Lyn had said all the right things as her eldest daughter related her story through her tears, When Steph had first said that she'd left Ian and was pregnant, Lyn was one step away from telling her to go back and sort everything out. Then Steph had told her about the affair with Max. Everything she'd been feeling for the past two years came spilling out. Lyn smiled, put her arm around her daughter, and finally went to make up the bed in the spare room.

Which left Steph to answer the door. "Boyd! Hi."

"Can I come in?" he asked.

"Sure."

"I'm not here to have a go."

"The thought had crossed my mind."

"Dad told us."

"How much?"

"Well, Summer got the edited version. He still treats us like little kids."

"He's a parent. You should have seen what Mum just did with me."

"Is it over between you and Ian?"

"I can't see him taking me back after this."

"And the baby?" Boyd asked.

"Your dad told you?"

"He's convinced it's his."

"I don't know, Boyd, but if wishing made a difference…"

"You'd have come back two years ago," Boyd said. "We missed you."

"I missed you too."

"Look, I know… why, OK? All of it. And it would be good if you stayed."

"I think Mum would like to hang onto me. I think your dad would too."

"So would Summer."

"And you?"

"Bit of time, it'll be good. Give everyone a chance to get used to having our family back together," he smiled. "I'm not saying it'll be easy. A lot's happened in the past two years - for all of us. We need to…"

"I know," she said. "So we're OK?"

"Yeah, we will be."


She was just finishing breakfast when Max came over. "Give a girl a chance to get settled why don't you," she quipped.

"How are you?" he asked.

"Fine," she said.

"No sickness?"

"Not yet, Mum says it's early days."

"Got any plans for tonight?"

"Well, I was supposed to be having dinner with Ian and a few friends, guess that's off now so… no, nothing."

"Fancy dinner with me? And the kids?"

"OK, point one, they're not kids anymore."

"They're still my kids."

"Point two, I'm not about to pick up where we left off."

"Is there a point three or can I have a say?" he asked.

"Go on."

"You said you want to take things slowly, and we will. It's just dinner, Steph. Call it a date."

"A date?"

"Why not?"

"You want to go on a date?"

"Are you planning on giving me answer any time soon? Only I have to get to work."

"Work?" Steph asked, freezing.

"Yeah. It's how I pay my mortgage."

"You work with Ian, Max."

"No, Lou."

"Max, Ian is one of the founding members of the chain. OK, so he doesn't own the pub, but he's got enough power to make things difficult for you."

"He wouldn't…"

"You've been sleeping with his wife. What do you think?"

"He the vindictive type?"

"I've never had cause to find out," she said. "Just… be careful, OK?"

"I can take care of myself. And anyway, he comes at me through the pub, he suffers too."

"OK."

"OK, what?"

"OK, I'll have dinner with you guys."

"Great," he smiled.


Steph folded the last of her clothes and placed them in the box. "Don't know why I'm packing them," she said to Lyn. "Not like I can actually wear them."

"You'll be back in them soon enough," Lyn laughed. "And you can still wear half of them."

Steph put a hand on her small but noticeable bump. "You know he's banned me from riding my bike?"

"Good on him."

"I feel like it's three years back, giving up the bike and moving in."

"Ian never…?"

"Are you kidding? He loved the fact I had a bike. Said it gave me 'cool status'."

"And that mattered?"

"He's got a younger brother. Sy is… he'll be nineteen next week. For his eighteenth I hired a bike, took him out for the day. He loved it." Steph sighed and closed the bag.

"Hey," Lyn said. "You've got a future to plan, stop dwelling on the past."

"Are you OK with this, Mum?"

"OK with what?"

"Mum…"

Lyn sighed and sat down on the bed. "Honestly? I'm not thrilled. I believe that marriage is for life, you know? But I know you love him, Max that is, and you two are good together. Of course, if I'd ever got around to actually meeting Ian…"

"Oh, not this again!" Steph laughed.

"It was bad enough you took off after… but the man is my son-in-law."

"Mum, Ian's nothing, OK? Nothing except a mistake."

"Are you sure it's over?"

"I haven't seen or heard from him in three months. I'd say that pretty much means it's over."

"Stephy…"

"Oh, go on. Say it."

"It might be his baby. What if it's not Max's?"

"Mum, you saw the scan. The dates are in Max's favour."

They'd had this discussion before. When Steph started dating Max again. When she started staying over. When Max started going to anti-natal classes with her. When they excited brought him the first scan of their baby.

"Doesn't mean…" Lyn started. "You know what? Forget it. Either way this is my grandchild."

"Don't be like that."

"He loves you, Steph, he always has. And if he wants you back in his life, if he's willing to provide for you and the baby, I'm happy. As long as you are."

"I love him, Mum. Not like I loved Ian. He's the one." Steph grinned and picked up a bag.

"I seriously hope so," Lyn muttered under her breath.


"Where are we going to put all this stuff?" Max asked, looking at all the boxes and bags. "You never had this much stuff last time."

"Half of it's baby gear," Steph laughed.

"We could stick it in the room next to yours," Boyd said.

"That's my room!" Summer protested. "You're the one who's never here!"

"We'll find room," Max said. "Not entirely sure what we'll do once the baby arrives…"

"Shush," Steph said. "Like you said, we'll find room."

"If you're done playing the pregnant woman card, I'm off," Boyd said.

"Thanks, mate," Max said. "And good luck with the exams."

"See you later!" he called as he left.

"I guess we'd better start shifting this lot," Max said.

"Yeah, Dad, I said I'd meet Lisa. Bye!"

It took Max a moment to register that it was Summer who said that and Summer who'd disappeared out of the door.

Steph giggled. "Just you and me then."

"You stay put," Max said.

"I can still lift a bag!" She reached out for the one nearest to her but Max stopped her, grabbing her hand. "I am not going to sit back and be pampered for the next five months. It's not me and you know it."

Max wasn't paying that much attention. "So who are you?"

"What?"

He held up the hand he was holding - her left one. "Mrs Tait?"

Steph looked at what he'd noticed. Her rings. "Max…"

"You know, I've never really noticed you were still wearing them."

"I did," Steph said quietly, pulling her hand back.

"Why are you still wearing them?"

"Because I don't want to admit I screwed up. That I'm a failure. I walked out on a good thing, I married the wrong man, I hurt him, and as for this baby…" she said, putting her hands on her stomach.

"So you made a mistake… OK, a few," he said off her look. "I made one too. When your mum came home and said that you weren't… When you sent me that letter… I should have gone after you, brought you home."

"I should have let you in," she whispered.

"I'm here now."

"And so am I."

"So… who are you?"

Steph smiled and pulled her rings off her finger. "Who I've always been. Yours."

"Likewise," he said, kissing her hand. "You've got me, and our baby," he said, putting a hand on her bump.

"Don't, Max. We can't… It might not be…"

"I know," he said. "But I love you, I already love this little one… We'll be good. I promise."


It wasn't until Max got back to the pub that he realised that he hadn't thought about Ian in months. Neither he nor Steph had heard from Ian since Steph walked out. They'd all just gotten on with their lives, planning for the baby's arrival. He was getting excited now - he couldn't help himself. Just a few more weeks and…

"Max!"

He nearly jumped out of his skin as Lyn practically screamed his name. There was only one reason.

"Car, now," he ordered. "Tell me on the way."