Of course the next thing was to bring Emily to meet everyone else. Ross wondered how that would go. Each one of them, except for Rachel, had spoken out against her because of her ultimatum, and they were going to have to get used to the fact that she'd changed her mind. He remembered what had been said with unease – maybe they had been so emphatic against her because they were trying to cheer him up. Now that he thought back to it all, he hoped that they hadn't really meant it. Whether they did or not, they would have to put aside their feelings and try to accept her. He was sure that they would, he thought buoyantly. They had got on well with her before, there was no reason why that shouldn't happen again, especially when they saw how happy he was.

From work, he phoned Monica.

'Guess what!' he shouted into the phone.

'Ow,' Monica protested. 'Don't shout.'

'Sorry, Monica – Woo Hoo! I'm still married!' He felt like laughing.

'What? I don't understand,' she said, sounding mystified.

'Emily came to me last night, and we're going to start again. I'm not getting a divorce.' He couldn't stay sitting and stood up. 'I've got a wife!' Someone walked past his office and stared at him, but he didn't care.

'Wow, that's great Ross,' Monica said, trying to calm him down. What was going on?

'I'm so happy!' he said. Why had things changed?

'So what's happened about Rachel? Is she going to trust you?' Rachel asked.

'Yes.'

'She gave up, just like that?' Monica asked, doubtfully. She had felt so strongly about it that she had ended the marriage – or at least attempted to.

'Yes. She loves me Monica,' he said. 'So she gave up all her demands, every single one of them. We're going to start all over again, and put all that behind us. It's going to be great Monica, I just know it!'

'Right,' Monica said. Had she really done that? 'Then she'll be able to come to Central Perk this evening.'

'Oh sure,' Ross said. 'I want to see you guys. It'll be great.' After he rang off, Monica wondered about that. Really wondered.

At lunch time, she went over to Bloomingdales to meet Rachel. She was pretty sure that even if Ross tried to call everyone, he wouldn't be able to contact Rachel at work. She would need to be warned about the Central Perk plan – she couldn't let Rachel just walk into the place and see Emily there. Rachel was glad to get away at lunch. They went to a nearby café where both had a salad.

'I just feel so embarrassed every time I see Mr Waltham,' she said. 'Even though I didn't do anything. It wasn't my fault.'

'Is he being mean to you?' Monica asked with concern. It was bad enough that Ross had suffered, it was terrible that Rachel had suffered, poor thing. Realising that she was still in love with Ross – and Monica hadn't been aware of it. Attending the wedding, being made the centre of attention by Ross's mistake, and then the airport thing, going on the honeymoon on her own, being the object of pity. Getting the blame for everything from Emily because of the thing with the names and then the airport – if she was going to be late to the airport, why couldn't she have been even later? Of all the rotten luck. Rachel had been willing to make sacrifices so that Ross could be happy, but Emily hadn't given her any credit for that. Not that Emily had known about it, Monica grudgingly admitted.

'No, he's just the same, but you can't tell with these English people, they're so reserved,' Rachel said.

'Not all of them,' Monica said, pointedly. 'Some are very good at showing their feelings.'

'What do you mean, Mon?' Rachel asked.

'Well Rachel, prepare yourself. Emily came back.'

'She came back!' Rachel said, 'Oh no, that's awful. That means we're not going to see Ross, and he's going to be miserable – or I'll have to…'

'You won't have to do anything. Apparently. Ross says she's changed her mind.'

'She's changed her mind? How did that happen?' Monica shrugged.

'I have no idea. Ross says she's given up on everything. No demands, conditions or anything.'

'I see,' Rachel said. 'So they're going to make a fresh start.' So now they were going to have to get used to Emily being a fact in their lives.

'It looks like it,' Monica said. 'I don't want my brother to get another divorce, and he sounds so happy, but I just wonder how genuine Emily is being.'

'You think she's lying?' Rachel asked with a frown. She had never got to know Emily well enough to know whether she was the sort of person who would tell lies or not.

'I don't know. But she had such strong objections to you – has she just put all that aside?' Monica worried. 'What if she says she'd going to change, but then still feels the same?'

'I don't know Mon, but you can't control someone's feelings, and even if she still hates me, if she loves Ross, she'll try and keep it under control,' Rachel said.

'I don't want her to hate you,' Monica said, 'She shouldn't hate you.' She sighed. 'But then, if Ross loves her and she loves him, what are we going to do? Say that they have to get divorced because she doesn't like one of his friends?' Rachel shook her head sadly.

'I guess we'll have to see what happens when we meet.'

'We are,' Monica said, 'If you feel like it.' Rachel looked at her sharply. 'She's coming to Central Perk this evening. Of course, you don't have to come if you don't want to.' Rachel lifted up her chin.

'Oh I'll be there. I've got a better right to be there than she has. Even more than you.' Monica looked at her carefully. Rachel was looking determined.

'Rachel,' she said, 'How are you going to be?' Rachel hadn't decided that yet. 'If there's going to be trouble between you, please let it be her fault. Let Ross see that you are doing your best.'

'Of course,' Rachel said. 'I'll be friendly.'