11 years later. Mary is 16, Edith 15 and Sybil 11. Cora is 42, Robert is turning 45

.I want to thank everybody who leaves lovely reviews. It keeps me going.

"Mum, I don't want to try on more dresses. I liked that first one." Mary said annoyed.

Cora sighed, "Are you really sure? I don't want to hear you afterwards that you didn't like the dress!"

"I do like it, it is just for prom."

Cora smiled: "Just prom, oh darling, I can't believe how grown up you are." She stepped forward to hug her daughter.

"Mum! Don't embarrass me here."

"I am 16 and don't want my mothers love." Cora chuckled.

Sybil came around the corner with a sparkling pink dress. "Can I have this one, mama?"

Cora turned around and gave her daughter a warming smile. "You don't need a new dress."

Sybil pouted, "But I really like it. I can wear it when I go out for dinner with papa."

"Oh alright, try it on."

In the meantime Mary was back, carrying that first dress. It was dark green, and the hem reached to the ground. The low neckline made her slim body even slimmer.

"Mum, can we go home now please?"

"Your sister is trying out a dress and then we will go." Cora answered.

With an annoyed face Mary sat down on the sofa in the dressing area.

Sybil came out in the pink dress.

"I like it very much, what do you think mum?" Mary said.

"You look beautiful, my dear."

Robert came home and found Cora in the kitchen. "Oh, this smells good, what is it?" He wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled his face in her hair, he inhaled deeply. "Hmmmm this smells even better"

Cora leaned into Robert. "Your favourite, Beef Wellington. Darling, can you ask Sybil out on a date. She really wants to go for dinner with you."

"Our darling girl, I will do that, but first I want to dance with my wife." He turned the volume of the radio up, the song 'I do', from Colbie Caillat was playing

They danced around the kitchen. Cora had loved dancing with Robert from the moment they met and shared their first dance. She felt so complete when she was in his arms. She pulled his head close and kissed him. The tip of her tongue reaching just the tip of his, then she withdrawed.

Robert let out a soft moan. "You are teasing me. Come here." He kissed her with even more passion.

"Ugh, it is good I don't have friends over, you two are embarrassing" Mary's voice sounded through the kitchen.

Cora quickly stepped back, her cheeks coloured red.

"Your friends would only see a happy couple." Robert joked

"It's bad enough, we have to witness this. Is dinner ready, mum?"

Cora had turned around and took out the oven dish out of the oven. "It is, can you call your sisters?"

Robert squeezed Cora's bottom, "We will finish later.

"Edith, did you decide what extra curriculum you are doing next year?" Cora asked while putting a slice of the Beef Wellington on her plate."

"There is a course, where they will teach us how electro motors work, I think that's very interesting."

"Of course, you are taking a manly course."

"Mary!" Cora said shocked, she turned to Edith again. "That sounds interesting, is it just for one semester?"

Edith had crawled back in her shell. "Maybe I have to look again, what courses I can follow."

Robert stepped in. "Edith, if you want to do that course, that's perfectly alright with us." He touched her hand for a second.

Mary had started chatting with Sybil. Cora gave Robert a thankful look.

After dinner Robert asked Sybil to help clear the table. When her sisters had left to go upstairs to do homework, he said: "I think it is time for a daddy, daughter date. Where do you want to go for dinner?"

Sybil's face lit up. "Oh papa, can we go eat at The Ritz?"

"I have to ask your mother's permission, that's our place, I am not sure if I can take another woman there, she will be jealous." He jokingly said.

Cora just walked back in the kitchen when he said that. "I think I can allow it this time, this young woman already stole you away from me." She jokingly said, while tickling Sybil.

Cora helped Sybil in her dress. "Mama, did you mean that what you said a few weeks back?"

Cora raised her eyebrows: "What did I say, honey?" She pulled the zipper up and straightened the dress.

"That I stole daddy away from you?"

Cora brushed Sybil's cheek with the back of her fingers. "Of course not honey, you brought more light in our world."

"Were you very scared? I mean when you were pregnant with me?"

Cora took a deep breath, the pain was still there, always simmering in her heart. "I was scared, scared for the day you would stop moving, scared to give birth to you and find out you were not breathing."

Cora saw Sybil's face darkening, she quickly said: "But all of that was forgotten the moment you came into the world screaming loud and clear. You made me clear you were alive, the moment you got breath in your lungs, you let us know."

She pulled her daughter close and hugged her. "Come on, daddy is waiting for you downstairs."

She let Sybil go down the stairs first, Robert was waiting at the bottom. His whole face lit up when he saw Sybil. "Oh my, you look beautiful."

Cora sat down in the conservatory to read a book, Mary was upstairs studying. Edith came down. "Mama?"

"Yes dear" Cora looked up.

"Why does papa never do stuff like that with me?"

Cora took the bookmark and put it in between the pages, she closed the book and put it down. "Come sit down, darling."

Edith sat down next to her. "You remember your trip with papa to Barcelona?"

Edith nodded.

"Papa, only took you and Mary on trips like that."

"Only because Sybil is too young." Edith pouted.

"No, darling, you know that's not true. Darling, can you tell me what's wrong?"

Edith, stood up. "Nothing is wrong, good night mama." And walked back out of the room.

Cora was still reading when Robert and Sybil came back home. Sybil said goodnight and went upstairs. Robert walked over to Cora, bend down and rested both hands on the back of the couch. Cornering Cora in, his face hovering in front of Cora's, just out of reach for her lips.

"You're teasing me" she said breathy. "How was dinner?"

He brushed the tip of her nose with his nose. "Come to bed, darling, I don't want to talk."

Cora raised her eyebrows in played surprise. "No? Well, I am ready for a good talk." She smiled.

Robert's hands had moved to her shoulders, he scooped her up from the couch, Cora's book fell on the ground. He carried her upstairs.

Cora kissed his neck and cheekbones. Robert was turning 45 this year but was strong as ever. Her hands were resting on his shoulder and neck. When they reached the landing, Cora turned Robert's face so she could kiss him.

The door of Mary's room opened. "Iewww, can you please do that in your own room."

Robert lowered Cora to the ground, he grabbed her hand to keep the contact between them. "Darling, why aren't you in bed?" He said.

"Dad, I am sixteen, I don't have to go to sleep at ten pm."

"That's right, but it is twelve am, and you have a school day tomorrow."

"Sybil also just got home, why is she allowed to stay up then?"

Robert inhaled deeply, Cora squeezed his hand. "Sybil has a free day tomorrow, her teachers have a study day. Please stop arguing and go to bed." He pulled Cora with him when he walked into their bedroom. "Well, that killed the mood." He said demurred.

Cora kissed his cheek "You have a busy day tomorrow, it is better if we just go to sleep."