"Are you OK?" Ian asked.
Steph, still holding Matthew against her chest, didn't move. "Fine."
As Ian walked onto the balcony he saw that Steph was holding Matthew so he could look out over the city. "What's over there?" he asked. "The view's in that direction."
Steph wasn't interested in the hills, she was more concerned with the suburbs on the other side.
"Steph?" Ian asked.
"I said I'm fine."
"No, you're not."
"Would you just leave it?"
"Would you just tell me?"
"It's... It's Summer's birthday today."
"Summer?" Ian asked.
Steph turned to him, her face filled with disbelief. "The girl you promised could come visit, but every time she called you made up some excuse. I know she called, Ian."
"I wanted Matthew to get settled here first," Ian defended. "Wasn't that why Mum couldn't come round?"
"Matthew knows Summer. He missed Summer."
"He's not even three months old, Steph. He doesn't know anything."
Matthew started to move in Steph's arms, making it difficult for her to hold him. Ian reached out and took him from her. Almost immediately he burst into tears,
"I think he knows a lot," Steph replied, taking him back. "This isn't going to work, Ian."
"You haven't given it a chance, Steph," Ian said.
"You really think this can work?"
"I don't see why not. We have a son together, Steph."
"So?"
"That has to count for something. Your husband and your son. Your boys."
At that phrase, Steph stopped and stared at him. "My... my boys?"
"Yeah."
"No," she replied. "Not now. Not ever."
She walked back into the house and headed for the staircase.
"So that's it?" Ian yelled.
"I shouldn't have come back."
"You shouldn't have left Max, you shouldn't have come back to me... Steph, will you just make up your mind?"
"I am," she said, stopping on the stairs. "I've been doing what's best for Matthew. I thought that was being part of a family, but it didn't work out. I thought that it was him getting to be with his father, but it's not. In all this I forgot someone. Me. I should be doing what's right for me."
"You're going back to him, aren't you? Your little publican?"
"If I was?"
"He's is not getting my son, Steph. No way."
"Before..."
"Before was before. You want to walk out on me, you do that. But if you want to take my son with you..."
Steph froze. "What?"
"If you want to take my son with you," Ian repeated, his voice low and threatening, "then you stay the hell away from him. If I so much as hear you've seen him on the street then I will fight you for custody. And you know you'll lose."
"Ian..."
"The apartment in the Central Business District. There's no one in there at the moment, so take it. Rent free."
"In return for...?"
"Unlimited access. I want to see him, I see him. I want to take him to meet my mother, I do that. You can do what you want."
"Except see Max."
"If you want to walk out that door, with him, you do it on my terms."
"Why are you doing this?"
"Because I loved you once and you threw it back in my face. I gave you everything and asked for nothing in return. You were my wife, Steph. And that meant more to me that it ever did to you. You think I'm going to do nothing about that? That I'm just going to roll over and accept it? I'm not someone you can pick up and drop without any comeback."
"Fine," she said quietly.
"I mean it, Steph. You know I do."
"Yeah," she whispered. "I know."
She packed hers and Matthew's stuff into a couple of bags as she called a cab. Not much to show for a few weeks. When the cab arrived she picked up the keys to the flat and left without saying a word to Ian.
"Alright, love?" asked the driver.
"No," she said. "But I will be."
"Problems at home?"
"That's where I'm going," she said. "Just me and my boy now."
Max shoved the last of the papers into the envelope and pushed open the door of the Post Office. It was quiet, him, a few others… and Jack Scully. Max stopped when he saw Jack waiting in line with a parcel. He knew why.
"Hey," Max said when Jack noticed him.
"Max. Hi."
"Steph?" he asked, indicating the parcel.
"Yeah."
"I didn't think you'd be mailing it."
"Well, she doesn't want a fuss this year. A quiet night in with Matthew."
"And Ian."
"No."
"Why not?" Max asked.
"I…" Jack said, realizing he'd said too much.
"Jack?"
"She… left him."
"When?"
"Max…"
"Jack, when did she leave him?"
"If she wanted you to know, Max, she would have told you."
"OK, fine," Max said, stepping into line behind Jack.
"I'm sorry, mate."
"Don't worry about it," Max said, shifting slightly to one side.
"Happy birthday," Max said as Steph opened the door. He put out a hand as Steph started to close the door on him. "Don't you want to see what Summer got you?"
"Max, just go," Steph said, a note of panic rising in her voice.
"Not until we talk," Max said, pushing open the door.
"There's nothing to talk about."
"Some questions need answering though."
"Like what?"
"When did you leave Ian?"
"After a couple of weeks," she said quietly.
"You've… Four months? You've been here four months?"
"Max…"
"Why didn't you call?"
"Why would I have? I walked out…"
"And you thought I'd come running after you?"
"You're here now."
"This isn't me running after you, Steph."
"Then what is it?"
"I need some answers, Steph."
"I left you for Ian, I left Ian because I don't want to be with him, and I've survived quite well on my own for four months."
"That's great. Now can I come in?" Max asked.
"No."
"Why not?"
"Please," she said, her voice breaking. "You have to go."
"Why?" he asked, concern creeping into his voice.
A happy cry from inside the apartment distracted Steph, and she turned around to see Matthew giggling as he reached out and grabbed a soft toy. "Because he's too important to me," she whispered.
"Steph, what's going on?"
Steph let him into the apartment and tearfully told him of what Ian had said. "So go, please," she said. "I'm not risking it…"
"He can't do that to you, Steph."
"Yes, he can."
"The Steph Scully I know wouldn't let anyone put her down like this. She wouldn't let anyone bully her or force her into anything she didn't want. I should know. I seem to remember someone being reluctant to move back in with me."
"Max, this is different. This is my son…"
"So fight him. Get custody."
"How?" she asked. "Ian has everything. He's got the good job, he's got the big family. What have I got? An apartment he's given me and an allowance to raise his son."
"You've got your mum, Jack and Oscar. And that's just to start with."
"To start with?" she asked.
"You make a choice, Steph. This is up to you. But if you want a fight…" He smiled and backed towards the door. He put a small bag on the table. "From Summer. Happy birthday."
Steph ignored the bag for the rest of the afternoon, but once Matthew was asleep she couldn't resist it any longer. She walked over to the table and picked up the bag. Looking inside, she grinned.
Curling up on the sofa she picked up the phone and dialed.
"It's me," she said. "Let's fight."
