"Sy...ny," Kayla hollered and clung on to Sydney's leg as he entered the doorway.

"Hey, mind your manners," Jarod scolded his daughter as he tore her away from his mentor. "It's Uncle Sydney."

"Unco!" She chirped.

"You've done well, Jarod. She is a happy child."

Kayla climbed onto her tricycle and circled around her father. "Sweetheart, why don't you go ride your bike in your playroom, okay?"

"kay," she squeaked and peddled off.

Sydney stroked his chin as if he was in deep thought. Jarod called out his name three times before he spoke out.

"Yes, Jarod?"

"Parker. Tell me what's she up to. You had said there was a reason for her departure. What is it?" Jarod had lost his patience a long time ago. "So, what's the leather clad, gun-totting ice queen bitch up to now?"

"Jarod, stop," Sydney cautioned him.

He smirked. "I didn't say cigarette-smoking, did I? I was actually being nice."

"I don't know what was the reason on why she left, but she promised me, if things worked out the way she hoped, you'll understand her actions."

"All I know is that she deprived me the past two years of Kayla's life. This two months with my daughter isn't going to make up for her deceit. And what the shit was so important, she had to leave her daughter? You know how many times she'd tell me to go to hell? I've been to hell and back! Now it's her turn! I'll show her hell!"

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The two women embraced each other. The attractive red-headed older woman with streaks of gray poured coffee for her younger guest.

"One lump or two, dear," she asked of the cubes of sugar in the bowl.

"No, thank you. I drink mines black." Her guest replied. Miss Parker crossed her long legs and tossed her hair before she grabbed her cup.

"Melissa dear, you look just like her. You are the spitting image of your mother. Catherine was such a beautiful woman. And you've grown up to be just as beautiful. No, I take that back. You are even more beautiful."

"Thank you." Miss Parker's baby blue eyes glistened at the mentioned of her mother. She sipped her coffee slowly.

Her hostess sat erect, folded her hands together and smiled. "How ever did you locate me?"

"It wasn't easy. Maybe it was for my selfish reason," she thought of Jarod, "or not. I have a daughter, she's a little over two."

"And her father allowed you to run across the globe in search of me? Why?" She queried in wonderment.

"It was not until two months ago had he known about our daughter. I hid her from The Centre, from him. I knew The Centre would have immediately taken Kayla, that's her name, for themselves for her to be their own prized possession. I left the country for a couple of years and when I heard of your whereabouts, I decided to come back home. It was only right to hire a private investigator and, well, here I am and here you are."

The woman sat quietly and patiently as she listened to Parker's story.

Miss Parker fumbled for her daughter's photo in her handbag. "This is Kayla C. M. Russell. The C stands for Catherine and M for Margaret."

Margaret took the photo and held it delicately close to her heart as if it was Kayla she hung on to. "My grandchild? My Jarod's baby?"

Miss Parker blinked back tears and simply nodded. Margaret rose from her chair, embraced her and cried.

"I have to explain to Jarod when I get back. I could not tell him where I was headed to. Suppose it was just another false hope. After the Isle of Carthis, I promised myself I'd look for you. He'd tried so many times to find you, but it was always a dead-end road. He had no avenues to turn to."

"You've proven your love for him, Melissa."

"He's not aware of it. Not yet, anyway. I hurt him by not telling him about our baby. I didn't plan to get pregnant and when I did, it frightened me. I didn't want to lose my child and I didn't want to lose him. The Centre would have taken Jarod and Kayla away from me. So now, I suppose, he probably thinks I'm dying or worse yet, questions my abandonment of my precious child and he's hating me at this very moment."

"You were so very wrong in keeping your pregnancy from him." Margaret spoke in a motherly tone.

"I know that now. He had a right to know. He'll never forgive me. He had been so angry when I left. A lot of yelling." Miss Parker broke down in tears. "He did all the yelling."

"You are warm and loving, dear. Who would not want to love someone like you. You are so fragile, but yet, you fight for what you believe in. Just like Catherine."

Miss Parker laughed inside. If only Margaret knew of her reputation at The Centre and of her nicknames, "Ice Queen, "Ice Princess" to name a few came to her mind.

"Jarod, will protect you, Margaret. Sydney, too. And you've got to meet Broots and his daughter Debbie. You'll just love them. Come home with me, Margaret. Come home to Jarod and our daughter."

Margaret only nodded.

Miss Parker's voice cracked. "I'd like to tell him, I love him and say, Honey, I'm home, forgive me for suddenly leaving, for making your life a living hell but, I'm back now and I brought your mother home with me."

We've all made mistakes to the one we love. It is a matter of acceptance of forgiveness which hopefully lies within us.

TBC - Chapter 4