Two
--
Jack followed Rachel into her home.
"How do you know who I am?" he asked as she led him into the lounge room, gesturing for him to sit.
"Juliet told me about you," she replied casually, sitting in the seat opposite Jack.
"She contacted you from the island? How?" he asked quickly, leaning forward.
Rachel looked puzzled. "The island? Jack, she's been off that island for years. Isn't that why you're here? Aren't you looking for her?"
A weight seemed to visibly lift from his shoulders. "She's here? She's back? Where is she?"
"She doesn't live here anymore."
Jack sighed, then remembered what led him there.
"There's a little girl who keeps showing up around me… I followed her to your door. Is she your daughter?" he asked.
"No, I don't have a daughter, just an eight year-old son. Are you sure it wasn't him?"
Jack shook his head. "No it was definitely a girl, she had long curly blonde hair, blue eyes…"
"Oh no." Rachel sighed and muttered. "She's not supposed to do that."
"You know her?" Jack asked anxiously.
"Yeah, I do. She's…" Rachel seemed to contemplate something for a moment. "She's my niece. Juliet's daughter."
Jack was too stunned to say anything.
"They're living in London. I can give you the address," she said, grabbing a scrap of paper to write it down.
"Wait… if they live in London, why do I keep seeing her daughter here?"
Rachel swallowed and handed Jack the address. Looking him straight in the eye, she spoke in a hushed tone. "I need you to promise me something, Jack."
"Of course."
"Don't be afraid of her."
"What?"
"When you meet Amy, don't be afraid of her," Rachel said, her voice straight, but her eyes pleading.
"Why would I be afraid of her? She's just a kid."
"Please, just promise me."
Jack's gaze stayed locked with Rachel's for a moment, and he gave a nod. "Okay. I promise."
--
Juliet and Nigel sat side by side on a park bench, watching Amy and Colin clamber around the playground. The sun was slicing through a cloud.
"Are you ever going to tell me about your life before you moved here?" Nigel asked, a playful tone masking the seriousness of the question.
Juliet turned to face him. "It doesn't matter."
Nigel's face dropped, all playfulness forgotten.
"Why do you keep doing this?"
"Doing what?" she replied, feigning ignorance.
A loud laugh and a squeal came from the direction of the playground and Juliet's head quickly turned. Amy was climbing to the top of a particularly high jungle gym, Colin hot on her heels.
"Hey, careful up there! No higher!" Juliet called out to them.
Nigel sighed.
"We've been together for almost a year, Juliet, and in that time you've managed to dodge every single question about your family, your past, even about Amy," he spoke in a hushed tone. "I'm starting to wonder if you care as much about me as I do about you."
"She was born in Miami."
Nigel didn't respond.
"Amy, she was born in Miami. Then we moved around a lot," she offered.
"Juliet…"
"I don't like to talk about it because it's the past, Nigel, it doesn't matter anymore," Juliet dismissed.
"I just want to know more about -"
A scream. A thud.
"Dad!"
Juliet and Nigel quickly turned their attention to the jungle gym. Colin was near the top. Amy was face-down on the ground, unmoving.
"Amy!" Juliet cried, bolting from the bench and rushing to her daughter's side.
"Dad, she fell from the top!" Colin called. "She was hanging upside-down and she fell on her shoulder!"
"Get down from there," Nigel scolded, reaching his arms up to grab his son as he climbed down.
Juliet knelt over her daughter, carefully rolling her onto her back.
"Amy? Amy?" she urged, trying to wake her. The girl's eyes fluttered open. She looked up at her mother and smiled.
"Ji Yeon's got a new bicycle," she said cheerfully, sitting up and dusting the tanbark off her clothes.
Juliet sighed.
"It's red and has a basket on it. It's really cool," she grinned, standing and taking the hand her mother offered.
"We'd better go," Juliet said flippantly to Nigel, who stood there flabbergasted, Colin in his arms.
"Juliet, she just fell on her shoulder from a great bloody height!" Nigel exclaimed. "We should be calling an ambulance!"
"Look she's fine, she's alright. I'll call you later," she replied dismissively, walking away with Amy in tow.
"She could be seriously hurt!" Nigel fought, following them.
Juliet turned, an anger trying to break through her indifferent gaze. "I'll look her over when we get home. We have to go. Say bye to Colin, Amy."
"Bye Colin," she smiled, giving a small wave as her mother pulled her away.
Once they were out of earshot, Juliet pulled Amy close to her as they walked.
"Don't you ever do that again. I told you not to climb that high," she reprimanded, gripping her daughter's hand tightly.
"I'm not hurt," Amy retorted.
"I know that," Juliet sighed, "but they don't."
--
Jack stood on the street, in his hand the crumpled address of the house before him. He'd wasted no time in hopping the first plane to London.
He hadn't even stopped to shave his beard.
As he began to walk down the short path to the front door he couldn't help but wonder why Juliet never told him she had a daughter.