Like yesterday evening, Lee couldn't face going home straight away after the revelation in the hotel room. Instead he set off in the opposite direction, wandering aimlessly through the streets until minutes became hours. He crossed Tower Bridge, passed through the little park next to City Hall, continuing along the Thames path until he reached one of his favourite old pubs in Southwark. He went inside, ordering himself a pint and drinking it as slowly as possible. He left the pub when it started to fill up with people, tourists and shoppers wishing to refuel on their way back to their homes and hotels. He wasn't in the mood to be crammed in to a small space with so many other people.

He wandered around Southwark for a while, through Borough Market and past the Globe theatre to the Millennium Bridge. He walked over the slightly wobbly structure towards St Paul's Cathedral, sitting down on the steps in front of it, glad to rest his feet again. He couldn't believe he'd walked so far yet was hardly able to recollect the journey that brought him here.

I can't believe it, I'm a father...of a child I've never met, whose mother lives thousands of miles away. How could Kate keep this from me? This isn't how this was supposed to happen. I'm supposed to have children with Lucy, no one else. I'm supposed to be hands on, not an absent father like my dad. God, this has probably ruined any chance I had with Lucy. I can't keep this from her, and what about Tim...he won't want to know me if he finds out I had sex with his ex.

"So, although the cathedral was damaged in the Blitz, it remained standing, becoming a symbol of hope, of the British people's indomitable spirit, their refusal to be crushed, of survival against the odds".

Lee realised he was now in the middle of a sightseeing tour. He turned to look up at the huge building behind him and felt suddenly insignificant. Hearing the tour guide talk about the Blitz, about the spirit and bravery of the people of London, made him feel ashamed of walking out on Kate earlier and his lack of courage when it came to Lucy.

During the war people lived their lives not knowing whether they'd be killed be in the next bombing raid. Whatever happened when Lucy found out about all of this, at least he'd still be alive at end of it. Having said that, Tim might kill him when he found out he'd slept with Kate. He still wasn't sure how he was going to tell Lucy though. He knew how much she wanted a baby and telling her this would be like rubbing salt into the wound.

He decided he had to head back, speak to Lucy, then call Kate to apologise. He had no idea what the future held now, but he'd have to face it.

...

Lee entered the flat, feeling sick to the stomach. He'd grabbed a snack on his way home, a cheese toastie, forcing himself to eat it as the miles of walking had started to make him feel light headed with hunger. He regretted it straight away, his stomach now churning and the taste of bile rising up in his throat. Lucy switched off the TV and turned to look at him.

"Thank God, finally. I was starting to get a bit worried about you. I've tried to call you about ten times. I was looking for the aubergines. I had to leave them out of the recipe in the end. It's not like you to not answer your phone, or at least phone me back when you see a missed call".

Lucy had started to worry that Kate had got her claws in to Lee after all, despite his insistence yesterday that he wasn't interested in her.

"Sorry, I went for a walk. It's good excercise you know, and cheaper than the gym".

"Didn't you hear the phone?".

"I must have had it on silent accidentally".

"Right, anyway, I've left a portion of dinner for you. It's pastaless lasagne".

"Not lasagne then?"

"It's lasagne but with sliced courgette instead of pasta, it's supposed to be aubergine but as I say I couldn't find them".

"Sorry, I forgot to pick them up, they weren't on the list".

"If you want it it's in the fridge, you can microwave it. Oh and there's some strawberries open. I had them with chocolate mousse, I left some for you".

"I'm not that hungry. I ate earlier. I might just head off to my room".

"Is there something wrong Lee? You've been pacing up and down since you walked in, and you don't normally just stay in your room. Are you trying to avoid me?"

"No".

"Good, then sit down. You're making me feel tired watching you pace".

Lee slumped gratefully onto the sofa, only now realising his leg muscles were complaining from the walking.

"How was your brunch and shopping trip with a Daisy? Buy anything nice?"

"Just a top and some makeup. Anyway, enough about my shopping, I wanna know about this mystery person Kate wanted you to meet?"

"I didn't meet them".

"Oh, did you not go and see her in the end then?"

"I did, but I didn't stick around long enough to actually meet...the thing is...Kate has a child, a son".

"Oh, how old?"

"That's the point, he's five".

"And? What's significant about that?"

"I assume he was conceived when she still lived in the UK".

"Right...why are you acting so strange? Why do you sound so nervous? Do you think she's Tim's? Am I an Auntie?"

"Her and Tim had split up by then".

"So what's the problem?"

"The problem is...I think he might be mine".

Lucy felt like she'd been punched in the stomach. Lee and Kate had slept together, why hadn't he told her this?

"What? I didn't think you two ever did that, I thought you'd done the pretending you didn't have feelings for each other thing".

Lucy knew that scenario all too well.

"We did. But the night before she left, we had a few too many drinks and ended up..."

"Between the sheets?"

"Actually it was on the sofa...the first time anyway".

Lucy jumped up from her seat. Suddenly the sofa felt like an enemy, like an accomplice in a crime. She looked upset, confused and disgusted all at once.

Lee immediately regretted his level of honesty. Perhaps sometimes it was better to hold back information.

"The first time? How many times did you do it?"

Lucy didn't know why she had even asked that question, she didn't really want to hear the answer.

"Twice, maybe three times".

"And you didn't use protection? Are you stupid?"

"No, we did. But you hear about things don't you, condoms breaking and stuff".

"I don't want to hear about your stuff and where it ended up, I don't want to hear anything else".

Lee didn't know what to do now, as he saw Lucy's eyes welling up with tears. He watched helplessly as she turned and ran to her bedroom, slamming the door behind her. This was exactly what he had feared would happen.

He decided to go and talk to her, but on reaching her bedroom door discovered she'd locked it, shutting him out.

"Luce".

"Go away".

"Lucy please".

"Leave me alone".

"I cleaned the sofa, if that's what your worried about. I don't understand why you're...".

"Lee, just sod off will you...look..I'll talk to you later, I need to...wash my hair".

Lucy felt so stupid for being unable to hide the fact she was upset about what Lee had just told her. She leant back against her bedroom door and took several deep breaths, trying to stop herself from crying. It didn't work, and she gave in, letting the floodgates open. As the tears flowed she sat down on her bed, hugging her knees to her chest.

Almost immediately she was angry with herself for turning into this sobbing mess, which only served to make her more upset. She didn't understand why she was reacting like this, why she feel betrayed. Lee hadn't done anything wrong, she hadn't even met him when he'd had sex with Kate. She had no right to be so upset, and certainly no right to punish him for it. That didn't mean it didn't hurt though, the thought of Lee with someone else. Of course she knew he'd had probably had sex with loads of women in the past, but this seemed different somehow. The others hadn't been here, in this flat. This flat was her and Lee's flat, their special place. And the other's weren't in his life anymore, whereas as of yesterday Kate was.

She was jealous of Kate, disconcertingly jealous. Kate knew Lee in a way she didn't, knew the hidden parts of him, been closer to him than she had ever got. And then there was the child, she felt terrible about resenting a child, but she wanted to be the one to give Lee children, and now Kate had that privilege.

Lucy made an effort to calm down, realising it wasn't even rational, the way she was feeling. That's what love did though right, made people think and act irrationally. Really not liking this green-eyed version of herself, Lucy decided she had to be sensible about this. This situation, it didn't change how she felt about Lee, or what she wanted for their future. She just hoped Lee wouldn't hold her overreaction against her.

She wiped away the last of her tears, got up and went into the en-suite, catching her reflection in the mirror. She sighed at the sight of her red eyes and blotchy, tear stained cheeks. God, I look a mess, she thought. She ran the cold tap, splashing the water over her face. Not wanting Lee to see her like this, she grabbed her make up bag from the shelf. Trusty miracle cover foundation, now was the time to come into your own...