So FF was down for a long while. I've been regularly uploading this on Ao3 but hopefully, FF is back so I can go back to dual-uploads. Chapters 5, 6 and 7 have been posted.
I'm glad you guys are enjoying this story as much as I am. I know Francis is a bit of an idiot right now but he does it in goodwill. This is a slow-burn so you're in for a ride with ups and downs for Mary and Francis but we're getting closer to their relationship turning a new chapter.
Mary considers it. She really considers it. Grabbing that bottle of red wine and downing it in the middle of Tesco's. But she leaves the alcohol aisle and ends up in the snacks aisle instead, grabbing chocolates, biscuits, crisps and sweets to sate her sadness over not getting pregnant and Francis's blossoming life with Olivia and their unborn baby.
As she reaches for the Oreos double packet, her trolley bumps into another and she turns to see Kenna grinning cheekily at her before greeting her with a tight hug. Too stunned to talk, Mary hugs her back and laughs wryly.
"Hi! I figured it was you," Kenna says, pulling back and eyeing Mary up and down. "Your outfit's questionable."
Mary raises a brow and takes a look at herself. She's wearing some joggers, Adidas Superstars, a university t-shirt and Francis's grey sweater unzipped over it compared to the tight-fitting knitted dress Kenna's wearing that shows off her bust in a modest way, unlike Olivia, with grey knee-high boots. She wasn't expecting to bump into a familiar face. She just wanted comfort food and smoked salmon with bagels. And milk, she mustn't forget the milk.
"Okay, supermodel," she finally replies, grabbing the Oreos. "It's a quick stop."
"I'm guessing the IUI failed?" Kenna asks softly.
Mary nods but smiles a little. "I'm trying again next month," she tells her. "I'm not losing faith. It could take three or more cycles until it's successful."
Kenna hugs her once more. "That's good," she says, pulling away. "Do you need anything?"
"No, I'm good," Mary says, her eyes drawing to the sound of a kid begging for something. "Robin's a big boy now."
Kenna scoffs softly with a roll of her eyes before turning around and waving her six-year-old son over. "Robert, come and say 'hi' to Aunt Mary and stop annoying Daddy and let him change your sister's nappy, okay?"
"Thanks, babe!" Bash replies before turning the buggy around and heading out of the aisle.
Mary snorts and a smile grows on her face when her godson appears in front of her. "Hey, kiddo. Want some Oreos?"
Robin gasps and looks up at his mother. "Please, Mummy!"
"I hate you," Kenna mouths to Mary lightly before nodding. "Sure. One packet."
Mary grabs a single double cream packet from the shelf and chucks it into her trolley. "Are you guys almost done?"
"Yeah, just some more Coco Pops for Robin and then we're done," Kenna says. "Shall we walk about with you if you're not?"
"Do you mind?"
"Not at all," Kenna says, grabbing Robin's hand and pushing their trolley with one hand as Mary leads.
In the final aisle, when Bash hasn't returned from changing Raven's nappy, Mary lets Kenna in on her situation with Francis and now with Olivia being pregnant with his kid.
"I'll kill him!"
"They conceived the baby before they broke up. Like the week they broke up. He gave me more details via text and took Olivia's word when she insisted that it was impossible to be her toyboy's because she only got with him to make Francis jealous and never had sex with him," Mary explains.
Kenna covers her son's ears. "So, he's probably going to make you look like a baby mama on the side?"
"He's a sperm donor, Kenna. We won't have sex to make this kid."
"But still!" Kenna cries out. "You guys love each other, for fuck's sake."
Mary stills. "Wait, what?"
Blushing, Kenna's eyes widen and her mouth clamps shut just as Bash returns with Raven. She quickly busies herself with making sure he's done their daughter's nappy properly as Robin attempts to get Bash to put some milkshake into their trolley.
"We should go now," Kenna says, eyeing Bash pointedly.
Bash sighs. "What did you say now?"
"Nothing!"
"Does Francis love me?" Mary asks Bash, knowing he'll give her something.
Bash glares at his wife before nodding and turning to Mary. "He's been in love with you since we were kids."
"But he's having a baby with Olivia," Mary says angrily.
"I know how that looks," Bash starts warily. "It really was over with Olivia for good and we'd been talking about him moving here and being closer to everyone, you especially, but then the baby happened. I'm sorry, Mary..."
Everyone knows how crazy she is about Francis and now, he's crazy about her but he can't be with her, because his on-off girlfriend's pregnant. It's an awful situation but what can she do about it?
"It's not your fault," she mumbles, eyeing the milkshakes. She dumps two bottles of chocolate milkshake into her trolley. "Choose one, kid."
Robin gasps and stuffs the strawberry-flavoured one into the trolley. "Thank you, Aunt Mary!"
"Let's go and pay," she says warily, already pushing her trolley down the aisle.
...
"Your uncle is sick," Marie tells her daughter as soon as Mary opens her front door. "Pack a bag, we're going to France."
That's how Mary finds herself at her uncle's large manor in a secluded part of Versailles, getting ready for brunch. They'd left England early in the morning and it's just gone noon. She curls up on one of the armchairs, watching the leaves fall from trees outside in the garden.
She's not too far from Francis. She could make a stop and see how he's doing despite the elephant in the room between them. Whenever he's in England, he comes and visits her so it would be rude to just come and not stop by at all. Her mother's raised her with class and respect.
After a one-hour nap, Mary finally gets dressed for the day and grabs a set of spare keys before wrapping a wool scarf around her neck and leaving. She eyes her uncle's Ford Mustang in the driveway and she looks back at the front door before deciding to take it for a spin, heading back in to get the car keys and leave.
Arriving at the apartment complex, the doorman recognises her and steps away from his post as she pulls up to the curb and winds the window down to speak to him.
He's a lovely elderly man with a white pointed moustache and a wrinkled smile and she beams, genuinely glad to see him again after all of these years. He whistles, admiring her ride before she explains that it's her uncle's, not hers.
"Thought you'd be raking in the millions by now, Kid," he says.
Mary blushes. "I'm getting there! Working from home is wonderful, I can even do it in my pyjamas and no one will ever know!"
"Then I'm glad you're content," he replies. "Want me to open up the garage for you?"
"Yes, please."
She'll get a ticket if she stays on the curb and the garage is only for private residents, so she's happy that she spent mornings and evenings treating the man with sweet treats, no matter the weather when she lived here during her university years.
Parked in the garage, Mary heads up through the lift and nervously waits as it starts to move. She thinks about whether Olivia will be there. She really doesn't want to see the blonde but over the years she's been cordial to her, even when she and Francis were in their off periods.
Before she knows it, the lift dings and she steps off, feeling déjà vu with hints of nostalgia. The times she stumbled through these halls drunk with her friends or caught Bash and Kenna making out on one of the walls or when she surprised Francis with his cat that attempted to get into one of the neighbours' homes instead after originally being shy of her new owner.
She misses this place.
Mary heads to the door she's been through so many times in her life and presses the doorbell. Soon, it opens and Francis is there, his eyes wide with surprise at her presence.
"Hey."
...
"My uncle's sick so Mother insisted on us coming," Mary explains as she accepts a hot mug of tea from Francis.
Francis takes a seat on the armchair across from the sofa with his own tea and nods, his hand on Josie's back as she curls up on his lap. "I've been meaning to contact you today, actually. See how you've been. T-The hormone therapy stopped, right?"
Mary nods. "Yeah. My levels are good so... How's Olivia?"
"She's staying with her mother," Francis replies. "It's part of our therapy process."
"Therapy?"
"Yeah. We need to be in a stable relationship before the baby comes," Francis explains quietly. His eyes cast down to Josie and he sighs heavily, prompting Mary to challenge him.
"Why do you think this is the right thing to do?"
Francis meets her eyes. "What?"
"Francis, couples who stay together for the sake of a child rarely make it, especially if their relationship was toxic, to begin with," Mary tells him. "I don't think you've ever loved Olivia. Not like you love-"
"Don't," he cuts her off.
Mary scoffs. "What are you scared of, Francis? We're adults, we can be honest with each other. That's what our relationship has been about. Honesty."
"It's not as simple as that-"
"Then simplify it," Mary snaps. "That kiss didn't mean 'nothing' to me."
Francis runs a hand down his face and shifts his gaze away from her. "What do you want me to do? Cheat on her with you?" He asks, stinging her as if he'd just slapped her.
"I want you to be happy, Francis," Mary says, her brows furrowing in concern. "If it means ending years-long of toxicity and breaking the chains that Olivia has around you, then I want you to leave her. For your sake."
"Mary, I-"
"Our relationship has never been normal, Francis. What best friends have sex and act couply? What best friends flirt with each other in texts and face to face? I know you love me," she cuts him off.
Francis shrugs helplessly. "I can't make everyone happy, Mary. Don't I owe it to my child to try and give them something their mother never had?"
"Is it even yours?"
"You can't ask me that."
"We both know the type of woman Olivia is," Mary says softly. "I don't trust her as far as I can throw her. I love you and if she hurts you..." I'll kill her. "Just don't make things official with her, to guard yourself otherwise she'd have you locked for life, perhaps paying for a kid that isn't yours."
Francis places his mug on the coffee table and stands. "Yeah, you're right."
Mary looks up at him. "I know I am," she replies.
"I'll get her to do a paternity test-"
"I know it can be risky to do it whilst she's pregnant but you got to be sure, Francis," Mary tells him. "Don't wait until it's here."
Francis bites his lip and nods. "Want me to let you in on the results?"
"I wouldn't mind..."
"Okay. See you in four weeks then," he says as she stands. "I've got to get some work done. I was on my way out when you arrived."
Mary collects her bag and pecks his cheek. "I don't like it when we're arguing, Francis."
"We're not," he insists, squeezing her hand. "Give me time and I'll see you in four weeks."
"Okay," Mary whispers and lets go of his hand before letting herself out.
At least he's listening to her.
Chapters 5, 6 and 7 have been posted at the same time