Chapter 5

As soon as Megan arrived home she took off her stilts, as Peter called them, in reference to her shoes that although they were not very practical for work she likes to think they make her an intimidating figure and an empowered woman on equal terms with her male to mention the damage they could do in an interrogation situation.

The girls went to their rooms yawning a 'thank you Megan tonight was wonderful' while she caught Jen saying 'didnt Peter look wonderful tonight'. In his custom suit with the shirt open at the top revealing a little chest Megan had to admit she was pleasently surprised too.A bold choice for dinner but then again he was never part of the mould.

As she rubbed the aching soles of her feet,she noticed Lily having trouble with the sofa bed.

Megan:'here let me help you with that it can get stuck sometimes'

Lily:'thank you Megan you truly are a guardian angel...how are you with cars?'

Megan:'huh not very good I'm afraid.I know how to drive if that's any help?'

Lily:'I think I'll ask Peter,he did a summer internship at a garage to make some money during high school,you know?'

Megan:'really? I did not know that,although we never seem to talk about his past much...I guess it never comes up much'

Lily:'listen Megan I know I'm not the most experienced person to talk about commitment or relationships because I have never had the pleasure myself...lord knows Jen and Anne have had had their share of relationships-

Megan:'just because you are young doesn't mean you are not wise or inexperienced.I like to think the observer gains more knowledge than the participant'

She winks at Lily whom she just realised is as oblivious to the mechanics of men as she was and their was a good age gap between recognised in Lily a kindred sister bound by a lack of knowledge,she was also less haunghty than the other sisters,Megan could positively identify her favourite.

Gently Megan moved Lily to say whatever was on her mind.

Megan:'what are you trying to say Lily?'

Lily:'when Peter was younger he really like this girl at school,to others it wouldn't have been apparent at all but to us it was clear in the way he showed his admiration for her by doing favours for her,let me explain by she was too late to get her favourite chocolate bar at the candy stand in our school so he paid another boy in the class who had this bar to give it to reward for this was the beam on her face when she got the bar'

Megan:'Really?he did that?what happened did he ever actually approach her and tell her?'

Lily:'it was a kind of behind the scenes tactic he left in the seventh grade moved away to boston with her parents and he never told her the truth,until by chance another ten years later they met'

Megan:'oh my god what happened?'

Lily:'it only lasted a year'

Suddenly realisation hit Megan like a speeding bus.

Megan:'Lizzie Demarco was the girl,oh no I have been so cruel'

So thats why she was the great love of his life,it went further than a year.

Lily:'anyway they separated again as you know and we feared he would take it as hard as he did the first time,his time as a cop it wasnt easy he was always tied down with paperwork or dealing with dangerous people.I spent many restless nights thinking about never really had time for a social life,so getting into a relationship wasnt exactly a recurring thing.'

Maybe Megan and Peter had a lot more in common than she first thought,both socially awkward people because of terrible trauma's of their past.

'Then the accident happened and Peter pretty much lost faith in everything especially his said that Lizzie was a part of his past and he had to move on,live life to the fullest we had the foolishness not to except that,we falsely believed there was something left between when we came the first time but of course we discovered there was someone else...

Megan did really not feel comfortable with the path this conversation was going down.

'so naturally the reunion with Lizzie didn't work out because there was someone who made Peter feel happy inside and out'

'Tonight we discovered that 12 year old version of Peter again with the glow on his face minus the bad hair and awful clothes'

She laughed half heartedly at this to diffuse the tension but nothing could dislodge the shock stuck on Megan's face or the pain silently trickling through her hand that she clutched secretly under a couldn't think of a better time when her condition acted up,just great!

Lily:'it only became clear when you mentioned Peter helping you with your daughter or how he has helped you cope with your divorce'

Megan:'but that is how Peter is being supportive is embedded in his genetic makeup, he's like that with everyone'

Lily:'can I ask you an honest question?'

Megan:'sure'

'I gather you have a dtrained relationship with your husband ,which by the way I admire so much the way you are coping with it,but does having Peter in your life help ease that strain?'

Megan:'yes,it does yes,he had thus way of dissolving tension and commandeering situations if needs must'

Lily:'yeah,I admit he can be a bit overwhelming with his interfering but has his advice ever failed you?'

Megan:'no I guess not'

She had to admit Peter's interfering had let Megan's relationship with coworkers,Todd and Lacey progress in a way she never thought possible.

Lily:'I hate to be so nosy myself and you can tell me to mind my own business but are you dating anyone?'

Megan:'just between you and me,no I'm completely single,after Todd my faith in commitment was a bit shaken'

Lily:'understandable and while I cant all but force you into a new relationship I just feel you deserve to see the truth'

Megan:'I'm glad we had this talk 's the first real talk I have had in a very long time,I hope you sleep well Lily goodnight'

And with that Megan left Lily with a new hope and Megan with a sense of profound anxiety and maybe potential happiness.