After toasting the youngest member of the Parsons's clan, Chris took the liberty of raising his glass to Martin, Louisa and James. A few people knew the Martin and Louisa story. What most didn't know was that she had been a widower for over two years. Still fewer knew that James and his dad had mended whatever rift had existed between them.

"Martin Ellingham, vascular surgeon and someone I'm proud to call my friend for over 40 years, is here to keep a promise he made to Laura on her thirteenth birthday. Please raise your glass to my friend and colleague, Mart. Please also raise your glass to James, Martin and Louisa's son, who for all practical purposes is on his way to following in his father's footstep as a distinguished surgeon."

A cheer went up, quite startling baby Martin who let out a loud wail. There were cries for "speech, speech" in Martin's direction. Everyone was taken aback when James stepped forward.

"Before my Dad speaks, I want to thank you for your kind words, Uncle Chris. However, one step at a time. I have a long way to go. Mum, thanks for believing in me. Dad, thanks for your patience and for making me the person I am today. Please raise your glass to my parents."

Before anyone had lowered their glass, James raised his glass again. "This is for my other Dad to whom I owe so much." The lounge erupted in the softest of murmurs. Two dads?

Everyone then looked at Martin. Chris smiled encouragingly. In his clear, rich voice, Martin began. "Chris and Jenny, thanks for being my friend and for making me Laura's godfather. To James whom I love dearly, my best wishes for continued success in the path you have chosen. Louisa, thanks for giving me a wonderful son and for keeping me in his life even when I didn't trust myself to be the father he wanted."

With moist eyes, Martin drew James, then Louisa, to him in a hug. When they parted, there were few dry eyes in the room. Certainly not the Parsons's. Nobody, not even Chris who had lived through every Martin and Louisa drama, then every James and Martin trauma, could believe what was happening before them. His very private friend had poured out his heart for all to see. Louisa could not believe what had just happened. Martin making a speech, tearing up in public? This was the first time she had heard him talk at such length, in public, outside of medical matters. Who was this new Martin?

After dinner, Chris and Martin retired to the study. Louisa found herself wedged between Jenny's talkative cousin and a slightly hard-of-hearing next door neighbour. She tried to join their conversation about TV reruns of House of Cards, but gave up with a laugh when the neighbour asked her to repeat what she had said one time too many.

Bored, she allowed dark thoughts to enter her head. Chris and Jenny could have told her that they had invited Martin. Why didn't they warn her? It would have spared her from embarrassing herself by fainting, twice, and having to deal with Martin. Suddenly, she didn't trust herself. No, she would not break down in front of everybody. No way was anybody going to feel sorry for her. She muttered her excuse, binned her half-eaten dinner, held her head high, and walked out of the lounge.

Once outside, she looked down a well-lit path leading to the back of the house and remembered that the Parsons used to keep horses at the back of their property. Threading carefully on the dew-wet grass so as not to mess up her favourite boots, she walked as fast as she could. Feeling her eyes beginning to flood, she began running until she found a bench partly hidden by a high shrub. She sat down, grateful for the privacy. Seeing Martin had brought on unwelcome thoughts which came spilling out in the safety of the semi-darkness of her hiding place - James has a promising life in London. My friends are busy with their families. Chris and Jenny have grandchildren to dote on. I don't even have a place to call home. Why did Nathan have to leave? Why does everybody leave? Overcome with emotions, she hid her face in her hands crying silently until she heard footsteps coming in her direction.

"Louisa, don't run away. Please don't run away from me."

Squaring her shoulders, she looked up indignantly. "I'm not running away from you or anybody." The cheek of him.

Martin saw her tear-streaked faced and wisely ignored it. "Look, I know this evening has been difficult. It has been for me. I knew you were close to Chris and Jenny, but I never thought you would have come all the way from the village this evening."

"They are my friends. Plus I needed to get away from the village for a bit."

"Don't you like it there?" He was curious.

"It's not about liking or not liking. I came hoping to have a little laugh, some company. It's been a long time Martin. The village is still a wonderful place if you don't mind the holiday crowd and the townies who come down to their second homes to play at being villagers. It is my home."

"May I join you?"

"Please." Louisa moved down on the bench and made space for him.

They sat for a while until Martin reached for her hand and covered it with his. Lifting her chin with his fingers so she would look at him, he said, "We need to talk."

"About what?"

"I'll be here until Sunday morning. If you would allow me, I would like to take you out tomorrow."

A date? She looked at the man she had almost married, who she knew had loved her, yet had left her to raise their child alone. Can I blame him? He was never the father type. From the little I know about his dad, he was lousy and so was mine. He might not have been there for James physically, but he excelled in other areas where he felt competent. I guess this is why I never hesitated to send James to him because I knew that deep down, he was a good man. We are both up in age, does the past really matter now? He doesn't even sound like the man I once knew.

Her first impulse was to tell him no. What was the point? She got a little cross thinking that he just wanted to waltz back into her life as if nothing had happened. But because she was curious to learn more about this new Martin, she summoned her calmest voice and said, "I'll go out with you tomorrow if you promise not to ask too much of me."

Martin squeezed her hand and said, "Thank you."

They felt the electricity between them when their hands met, but stayed silent lost in thought.

James had seen his mother leave and his father going after her. He knew enough about their history to understand the turmoil their meeting would have caused. Chris came over and steered him into the study. "We need to talk." At first, it was only about Medicine. Talking to James, reminded Chris of how he met Mart and how their friendship developed. James was just as brilliant as his dad. He marveled at the similarity between them and wondered if he shouldn't have branched out into Genetics instead of Administration. He smiled ruefully.

"Why are you smiling?"

"You're not only the spitting image of Mart, you're as brilliant as he was at your age. Thanks for bringing him down to Cornwall. Laura is so proud to show off her son to her godfather. She has always worshiped him." They chuckled at the thought of another Martin.

Chris offered, "I didn't plan this. It never crossed my mind. I had gotten used to having a separate friendship with your mum and dad. Never saw today happening, them being in the same room, in Cornwall. Can't say I'm sorry though. Those two have a spark between them that nothing seem able to quench, not even time."

"Uncle Chris, don't go playing matchmaker. They are grown and set in their ways. I'm worried about them, and for the same reason. They are both alone, but that's no reason to try to resurrect something that might have died with my birth. I'll settle for friendship. Their lives have taken such different paths, plus their different personalities … not a chance in hell. I can't imagine it."

"James, don't get ahead of yourself."

James interrupted him. He too was in a bit of a turmoil with how the evening had turned out and didn't trust himself to talk about it. Had he known this was going to happen, he would have made Martin take the train down as he had planned. Being witness to his parent's relationship drama was painful. He should have joined Rosie and his friends back in London at their celebration party. She had begged him to stay but he was so grateful that his dad had come back to London early that he had offered to drive him to Cornwall. All he had wanted was to see the Parsons, his second family, then go home to Portwenn to chill with his mum and enjoy her home-cooked meals. She hadn't even told him that she would be here. Why? why me? je groaned silently.

"I'll go find them. it's a long drive to Portwenn. I'll drive Mum's car and give Dad mine. He's tired from his trip and the drive down."

Chris put his arm around his shoulder James was like a son to him, a treasured son. "You have done your parents proud. Don't worry about them, just continue to love them."

James wished he could believe in fairy tale endings. If his biological parents got back together, he could live with that. Were they ever together, though? He would have to ask them some tough questions. Between them, he had heard snippets of their tortuous short-lived romance but pieces of the jigsaw puzzle were missing.

Louisa broke the silence. "I am glad to see you."

"Me, too." Martin was still a man of few words.

Louisa appreciated the invitation. While she still had her wits about her, she cautioned, "I must warn you, I'm very fragile. Seeing you and James came as a shock. I don't know what to make of it. Fact is, I haven't known what to make of anything for a long time."

"Everything will be alright Louisa. I thought that tomorrow when you're rested would be a good time to talk."

She nodded her agreement. "I want to talk too."

Raising his brow in surprise, Martin continued. "The years have given me time to look back on my time in the village and what might have been between us. Having James with me has forced me to change for the better, I hope." He cleared his throat nervously as he gathered the courage to say what he had wanted to say all these years. .

"What hasn't changed is my feelings about you."

She held up her hand unwilling and unable to take it all in. Determinedly, he held her hand tight. "I have never stopped loving you even when I knew it was not the right thing to do. Seeing you this evening brought back memories, many of which I would like to forget, but so many I don't want to ever forget."

"That's nice to hear, Martin," was all she could say with more sorrow than bitterness.

As they walked back to the house, they could hear a sing-along of John Lennon's Imagine coming from the lounge. Louisa heard Martin singing. Well, really, it was more of a humming and he seemed unaware that she was there. His voice was so low that she had to lean forward to guess the words: "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one." She stopped in her tracks. Martin humming a romantic song about being a dreamer. A dreamer! She couldn't think of anyone more earthbound than Martin and began giggling. Not realizing that she had heard him, Martin looked puzzled and only picked up what was happening when she tried to finish the song with "... I hope someday you'll join us and the world will be as one."

To be continued ...