Old Gemini

After putting a plate of cheese and chicken sandwiches on a tray, Eileen stepped back and reached for her wand. Just as she prepared to levitate it, however, a voice from behind called, "Mrs. Belby?"

Eileen turned around to find her children's friend staring at her. "Oh, Terrell. I was just going to bring these out for you three," she said, gesturing at the tray on the kitchen counter. She frowned and turned her eyes to the window that looked out on the garden. "The twins aren't rowing, are they?" she asked as she noticed the two were bent over a game of Gobstones, mouths moving animatedly.

The boy shook his head, sandy locks flopping in and out of his yellow-green eyes. "No. They're fine," he assured. He paused. "I just needed to come in a minute."

Eileen raised her eyebrows. "I see." Stepping away from the counter, she began toward the backdoor. "Well, since you're already in here, I'll just call for them to come to lunch…"

"Wait!" Terrell cried as she brushed past him.

She stopped mid-step and looked down at the boy (in another couple of years she would be looking at or up, she noted). "What is it, Terrell?"

His neck flushed pink. "I want to talk to you," he mumbled.

Eileen could see the boy had worked up a lot of courage to come in here for whatever this chat was going to be about. She moved to the table and took a seat. As she did so, Terrell watched but did not move. In spite of the situation, Eileen rolled her eyes and pointed to the chair opposite of her.

The boy scrambled to comply. Once he was sitting across from her and they were more or less eye-level, Eileen asked, "What is it, sweet?"

Terrell sucked in a breath. "Dad," he exhaled.

Eileen shifted in her seat. In a way, she had expected this. Marietta wasn't talking to Terrell about Zacharias. Who else was the boy going to turn to?

"I think your mum would prefer if she was the one you talked to about him," she said all the same.

Terrell squirmed in his chair, eyes bulging. "I would Mrs. Belby!" he exclaimed. He shrank in on himself and turned his gaze to the tabletop. "Except…"

"What's the matter?" pressed Eileen when he fell silent.

Terrell continued to stare at the tabletop. "Mum and me were running errands last weekend and I saw Dad outside one of the store windows. He didn't see me." The boy glanced up and whispered, "Dad wasn't alone, Mrs. Belby."

Eileen barely stopped herself from flinching. "Who was he with?" she questioned. Feigning naivety, she asked, "Was it your Grandpa? One of his mates?"

The boy shook his head. "A witch," he answered.

"Was he now?"

Terrell nodded, young face frightfully grave. "Him and the witch were holding hands, she was pointing at stuff and they were laughing…"

Eileen reached across the table to caress the cheek of the glum-faced boy. "I'm sorry you saw him with a witch. That must have been hard," she murmured.

He shrugged. "I guess," he replied. Brows knit together with anxiety, Terrell leaned in and mumbled, "Mrs. Belby…"

"Yes?" she pressed as he fell silent.

"She was pregnant," he squeaked.

Eileen felt her heart stutter. Damn. Damn it all. "Why do you think that?" she questioned, hoping against all odds she might be able to convince him his eyes had played tricks and foist this awful talk onto Marietta.

Terrell leveled her with a deservedly annoyed look. "I know she was pregnant 'cause her belly was round like yours was when I met you and before Anthony," he replied.

She sighed. "Did you mention any of this to your mum after you finished your errands?"

Terrell's shoulders fell in a miserable fashion. "No. I didn't know if I should," he admitted to Eileen. "Mum said Dad had to leave because he wasn't in love with her anymore. She says he's too busy to see me as much as he should 'cause of work."

He leaned closer and said with wide, worried eyes, "I don't think she knows Dad has a new wife and will have a baby soon." He brought his fidgety fingers up from beneath the table to brush through his fringe."It would make her sad, wouldn't it? To know he's replacing us?"

Eileen couldn't feign innocence anymore. Terrell was too empathetic a child for this treatment. He needed someone to really, truly guide him through the turmoil he was currently experiencing.

She stroked his cheek once more. "Sweet," she began, "your mum knows."

His mouth fell open. "Then why…?"

Eileen couldn't hide that Marietta kept things from Terrell any longer, but, maybe, she could make him understand it was all done with deep love. "Those things she told you, they are true. Your dad and she have fallen out of love, he is busy with work. She just has been having trouble figuring out how to tell you about the new witch your dad is with and the baby she's going to have." Eileen grasped the boy's pale face in both hands and forced him to stare her in the eyes. "Because you need to understand one thing Terrell Smith: You are irreplaceable."

Terrell swallowed. "Mum should have told me when Dad told her," he whispered after a time.

Eileen let go of the boy's face and smiled at him in what she hoped was a reassuring manner. "She meant well," Eileen said in Marietta's defense. "Your mum wanted to find a way to tell you so it would hurt as little as possible."

Terrell frowned. "Now I'm cross!" he complained as he crossed his arms over his chest. Voice pitched with anger, he complained, "She was really pregnant, Mrs. Belby."

"I know, I know," crooned Eileen as she got to go and hug the boy tight. "Come here," she urged and, gratefully, the boy fell into her.

As she held Terrell in a tight embrace, she continued to hush him as the front of her blouse grew damp from his quiet tears. While Terrell cried, Eileen heard the back door open. Internally she cursed.

"Mum!" yelled Carrie. "Have you seen—" she stopped short. Eileen looked at the girl where she stood on the other side of the kitchen. Her expression was leery and her fingers twitched at her side.

"Carrie, tell Marcus lunch is ready," Eileen advised.

Carrie interlocked her fingers in front of her stomach. "Is Terrell okay?" she asked.

Eileen sighed. "Yes, don't worry," she assured the girl. Running a hand down the boy's back, she fibbed, "He just took a tumble on his way back from the loo."

Her daughter's brows raised high on her forehead. "Oh yeah?"

"Yes, now go," Eileen hissed through her teeth.

Carrie, for a moment, looked like she might not listen. Then with a loud, annoyed exhale turned away and stomped back outside to distract her brother for a little while.

"Thanks," croaked Terrell as he pulled away from her front.

Eileen brought out a handkerchief from her pocket and dried his face. "Of course, sweet," she murmured. Once done, she re-pocketed the dirty cloth and patted Terrell's head. "Now, go clean up," she urged him. "I'll have lunch on the table in just a mo'."

-o-O-o-

The children upstairs getting ready for bed with Marcus's guidance, Eileen moved into the kitchen to clean up their dishes from dinner. Levitating their plates and silverware into the sink, she began to perform the Aguamenti charm when the hearth flared with a call.

Aborting her charm, Eileen went to answer the fire call. "Marietta! What are you fire calling for so late?" Eileen asked, startled when her friend's face appeared in her kitchen hearth.

The woman's already frowning face grew more marred with a snarl. "You bloody told him!" she howled.

Eileen fell back a step, heart thudding against her ribcage. "Told him…?" she whispered.

"Terrell about his father's slag!" Marietta snapped.

She winced. She knew this would be coming. Still, a part of Eileen had hoped Marietta wouldn't be so cross about her and Terrell's chat. "Did you listen to his whole story before calling?" she asked.

Marietta's nostrils flared with anger. "Yes, I listened to the whole damn thing!"

"Then you know I didn't tell him anything," she declared. It was the truth, Eileen believed. Terrell had just wanted her to explain what he saw and she had.

Her friend scoffed. "If that were true he wouldn't be asking why I didn't tell him about his father and that bitch," she argued.

Eileen clenched and unclenched her hands at her sides. "What was I supposed to say?" she demanded. "He was afraid to talk to you about what he saw because he thought you didn't know," she replied.

Marietta bared her teeth. "You should have told him he was mistaken about what he'd seen!" she yelled. "More than lovers hold hands."

Eileen couldn't help but snort. "Now you're just being a dunderhead," she chided.

Her eyes blew wide and Marietta hissed through clenched teeth, "Say that again, I dare you."

She sighed. Beseechingly, she stepped closer to the hearth and said in a calmer tone, "Terrell isn't a toddler, he can tell when people are a couple." She paused and searched her friend's still oh so furious face. She didn't think she was getting through. "Marietta, you weren't going to be able to hide this forever."

"You had no right to say anything to my son," Marietta replied, voice breaking. "I trusted you!"

"Marietta, see reason," Eileen pleaded. "I didn't tell him anything he didn't already suspect. He thought his father was replacing you two!"

Marietta's eyes were wet. "I'm never letting him near you again," she declared.

Eileen gaped, unable to believe what she was hearing. "You aren't being serious," she said.

"It was never your right to tell Terrell about his father! You're not his mother," Marietta yelled, tears running down her face.

She snapped. "I'm more of a mother to him than you these days!" she shouted back at the witch.

Marietta gaped. Then, voice rising to a rage-filled pitch she shrieked, "To Hell with you Eileen Belby!" before disappearing from her hearth.

A cold sweat broke out on the back of Eileen's neck and she stumbled over to the kitchen table. Sitting heavily down in a chair, her eyes found the tabletop. What had Eileen just done?

"Eileen?" called out her husband.

She glanced up and saw the blurry figure of her husband. "Marcus…"

A moment later he knelt in front of her, wiping the tears from her eyes. "What's happened?" he asked, the concern in his cornflower-blue eyes crystal clear. "What's the matter, love?"

Eileen felt her lib wobble as she admitted, "I think we won't be seeing Terrell for quite a while."

"Why is that?" he pressed, forehead lined with worry.

She sighed and looked away from her husband's concerned gaze. "He saw Zacharias out with his new witch and noticed she was pregnant. He told me because he was afraid Marietta didn't know and wasn't sure how to bring it up." Eileen paused to suck in a breath. "I… I told him she knew. It made him quite cross and I think that came up in their conversation about it this evening."

She glanced at Marcus. There was still concern in his gaze, but reproval was starting to weigh the corners of his mouth down. It was only going to worsen once he heard the end of her story, she knew. Eileen forged on, however, because it was the least she could do. Her husband deserved to know the reason why their twins would no longer be able to see their best mate for a while.

"Marietta fire called just now to yell at me. She's adamant I should have said nothing and I wasn't very good at reasoning with her," explained Eileen. She groaned and pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes. "Honestly, I made it worse. I told her I've been more of a mother to her son than her as of late."

Marcus was silent at first. "Why did you say something so bloody cruel?" he demanded once she dared to pull her hands away from her eyes. His face was full of confusion and anger. "You're better than that," he chided.

She turned away. "Maybe I'm not," she whispered. Otherwise, why would she have said such a thing to Marietta?

He sighed and gripped her knee. "You are," he said as he squeezed her leg in comfort. "What's the matter?" he asked in a kinder voice.

"I… I guess I'm not feeling very much like myself," admitted Eileen. "I've been tired as of late," she explained. She was a lot like Sev in the way she grew testy and easily provoked when exhausted (Edie often liked to call Eileen her father's daughter in spite of sharing no blood with the man).

Marcus's thumb ran up and down the side of her knee. "Do we need to take you to a healer?" he asked gently.

She wrinkled her nose at her husband. "What?" she said. "No!" she denied. The man frowned at her and Eileen slumped forward. Head now resting on Marcus's shoulder, she told him, "I know why I'm tired."

"Why Eileen?" he pushed.

Eileen burrowed her face in his neck and breathed in his scent. There was a spiciness from his preferred cologne, but he also always carried a whiff of different potions ingredients on him. Today there was something salty, sea-like his scent. Perhaps he'd restocked the gillyweed at work. "You don't need to worry. I can fix it easily enough," she assured him.

She felt more than heard Marcus exhale. His hands found her shoulders and he pulled her off him. "No, tell me," he said. Fingers strengthening their hold on her shoulders, he argued, "I'm your husband! We should tackle things as a team."

Eileen jerked herself away from his hands and huddled back in her chair. "This isn't a team issue. It's a me issue," she muttered, crossing her arms.

Marcus's eyes grew kind and more thoughtful than Eileen felt she deserved. "That might be so, but that doesn't mean I can't support you as you deal with it."

She closed her eyes. "Marcus…"

"Eileen, you probably just lost one of your strongest friendships and our kids their best mate," he rebuked in a low voice.

Her eyes snapped open. "Fine!" she growled at her now reproachful husband. Standing up, she stomped away from the table and toward the sink. For a moment, Eileen stared at the dishes from dinner waiting to be cleaned.

She wasn't going to bloody do them anymore. She was too damn tired. It would just have to wait for the morning. Hopefully, Marcus wouldn't whinge about them having grown crusty tomorrow morning when he came down to make himself and the children breakfast.

"Fucking fine!" she exclaimed. Whirling around, she faced her husband who was now standing. "Painting Lottie has been stirring up a bit more than I like, all right?" she admitted. Eileen felt a shiver run down her. "Some nights I'm not asleep for an hour before I'm reliving after her accident in my dreams."

The rigidness in Marcus's form melted away and sympathy shone brightly from his eyes. "Oh love," he murmured. "That's terrible. I didn't know."

"Why would you?" asked Eileen as she let him come over and envelope her in an embrace. "I didn't tell you and I learned to be quiet when I started sleeping in the dorms at Hogwarts," she explained into his shoulder.

He rubbed his hand up and down her back. "Wake me up after your nightmares. I want to be there for you Eileen,"

She pulled back and stared at him through her lashes, a feeling of horror and guilt churning in her stomach. "Marcus, I can't do that," she said. He deserved uninterrupted sleep. Life was so much happier when one wasn't tired.

He squeezed her and tucked Eileen under his chin. Swaying with her now, Marcus replied, "I want you to. I want to be woken up, I want to hold you, I want to help you get back to sleep."

Again, she tried to refuse the far too kind offer. "No, no. It's okay, sweet," she murmured "I've decided. I'll stop working on it for a while. That will make the nightmares go away."

Marcus paused. "But… You want to finish it. I know you do," he said, confused.

"I do," agreed Eileen. "I have time. Edie's birthday isn't for almost six months," she reminded him. She squirmed until she could look up at him and smile. "A break will be good for me, I think."

He returned her small smile with a smirk. "You are likely right," he agreed and Eileen tucked herself back under his chin. "Eileen?" he said, tone reluctant.

"Hm?" she hummed.

"Still wake me if you have nightmares, please," he asked. He kissed her crown. "I don't care when they happen or why. I just want to be there for you my love."

"…Okay," Eileen replied after a pause. It was what he needed her to say to feel useful. To feel better about the devastation Eileen just wrought on them. The truth was, however, Eileen wasn't going to wake Marcus over something she could handle. And Eileen could handle her nightmares.

-o-O-o-

Eileen walked through her family's hearth and into their kitchen. There, she was immediately accosted by her oldest son. "Mum!" he shouted before all but dropping the pitcher of milk he'd been pouring a drink from in favor of hugging her.

As much as Eileen adored a hug upon coming home, she knew her oldest were long past easy embraces. Marcus wanted something. Running a hand through his brown locks, she asked, "Yes, sweet?"

He pouted up at her from just beneath her shoulder. "Terrell wasn't at Grandpa and Gran's today again," he complained.

Eileen's heart thudded in her chest. Gently prying her son off her, she moved over to where he left the milk pitcher and his glass. There was a small puddle of milk on the kitchen counter. Cleaning it up with a quick spell, she said to Marcus, "Is that so? What did your grandparents say?"

Marcus sighed. "They said his mum's got him a new babysitter," he said.

Picking up the glass of milk her son poured for himself, Eileen turned around to see he was leaning against the room's island with his arms crossed on the countertop. She placed his milk in front of him. Marcus stood up straight and took a drink of his milk.

"Do you not believe them?" Eileen asked once he put his cup down.

Marcus's nose wrinkled. "Yes, it's just," he stopped and crossed his arms.

"What, Marcus?"

He frowned, eyes conflicted and confused. "Why would Marietta get him a new babysitter? Don't Gran and Grandpa do a good job of watching us?"

Eileen reached out and ran her fingers through her son's hair. "The best," she assured. She considered her son. Maybe he didn't need to know all of the gritty details quite yet. Eileen hypothesized, "Perhaps Marietta felt she was using too much of their goodwill. They aren't getting younger…"

Marcus scoffed. "Sometimes I think Gran likes Terrell better than all of us," he declared.

Eileen smothered a smile. "Oh you do?"

Her son nodded. "She always asks why we can't listen half as well as him," he explained with an exasperated huff.

She laughed. "Your grandmother might have a point," she teased. "I had to shout to get you to pick up your socks from the living room yesterday."

The boy gave her a weak glower. "Hmph," he grumbled. "Anyway, that's not the problem," he declared.

Eileen quirked a brow. "It isn't?" she replied with mock sincerity.

Marcus shook his head. "No!" he refuted. "It's been almost two weeks, Mum," he said in a quieter, forlorn voice. "Me and Carrie miss him. Can you call up Marietta and ask her to let him over?"

She closed her eyes. Eileen was going to have to tell her children today they would not be seeing Terrell for some time. Bitterly, she thought to herself, 'You've put it off long enough. Longer than Marcus approves of too.'

Exhaling, Eileen opened her eyes and met the leery gaze of her son. He knew something was the matter now too. Eileen regretted her words to Marietta more than she had ever before. Marcus and Carrie were going to be heartbroken. Reaching for her son's hand, she grasped his palm in a careful hold and said, "Let's get your sister and have a sit down,"

He pulled away from her grip and took a step back. "What? Why? What's happened?" he demanded, tone panicked.

"Terrell is fine," Eileen told him, hoping it would calm Marcus down enough for them to go and get Carrie.

Instead, her son scowled at Eileen. "Mum!" he chided. "Just tell me what's happened!"

She felt herself wilt. If she had done the right thing, she would have been able to have this conversation only once. Now, because she acted a coward out of guilt, she'd need to tell her twins separate. Marcus was not going to let her leave the room without knowing the truth now.

"All right, I'll talk to your sister later," she relented. Gesturing for her son to sit at the room's small table with her, they settled into opposite seats. Under Marcus's anxious glare, Eileen began to explain, "Marietta and I had a row. Terrell asked some questions she didn't think I had a right to answer and is now rather cross with me. We're having a cooldown, if you will, and she doesn't want me around Terrell for the time being."

"When will the cooldown be done?" Marcus asked almost as soon as she finished.

She hesitated. "I…"

"Mum?" he pressed, eyes big and pleading.

She decided to be a coward once more. "That's up to Marietta," she replied, hoping in the future he (nor Carrie) discussed this with the witch.

Marcus's chin drooped into his chest. Absently, he began to trace a scuff on the kitchen table. "D'you think Terrell misses us too?" he questioned.

"Oh absolutely," Eileen replied, emphatic. She had no doubt about that one. The little boy adored her twins as much as they adored him.

He glanced up, eyes hopeful as he mumbled, "D'you think if I wrote him a letter Marietta would let him have it?"

Eileen wasn't sure. She hoped Marietta wouldn't be so spiteful to deny her children a friendship with Terrell to hurt Eileen. Yet if she did, Eileen knew she only had herself to blame.

"There's only one way to find out," she said in a cheery tone that tasted fake on her tongue. As her son perked up, she added, "But Marcus… Stick to things you, your sister, and your brother have been up to. Don't mention me, okay?"

Eileen was sure Marietta would screen any letters. They didn't need to reignite her ire by her passing over a mention of Eileen. Then there would be no chance she'd let Terrell have the letters.

"Sure, I can do that," agreed Marcus, almost, but not quite smiling.

Eileen stood up from the table and went around to her son's side of the table. She bent down and hugged him around the shoulders, relishing in how he leaned into her. Eileen was relieved he wasn't cross with her. Hopefully, Carrie wouldn't be either.

"Now, if you don't mind, will you tell your sister to come here? I ought to tell her too," she told her son as she pulled back.

Scrambling up from his chair, he replied, "Okay!"

As he left the kitchen to find Carrie, Eileen went to put away the pitcher of milk and Marcus's half-finished glass of milk. After closing the refrigerator door, Eileen took a moment to breathe and calm her nerves. Telling Carrie was going to be even more challenging than telling Marcus.

She always had to pick at everything.

-o-O-o-

"You seem a bit off today, Eileen," Sachin remarked.

She lifted her gaze from her cup of tea. "Hm?" she said, blinking as she processed her mate's words. Eileen sighed when she realized what they meant. She was not doing a good job of acting normal. "I suppose I am," she admitted as she picked up her tea and drank a sip. Thankfully, it hadn't grown tepid yet. "Marcus had his third letter returned unread from Terrell this morning," she explained to the attentive man across from her.

He cocked his head to the side and leaned back in his chair. Around them, the other patrons of the café continued to talk and laugh with one another, oblivious to the challenging conversation she and Sachin were soon going to fall into. "That's Marietta Smith's boy, isn't it? Your kids are mates?" he said.

In spite of her current worries, Eileen smiled. "The best mates," she replied.

He frowned. "Then why…?"

Eileen sighed and ran a hand down her face. "A few weeks ago I had a bit of a falling out with Marietta."

"Why?" he questioned, frown still present on his face.

Eileen looked away and watched as a waitress put down a teapot on a table for four little old ladies. "Over a chat I had with her son," she explained. "It seems Terrell saw Zacharias with his new witch while out running errands with Marietta. He noticed she was pregnant and that they were being romantic with one another."

"Marietta's upset about that? I can't imagine you didn't already know Zacharias's got his new girl up the duff."

Eileen returned her gaze to Sachin. His expression was even more befuddled than before. "I did already know," she said. "She told me herself. The issue was Terrell didn't know until he saw them. Marietta…" she trailed off and brought a hand to massage her temple. A headache was starting. Her heart hurt too. This situation was Eileen's fault, but damn it all she was cross at her friend too.

"Honestly I don't know what she was trying to do anymore," Eileen continued in a grumble. "She didn't want to tell him yet what was happening with his father. I think she might have been afraid or didn't want to be the one to hurt him with the news." She paused and readied herself. It was time to explain her part in the mess she started. "The issue is that instead of deflecting Terrell's questions when he came to me, I confirmed everything he saw as true," she told Sachin.

Sachin stared at her with a sympathetic expression. "It sounds like she's just upset that he found out. I reckon she'll come around," he assured.

She shook her head. "Maybe that would be true in another universe," she muttered.

The wizard's brows lifted slightly on his forehead and his gaze grew critical. "You did something else too, didn't you," he stated more than asked.

Eileen swallowed and could not stop herself from looking away. "I… I said I have been more of a mother to Terrell than her as of late," she admitted.

Sachin fell back in his chair with a small sound of surprise. "I'm not a parent, but I know that must have really gutted her to hear," he remarked.

She put her elbows on the table and put her face in her hands. "Marietta is a good mother," she muttered through her fingers. Lifting her face, Eileen rested her chin in her palms and stared across the table at Sachin. His eyes were attentive as she reminisced, "It was easy to tell from the first time she brought Terrell to one of my painting classes. He was the first child to arrive that day; he was confident, walked right up to my twins, and introduced himself."

Eileen smirked. "You don't have children, or interact with too many I know, but I've found that's a good sign. It typically means the parents have instilled a good sense of self-esteem in their child."

"Ah," he murmured. "Then… has the divorce changed things?"

Eileen huffed. "I'm sure you've heard about what a prick Zacharias is."

"Yeah," he replied. He furrowed his brows. "Mostly I remember him being a wanker at Hogwarts, though. He really didn't grow up, did he?"

"No," answered Eileen. "You can imagine how difficult he's made this divorce."

Sachin's dark eyes were entirely sympathetic as he replied, "I can."

Eileen sat up straight once more and stared down into her lap. "Marietta is doing her best," she told the wizard. "Unfortunately, more of her time has to go toward fighting for her share in the divorce right now. Terrell…" she petered off.

Voice soft, Sachin finished her thoughts for her, "He's fallen to the wayside?"

"Yes," she answered before looking up. "I didn't and don't mind picking up where she let it fall either. A few months ago I even defended the level of help I've been giving her and Terrell to Marcus. Now…" Eileen sighed and dropped her gaze once more.

Sachin tapped the table with a finger, drawing her eyes to him. "I think you should reach out and apologize."

"Marietta won't hear it," she replied. Eileen frowned. "She knows how to hold a grudge," she muttered.

Sachin laughed.

"What?" demanded Eileen, irked.

"I'm sorry," apologized Sachin as he wiped the mirth from his face. "I didn't mean to. I just think that's a sorry excuse."

Eileen crossed her arms. "Pardon?" she snapped.

The man rolled his eyes at her. "Eileen, your father is Severus Snape, and your aunt Darla Snape," he chided. Then, when she only deepened the scowl on her face, he put up his hands. "No offense to either of them, but they are very mule-headed from what I saw and have heard. If they didn't teach you how to out stubborn someone then I don't know how you've managed to remain close to Darla all of these years," he declared.

Eileen let the scowl on her face soften a smidge.

This appeared to encourage Sachin as he continued with enthusiasm, "I know you're not a rigid witch, but you don't bend to everything. Hell, you don't bow to most people!" Eileen almost smiled at that compliment. Sachin slapped a hand on the table and proclaimed "It's not by being weak-willed you've kept them in your life. If Marietta is your mate and you really value her, go grovel for once and show her how much you don't want to lose her."

Not for the first time Eileen felt a pang of regret. Sachin had always been kind. He had always treated her like a mate and she… She did not.

"I should have treated you better while in school," she said.

He blinked. "What?"

"You're a kind person. Far kinder than I and the way I treated you… I used you to breeze through school," she admitted, feeling shameful as she did.

A wry smile pulled at the corners of Sachin's mouth. "I can't say I didn't do the same," he said, surprising Eileen. "All of the professors liked you. Pairing with you in classes made it bloody easy to get high marks. Which pleased my parents immensely," he explained.

Sachin's smile disappeared and his eyes turned faraway. "I can't even begin to describe to you how jealous it made my sister at times," he said. "Thankfully, since she had her kids, she's realized it's not like I can actually be faulted for good marks." A thoughtfulness to his tone, he mused, "It's honestly one of the ways our parents failed us, always comparing the two of us growing up."

"I'm glad the two of you patched things up," Eileen told her friend. "I don't know what I'd do if there was a rift between me and any of my sisters."

Sachin grew more present and flashed a grin at her. "Thanks, and, for the record, I'm just happy we're mates now," he told her. "I can't say I didn't wish for it when we were students, but… That's the past now.

"The fact you showed up for Parvati's funeral and then have stuck around since means the world to me. So many of our classmates popped in to my life to give condolences and I haven't seen or heard from them since." He reached out for one of her hands and patted it. "You're a true friend," he complimented her.

Eileen stared at Sachin, pride and guilt warring inside of her. "Damn it all," she swore as the guilt started to win over the pride. She asked the man, "Do you think groveling will really work?"

He smirked. "There's really only one way to find out, isn't there?" he replied. "And, if it doesn't, I'll be ready to share a drink of misery with you."

"What if it does work?" she questioned.

He beamed. "We'll have a drink of celebration!" declared Sachin.

Eileen laughed. "You're a true mate too, Sachin," she told the man, making him blush and duck his head.

Feelings on what happened in this chapter? The way Eileen is handling the aftermath?

Thanks a million for reading!