Charlotte was waiting in The Stowaway. She stirred her drink as she waited. She then heard a familiar voice.
"Hey Charlotte. It's been a while."
Charlotte looked and smiled. Emily hugged her and then sat down next to her. Charlotte spoke honestly.
"I didn't think that you would actually come."
"Neither did I."
Emily ordered a drink before sliding a box to Charlotte.
"I had it shined for you."
Charlotte opened the box and pulled out Amanda's locket. She opened it and smiled. There was a photo of David Clarke on one side and on the other was an old photo of Amanda and Emily. She smiled.
"Thank you. I promise i'll give it back."
Emily got her drink and then smiled. "So how have you been?"
"Good. Michael is a great guy."
"I'm glad."
"And you? I saw your magazine articles. I have to admit I was excited to see you wedding pictures."
Emily laughed. "We kept it intimate."
"Can you share any details?"
"Sure." She pulled out her phone and showed Charlotte one of her albums. "These aren't the professional photos but you can get some ideas."
Charlotte started flipping through. She oohed and turned the phone. "You used drift wood?"
"To give it even more of a beach vibe."
She nodded. "And the photo wall is adorable."
"It was my favorite part."
Charlotte then reached a photo of two little girls. She smiled sadly.
"They're beautiful."
Emily nodded. "They are."
Charlotte handed back the phone. She stirred her drink before looking up hesitantly.
"What are their names?"
"Josie Amanda and Tierney Charlotte."
Her eyebrows shot up. "Really?"
"Really. You are still their aunt."
She nodded. Emily felt a sting in her gut and decided to make conversation.
"How's Daniel?"
Charlotte shrugged. "Good. He and Sara are married and they have a son named Christopher."
"Good for them."
She nodded. "How are the girls?"
"Good. They're going to be five in a week."
"Wow time flies."
"Tell me about it." Emily hesitated before grabbing something out of her ag and handing it to Charlotte. "Their party is Saturday. I would love it if you could come."
Charlotte took the invitation and looked. It was turquoise and lavender and covered with gold glitter. She smiled.
"Mermaids?"
Emily nodded. "They want to be mermaids. The party is at Nolan's since he has a pool."
"I'll be there."
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Charlotte had just come home from shopping when Victoria walked in followed by Sara, Christopher and Daniel. She smiled at her.
"Charlotte what have you been up to?"
Charlotte smiled. "Just a little shopping. Oh and I called the wedding planner. I got some great ideas for decorating the reception space."
Sara sat down and put Christopher on her lap. "What kind of ideas?"
"I'm going to have a photo collage in the shape of our initals. Plus I want to have wooden place cards."
Victoria smiled. "That sounds lovely." She then pulled out a catalogue and started flipping through. "Now I have been thinking a lot about the wedding favors. We could always do gourmet chocolates in a personalized box but I found this idea. We can put tags on little bottles of bubbly."
Charlotte made a face. "I like the chocolates idea better."
"Alright then."
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Emily was on her tiptoes trying to hang the twins birthday banner. Stephen walked over and helped her.
"Where are the girls?"
"Alex is getting them dressed."
He nodded. "So you actually invited Charlotte?"
"She's their aunt. In more ways then one."
Before he could say more the girls came running into the room. They were wearing white t shirts with their names in gold glitter and a mermaid in purple glitter. On the back was a gold glitter five. Emily looked around the room before guest started to arrive. Nolan's great room was decorated with turquoise, lavender, and gold decorations. There were seashells placed everywhere. Their cake was on the kitchen island. It was a three tier purple ombre cake. A few minutes after the party officially started Charlotte walked in with a big wrapped gift. She set it down by the rest of the gifts. Emily walked over.
"Charlotte i'm glad you made it."
Charlotte hugged her. "This place looks great. Like something out of a magazine."
"Thanks. Do you want to see them?"
She nodded. Emily led her outside. Stephen was standing by the girls as they ate their hamburgers. Emily smiled.
"Stephen this is Charlotte."
Stephen shook her hand. "It's nice to finally meet you. Emily has told me a lot about you."
Charlotte nodded. Emily kissed her girl's heads and had them look at her.
"Girls this is your Aunt Charlotte."
Tierney smiled. "Hi, i'm Tierney."
Charlotte smiled and shook the little girl's hand. Tierney nudged her sister before smiling.
"This is Josie. She's shy."
Charlotte laughed. "Well it's nice to finally meet you girls."
Charlotte grabbed a plate of food and then sat down next to them. She chatted with them and then watched as they jumped into the pool. Throughout the party Emily saw the girls warm up to Charlotte. It made her smile. By the end Josie was sitting on her lap and showing her how her Barbie could change color. Charlotte walked over to Emily before she left.
"I can't thank you enough for this."
Emily smiled. "They adore you."
"Well they are perfect."
Tierney came over and smiled at Charlotte. "Can you come play at our house sometime?"
Emily smiled. "Of course she can." She looked at Charlotte and spoke honestly. "I want you to be in their lives."
"I would love that." She knelt down in front of Tierney. "How about I take you and Josie out for some ice cream on Friday?"
"Can we?"
Emily nodded. "It's a date."
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Charlotte kept the fact that she was spending time with Emily and the girls a secret. She knew it would hurt Daniel if she told him. But a few weeks after the twins party she knew he would find out. They got their invitations to the annual Fire and Ice Charity Ball. They always went. But when Charlotte looked at the guest list online she saw that Emily and Stephen had already R.S.V.P. She brought it up during dinner. She was absentmindedly pushing a piece of salmon around her plaate while Conrad talked. Then he brought up the ball.
"I need to pick out a tux for the ball Friday night. I was thinking about wearing my midnight black bow tie."
Victoria nodded. "I'll have your favorite tux dry cleaned and pressed."
Charlotte looked at Daniel and Sara. "So are you two going?"
Daniel nodded. "Voulez is going to do a piece on it."
Charlotte gave a brief nod. Victoria's eyes narrowed over her wine glass.
"Why the interest?"
"When I went online to R.S.V.P I noticed some people that were going to be there."
"Such as?"
She quickly thought of a lie. "Michael's ex."
Daniel chuckled. "I'll protect you Charlie."
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Emily was dressed in a fuchsia chiffon gown with gold strappy heels, a gold shell clutch and diamond earrings. She was just finishing pulling her hair into a curled updo when Stephen walked into their closet.
"Hey you about ready?"
She nodded. They walked downstairs and found the girls eating dinner at the kitchen table while Alex started the dishes. She smiled.
"You two look nice."
Stephen smiled. "Thanks. And thanks for taking care of the little monsters."
"My pleasure."
Emily knelt down between the girls. "Be good for Auntie Alex okay?"
They nodded. Emily kissed both of their cheeks before following Stephen out to his porche.
Soon they were walking into the venue. Stephen quickly found his family and led the way over. His grandfather Miles stood smiling.
"Glad to see that you could make it."
He hugged both of them and motioned for them to sit. Liz smiled.
"Emily you look beautiful as always. "
"Thank you."
Devin rolled his eyes. "Yes she looks nice. Now what happened to that waiter?"
Emily laughed. Then she looked up just in time to see Conrad, Victoria, Daniel, Sara, Charlotte, and Michael enter. She felt like she was going to throw up. She quickly looked away and took a sip of champagne. Michael, who really didn't know what happened between the Grayson's and Emily pointed.
"Hey Charlotte isn't that your friend Emily?"
Charlotte looked to her horror. "Umm no it isn't."
But he kept going. "What do you mean that isn't her? We had dinner with she and Stephen last week."
Her parents and Daniel's eyes were on her. They settled in their seats. Charlotte looked at Michael.
"Umm Sweetie can you go to the bar and order me a cocktail?"
"Of course."
As soon as he walked away Victoria spoke quietly yet harshly.
"Explain."
Charlotte sighed. "I've gotten back in touch with Emily."
"Why?"
"Because Jack had given her Amanda's necklace so if I wanted to wear it for my wedding I had to ask Emily for it. So we met for drinks and then we started getting together a couple times a week. It was just nice...I could ask her all the questions that I still have about Amanda that never got answered."
Conrad sighed. "How often have you seen her?"
"A few times. I went to the twins birthday party and Emily has let me take them out a few times."
Daniel was borderline mad and upset. "You have seen my kids?"
She nodded guilty. Before anything else could be said Michael came back. He sensed the tension and decided not to ask. A few minutes later Eliot walked over to their table. Conrad stood and accepted a hand shake from him.
"Conrad that is a very generous donation you made. Feeling a little guilty?"
Conrad forced a chuckle. "No I just felt like giving to a good cause. How's the family?"
"Excellent. Yours?"
"Well my daughter is getting married next month so I would say we're pretty great."
"Congratulations." He looked them over then smiled. "Well enjoy your evening. Oh and if you get a chance Elizabeth would love to get Victoria involved with her historical society renovation."
He walked away and Victoria grabbed her glass.
"That went well."
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