years.'

Sara felt her cheeks redden. 'Let's just say I don't usually… wander around that neighbourhood. Anyway, it wasn't… it wasn't like that at all.'

Hope chuckled and raised an eyebrow in anticipation as she sat back and crossed her arms. 'Oh yeah? Well I can't wait to hear this.'

WCWCWC

Working from home was usually a win-win situation for Elizabeth Burke. She got a lot more done without the constant phone interruptions and clients popping in without appointments. But then again, working out of their home had its own set of perils — one of which was those frequent and unannounced visits from Mozzie. Therefore, she wasn't terribly surprised when, just before lunchtime, the back door opened, revealing the little man who'd become one of her closest friends and confidant.

'I thought I locked that door' Elizabeth declared, looking up from a stack of invoices scattered all over the dining room table.

He shrugged and stepped in, looking around suspiciously. 'Is the Suit around?' he asked.

'He's at the gallery' she replied, getting to her feet.

'I figured I might not be welcome after last night' he murmured, avoiding her eyes.

Elizabeth was already moving towards the kitchen to put the kettle on. She glanced over her shoulder and gave him a good natured glare.

'Well, you did give us quite a scare' she admitted as he slipped onto a kitchen stool.

'Neal's still not talking to me' he complained, looking like a poor abandoned little boy.

'Can you blame him?' El retorted, always good for a reality check.

'I suppose…' he said with a shrug. 'I was just… making the best of a bad situation.'

'Well, you're damn lucky we found those diamonds or you might be playing cards for the foreseeable future.'

He glanced around the living room, his eyes resting on the Tiffany lamp, safely tucked away in its new spot on the bookshelf. 'So, the guy hid them in the lamp, huh?' he said in obvious admiration.

'I like the new layout' he added at the sight of the new furniture arrangement.

'Sara and I did some… well lubricated reorganization last night' she said cagily.

'Yeah… I meant to ask what the two of you were doing in the car last night?'

Elizabeth poured boiling water into the Waterford teapot and reached in the cupboard for some cookies. She hesitated for a moment before picking up a small felt bag with a drawstring which had been left lying on the kitchen counter.

'That's a long story but before I tell you all about it… I have a little something for you.'

Mozzie's face brightened. He loved surprises.

Elizabeth was looking back intently, her eyes narrow. 'But you have to promise this stays between us.'

'Mrs Suit!' Mozzie exclaimed with an eyebrow wag. 'I love it when you go rogue.'

'Well, I don't know if this qualifies as going rogue but I figured you were so excited at the possibility of finding those diamonds…'

Mozzie's eyes grew as he waited in anticipation. Her hands lingered on the soft felt bag and she slipped it across the counter towards him.

'Is this… is this what I think it is?' he asked as his hand reached out for it.

'Why don't you take a look for yourself?'

The drawstring was loosened and Mozzie tipped the bag slowly, watching in wonder as three dazzling diamonds slipped out onto the counter. Elizabeth's hand was on his, squeezing.

'I figured you deserved a consolation prize' she said as he beamed at her.

'Mrs. Suit' he declared, his voice full of emotion. 'You're the best!'

WCWCWC

'So tell me, how did you pull it off?' Ginny asked as she and Logan pulled out of the family driveway.

'Now if I told you that, I'd be giving away all my secrets' he said with a smirk. 'All you need to know is you've been sprung from school for the day.'

Ginny relaxed next to him. She'd spent two tortuous days going to and from school, her moms not giving her an inch of the freedom she craved.

'So we've got all day together?'

He nodded. 'What time do you need to get back?'

'Four. Or my moms will call the National Guard.'

He glanced at his watch. 'Well, that gives us six and a half hours to… have some fun.'

He tapped her thigh, running his hand lustily up the sheer black stockings she wore under the micro miniskirt he'd instructed her to wear. Her eyes shone brightly. She'd never had a guy go to bat for her like this before. Logan understood her in ways nobody else did. Living under the thumb of her overprotective moms had grown tedious when all she wanted was a little freedom to live her life.

'That lipstick looks good on you' he said of the makeup he'd bought for her.

She licked her lips provocatively and he smiled in return. 'And if you're a good girl, I might have a surprise for you when I take you home.'

'A surprise?' she said with a wide grin. 'I love surprises.'

'I know you do' he murmured, reaching into his pocket and coming up with a small pill. 'In the meantime, I got you this. You're going to love it, it's a little more intense than what you're used to. You up for that?'

'Yeah…' she said with just a hint of hesitation. Logan hadn't steered her wrong yet she reflected as she took the pill from his hand.

'What is it?'

He gave her a shrug. 'Does it matter?'

She popped it in her mouth in reply and gave him a cheery smile.

He took the turnoff towards his place, his hand firmly stroking her leg. 'Hang on sweetness' he said, 'you're in for quite a ride.'

WCWCWC

It was late morning by the time Neal stepped out of Dr. Ball's office, feeling oddly refreshed. He'd actually fallen asleep while the dentist had been toiling away, roaring dental equipment and all. He thought he might have actually been snoring although the dental assistant had been too polite to confirm it when he'd asked. Now that his appointment was over, the only discomfort remaining was the tension in his jaw which had been pried open for much too long and the strange sensation of the freezing along the left side of his face.

He headed for the car, wondering where he would be best off investing his time. He now spent most days at the school of art although he did pop into the gallery a couple of afternoons a week to check on things. Not that Peter or Cameron needed his help in any way but his name was on the storefront and he tried to stay on top of everything that was going on there from upcoming exhibits to the Raphael's finances. Besides, nothing put a smile on his face like spending a few precious minutes with his beautiful daughter. Without much thinking, the car began to gravitate towards the bridge in the direction of the Chelsea District of Manhattan. He settled in for the drive.

His mind returned to the events of the previous night, starting with his and Peter's extensive search of the warehouse, their unlikely detour to the 43rd precinct and culminating with the 'release' of Mozzie who had not seemed to require rescuing in the least. He should have known better than to fret about his old friend. Mozzie had always been able to take care of himself, even before their paths had crossed all those years ago. And yet, he still worried about him, out there in the big bad world.

He sighed as he recalled the intensity of his and Sara's lovemaking the night before. She'd been a good sport about giving in to his over the top, irrepressible urge to let loose. He had a fleeting thought for Kate Moreau and all those torrid nights they'd had following much too perilous and decidedly illegal adventures. Danger and excitement had always had that effect on his nether regions and it hadn't changed much in the intervening years.

Now that he'd managed to release all that pent up energy, his anger towards Mozzie had all but evaporated - not that the older man needed to know that quite yet. It wouldn't do any harm to let him sweat it out a little while longer.

He blinked, realizing the car had miraculously found its way up West 27th, the Raphael coming up on his left. Peter's car sat in the lone parking spot dedicated to the gallery and there was a rental truck parked in front with two guys unloading some large canvasses.

It seemed he'd picked the perfect time for an impromptu visit.

WCWCWC

'Thanks' Sara said as the waitress set down the pot of tea.

She and Hope had been zigzagging the Chelsea District for the better part of three hours, peeking in on shops of all kinds including the little gift boutique where she'd finally managed to find an appropriate gift for Neal for their upcoming wedding anniversary. She pulled out the box and opened it, admiring the set of copper mugs she'd settled on.

'Dad's going to love these' Hope said, taking one in her hand and examining it.

'I was thinking I could add a non-alcoholic recipe for Moscow mules and include all the ingredients.'

Hope nodded in agreement.

'You know your dad' Sara continued. 'He's a sucker for tradition. He's going to love that I stuck to the script and got him something made of copper….'

'It's perfect Mom' Hope sighed.

Whether she was tired or lost in thought, Hope had grown quiet and Sara looked up at her with a warm smile. 'You okay sweetie?'

'Yeah… of course I am. We don't get to do this very often' she replied, pointing to the pile of shopping bags by her side.

Sara poured and Hope took a sip of her hot chamomile tea before speaking. 'Mom, I need your advice about something.'

'Sure, what is it?' Sara said, reaching for her hand.

Hope suddenly appeared tentative. Whatever was on her mind had her thinking twice before coming clean. 'You know how I get whenever I have to go in for a follow-up appointment or another surgery. I know I'm not easy to live with…'

Sara nodded. 'Honey, that's perfectly understandable.'

'Every single time, it brings me back to that night and… all the giant holes in my memory about what really happened. And then, between appointments I sort of… let it go, I don't think about it all that much.'

She took another sip, gathering her thoughts. 'But this time… I mean since I saw Dr. White last week… well, I… I'm still thinking about it.'

Sara wasn't sure where this was all going but she was happy just to listen. Hope didn't talk much about the night of the accident anymore and with Cam in her life, she'd noticed her daughter increasingly turning to him for comfort.

'Mom… it's been over two years and I still can't remember anything… and there's a part of me that won't let it go.'

Sara's hand lingered on her daughter's, finally seeing what this was all leading to. 'And there's only one person who can help you with that, right?'

Hope nodded and sniffled. 'I've held back from asking Dad all this time because I didn't want to… I don't want to trigger bad memories for him but I feel like I'm never going to be able to let it go until I know exactly what happened.'

'Your dad's come a long way since… since that night' Sara said. 'He's stronger than you think.'

'Yeah, but I notice he still can't look me in the eye when I have those awful nightmares and the last thing I want is to have him think I blame him for any of it. Because I don't.'

'I know that Hope. And so does your dad.'

'Do you think… do you think I should talk to him? Ask him about it?'

Sara sighed and sat back, glancing around the small café. Years later, she still worried about both her daughter and her husband who had been equally traumatized by the events of that fateful night.

'Mom, I don't think I'll ever be able to put this to rest if I don't talk to Dad about it but if I thought for one minute that asking him about it would trigger something… anything at all I would… I would find a way to live with not knowing.'

'No, no honey, that's not right. You can't keep all those questions bottled up inside. If you have questions and your dad has some of the answers you're looking for, I know he wouldn't hesitate to open up to you.'

'What if he —'

'He's not going to start drinking again' Sara interrupted, reading her daughter's mind. 'He's got tools now that he didn't have back then. And he's got people who support him.'

'But you hear about people falling off the wagon all the time. What if by bringing it up, I trigger something and it pushes him over the edge.'

Sara was shaking her head decisively. 'Your father is his own person Hope. I've watched him claw his way back and it's been a slow and painful process… for all of us. But he's gotten the help he needed and he has a better understanding of why he turned to drinking after you got hurt. But more importantly, he knows the consequences of ever using booze that way again.'

Hope didn't look convinced, still wavering.

'If…' Sara continued. 'If he ever faltered, which I very much doubt, that would be on him honey. Not on you.'

Tears were forming in Hope's eyes. 'I love him so much… I can't bear the thought of hurting him.'

'Would you like me to talk to him? See if I can feel him out first?' Sara offered.

Hope shrugged. 'Maybe. But if you pick up on any reluctance…'

Sara smiled. 'I'll let you know. But honey, I know your father. When he finds out how you've been feeling, I know he'll want to do anything he can to make you feel better.'

'Do you think I'm being selfish?'

'No, no of course not. That night was likely the most traumatic event you'll ever live through and you need to be able to heal properly so you can get on with your life. That's what your dad and I both want for you.'

Hope nodded and blinked, tears finally spilling onto her pale cheeks.

'Thanks Mom.'

TBC