Hi everyone. Little update to this chapter, because there was something I wanted to put in it, but I forgot when I first published it.

Summer 2023

The car was silent as Anna drove north towards Inverness, on this clear August day. At the rear of the car, the three children were asleep, Timmy enclosed in between his two little sisters' car-seats. Emma Margaret Smith-Bates and Sarah Elsie Smith-Bates were now striving fifteen-months-olds, and were growing fine, after their quite rocky start. Right now they had both fallen asleep a short moment after they had started driving again after taking a lunch break on their way to Inverness, and Timmy had followed into slumber a while later.

- Anna?

John's voice softly broke the silence, speaking low, so as not to wake the sleeping children.

- Hmm? she replied, keeping focused on the road.

- I was wondering…

- Yes? she inquired, as he left his sentence unfinished.

- Will you want to have other kids?

- Oh.

She was a little taken aback, not expecting such a serious life-choices question at that moment. She thought over it for a moment, then answered:

- I don't think so. Three children is a nice family, don't you think? And I didn't quite fancy my last pregnancy… What about you? Would you want another child?

To Anna's amazement and admiration, John had bloomed in his self-appointed role of stay-at-home dad. He was always on top of things went it came to the children, and knew better than herself when the babies' vaccines shots were due, or which child liked which food better. In truth, if she could have imagined the perfect father with whom to build a family, John was pretty much it. He seemed to have an unending patience when it came to playing peek-a-boo, singing the same nursery rhymes over and over again, and handling toddlers' temper tantrums. He genuinely seemed to be enjoying himself to the task. She was infinitely grateful for that, because it allowed her to go back to work with a light mind, knowing that everything was under control and that her kids were safe and happy. She was really curious to hear his answer to his own question. He gave it to her with a small smile:

- As much as I enjoy caring for the twins and Timmy, I think I agree with you. The pregnancy has been quite stressful for me too, and that's not even dwelling on the day they were born… I know they say one's child's birth is supposed to be the most beautiful day in one's life, but it wasn't quite…

- Yeah, I know what you mean. Wasn't my best either, she smiled ruefully.

- I'm sorry, obviously it was worse for you. But still.

- It was hard for both of us love. In different ways.

- I mean I pictured myself a widower with anywhere between one and three children to raise on my own.

Anna's hand briefly left the wheel to squeeze his wrist in understanding. The birth of the Smith-Bates twins had been quite a tense situation, and had occupied a lot of doctors and nurses that day. The day after Anna had been admitted to the high-risk pregnancy unit, Dr Turner had decided she had to be delivered urgently, as her blood tests were getting worse, and prolonging the pregnancy was putting her life in danger. Since her platelets were very low, she could not get an epidural, so they had to turn to general anaesthesia to deliver the thirty-one weeks babies, by caesarean section. She had then suffered a haemorrhage, due to her low platelet count, and the doctors had to give her a red-cells and platelets transfusion. All in all, it had been two days until she had been in a fit state to be wheeled to the NICU to visit her babies. During that time, John had been running back and forth between the babies, his wife, and feeding news to the rest of their family and friends, while Timmy was staying at the Carsons. At first the babies had to be tube-fed because they didn't know how to nurse, and they had needed oxygen for about two weeks. Anna had been kept in the hospital for ten days, and the babies for six weeks, before the family could finally be reunited at home. It had been the longest six weeks of both their lives. Fortunately, more than a year later, everyone was in good health, and bore no lasting damage of this rough start. Every night John thanked the NHS for saving his wife and daughters.

- I think we've both had our fair share of health scare and sleepless nights. Maybe we should stick to three children, concluded Anna.

- Deal, agreed John.

Now that everything had quieted down, John and Anna had decided to take a trip to Scotland, to visit Margaret's "grave", and introduce her grandchildren to her, and to show Timmy his father's ancestors' country. They hadn't been able to do it the previous year, the babies being still too small and fragile to take such a trip. The Covid pandemic had been declared over about a year before, after several more waves around the world, and millions of people dead or ill.

x x x x

The next day, between two rainfalls, the Smith-Bates family went out of their bed-and-breakfast to visit Bunachton village and churchyard, where Margaret Bates had a gravestone. They had booked at the same bed-and-breakfast where they had stayed the first time, when they were not yet an official couple. The landlady recognized them and was thrilled to see the whole family, and went to some lengths so accommodate the children cosily.

As they walked through the village, John told Timmy, who was now eight years old, about his mother's family history, until they came into the churchyard and stood in front of Margaret's tombstone. Timmy read:

- Margaret Elizabeth Bates, born Keith, 1948-2020. So, she was my granny then?

- In a way yes. She would have been so happy to meet you. And your little sisters.

- It's sad she died before we could meet her. Why did she die?

- She got Covid, replied John. This is how we met, your mummy and I. Your mum was taking care of my mum in the hospital. But unfortunately she was too sick, and she died anyway.

- So… said the boy, frowning, Covid was bad, because it made people die, including your mum, but it's also good, because if you had not met in the hospital, we would not be a family today.

Anna smiled.

- Life is complicated my dear boy. Often bad things and good things come together.

- But I'm sure we would have met anyway, in the end, added John. Since you're Mary's best friend and I work with her and her father…

- Maybe yes, replied Anna.

- Can we go see the inside of the church, dad? asked Timmy.

- Yes, of course, said John, taking Timmy's hand.

While they were away in the church, Anna came close to Margaret's stone, pushing the twins' double stroller, and gently passed her hand on the rough surface, whispering:

- Hi Margaret. I know you dearly wished to be a grandmother. Well, there you are. Here are your three grandchildren. Timothy, Emma, and Sarah. And know that your son is the best father I could ever have dreamt of for my children. He makes us so very happy.

x x x x

Later that night, when the children had been put to sleep, John and Anna went back down to the bed-and-breakfast sitting-room to enjoy a quiet grown-up time. They were snuggled against each other in a couch, Anna reading a book while JOhn was browsing the news on his tablet. After a moment of silence, Anna felt John straighten against her side, and he called at her:

- Er, Anna?

- Hmm?

- I've come across an article in an Australian newspaper, that I think might interest you.

- Oh yes?

She looked up from her book, and turned to John, who was showing her the tablet, where she read that Sydney Herald articles, that went: "Trial of alleged serial rapist to start tomorrow".

- Oh, said Anna, grabbing the tablet to read the article.

"The trial of Mr Alexander Green, a British citizen, is scheduled to start tomorrow in Sydney courthouse. After an unprecedented investigation for which Australian and New-zealander police joined forces, a totla of thirteen alleged victims have been identified to this day. Mr Green is thought to have met his future victims in bars of night-club, then drugged them with GHB."

Anna tore her eyes from the tablet, and gave it back to John with trembling hands.

- Mary was right then, she stated.

- Oh?

- Yes. When we saw him two years ago, I told her I felt bad that I could do nothing to prevent him from assaulting other women, and she told me not to worry, that karma would take care of him someday. Turns out she was right in the end. I hope he rots in prison.

- Yes, karma, or in that case the police. But yes, I hope he gets a heavy sentence.

After a few seconds of silence, John went on:

- ANna?

- Yes?

- Will you... want to come forward? I guess there must be more of his victims in the UK.

Anna thought over that for a moment, then shook her head in denegation.

- No. I know he's going to pay for what he did. It wouldn't bring me anything more, except reopening the trauma, and creating a new one to Timmy. He's grown and clever, he would understand. No. We've built our balance, I don't want to destroy that. I'd rather leave all of this in the past.

- Alright. I understand.

John circled Anna's shoulders with his arm, when the hostess passed her head through the door and asked:

- Good evening, Mr and Mrs Smith-Bates. Have you got everything you need? Can I get you something? Tea perhaps?

- Oh, yes, thank you, some tea would be nice, answered Anna, smiling.

Five minutes later, the plump woman set a tray on the coffee table, and said:

- If you're all set, I'm going to retire. Don't bother with the tray when you're done, I'll pick it up in the morning.

- Alright, thank you very much. Goodnight Mrs McKenzie.

- Goodnight dears, replied the woman in her string Scottish accent.

But just before she exited the sitting-room, Anna called her back:

- Er, Mrs McKenzie?

- Yes my dear?

- That piano… It wasn't there last time we came?

- Oh, no, I inherited it from my mother, she passed away last winter. So I put it here. It's nice to hear some guests play sometimes.

- Oh, right. Sorry for your mother though.

- She's better where she is, believe me. Goodnight.

When the woman had left, Anna sipped from her cup of tea, and then got up and went to sit in front of the piano. She silently settled on the stool, put up the lid, and slowly inhaled, as her fingers started dancing on the keys. John's heart beat a little faster and a smile dawned on his lips when he recognized the first measures of the Moonlight Sonata. She had not played it in several months, but by now it was etched in her memory, so that she didn't need the sheet anymore. While she was playing, John silently came behind her back, and when she was done, gently put his hands on her shoulders, and bent to kiss her right behind her ear.

- I love you Anna, he whispered.

She smiled and closed her eyes to the sweet feeling of his lips on her skin, and murmured back:

- I love you too, John.

The end...