"What dress you want to wear sweetie?"

"The pink one mama." Phoebe has a friend from school that's from Alabama and she's adopted her speech patterns so I've gone from mommy to mama. It annoys Christian but I think it's adorable.

"Phoebe, all of your dresses are pink." I laughed to myself but she looked at me as if I told her the sky was blue. "Come show mama which one you want to wear for daddy's party." She put down the tea cup to her Italian tea set Christian got customized for her fourth birthday and walked over to her closet, which was almost as big as mine.

"Mama is it daddy's birthday?" She stood in her closet with her hands on her hips and looked around like she was making a life changing decision.

"No. He just wants to see everybody so Auntie Mia and Auntie Kate and Uncle Ethan and Uncle Elliot and all of your cousins are going to come over for dinner."

"Bear-Berry! Mama I wanna wear the Bear-Berry." I shook my head at my five year old who already knows more about designer clothes than I do. I took her Burberry dress off the hanger and handed it to her. Mia recently went to New York and had a bit of fun in Sacks. She brought back gifts for everyone.

"Well I think we should just have a party every day. Parties are fun and I get to wear my pink dress."

"Do you want to pick a dress for mommy to wear?" I ask my mini-fashionista.

"I don't have time. I have to pick shoes and that takes forever!" She sighed and I laughed.

"Well I'm going to have Teddy help me." I started walking to the door.

"I think he's the one who needs help." She rolled her eyes.

I walked out shaking my head. Sometimes her maturity, and even more, her sass, makes it hard to believe she's only just five.

"Knock knock. Are you finished getting dressed?" I walked into Teddy's room and he's in the bathroom.

"Do I look okay mom?" He holds his arms out to the side and turns in a circle then it hit me. I cloud of A LOT of cologne.

"Did you put on cologne Ted?" I hold my breath.

"Yeah um, yes. Is it smelly?" He looks really nervous.

"Come on." I take his hand and lead him to the bathroom. "When it comes to cologne," I wet a cloth and start rubbing his face "less is always more."

"I knew I'd mess it up!" He seemed overly anxious and on edge.

"Sweet boy," I used my pet name for him because it usually sets him at ease "do you want to tell me what's going on here?"

"Nothing." He looked down and blushed.

"Teddy, I can't help you of you don't tell me." I set the cloth on the sink. He looked up at me through incredibly long lashes.

"Okay put you can't tell dad or Phoebe or Sophie or anyone ever!"

"I promise."

"Pinky promise?" He held out his hand.

"Pinky promise." We linked fingers.

"Well dad told me one of my friends could come to the party."

I knew where this was going but I kept coy. "That's cool T. Who did you invite?"

"This girl from my art class." He was looking down and playing with his hands.

"What's her name?"

He looked up at me. "Amelia."

"Do you maybe like this Amelia?"

"Yeah. She's really cool. She draws really nice pictures in art and I just want her to think I'm cool."

"Well, look at me your and dad. We're cool so you're super cool by default."

Teddy rolled his eyes. "But I can't draw like she can."

"But you can play piano. I'll tell you what, I bet if you ask your dad he'll play with you when Amelia comes over and that will make her think you're cool."

"You're right! Thanks mom! You know how to fix everything!" I knew there would come a time where he'd think I was the problem that needed fixing so I took the compliment. He hugged my waist and smiled up at me. God he looked like his father when he did that.

"No problem sweet boy. Just doing my job. I'm going to go get dressed and help Mrs. Taylor set up for the party."

I really hadn't expected this many people to be here. Aside from the usual crew people from Christians and my job were here. When he said he'd invited everyone he really meant everyone.

"Mom," I felt a pat on my side. "This is Amelia." A shy looking blonde haired blue eyed girl waved at me.

"Hi Mrs. Grey. Thank you for letting me come to your party." She was adorably polite.

"Hi Amelia. I'm glad you came and call me Ana." The little girl smiled and revealed a gap between her front two teeth but it was the kind you'd see in high fashion magazines.

Behind them stood a woman, with disgustingly good fashion sense, who I assumed was Amelia's mother.

"Hi I'm Ana Grey. Thank you for letting Amelia come tonight. Teddy really likes her."

"Carol Hartford. I think it's mutual. She changed her outfit about ten times before we left."

"Wait, Carol Hartford? As in Hartford and Thuman Stocks?" Hartford was the biggest name in stocks on the western seaboard. Thomas Hartford might be the only man on this side of the country with more money than Christian.

"Yep that's me, well him. I know next to nothing about the stock market besides the fact that it keeps me in Gucci and gold. Thomas is here somewhere." She looked behind her scanning the room for him. "Oh he's talking to your husband." Then I realized how rude I'd just been.

"Please forgive me. I know how annoying it is for people to gush at your name-sake. It's just, Christian adores your husband. He talks about him like he's a God among men. He thinks he's the best business man since Carnegie."

"Yeah I guess. The whole stocks and bond thing goes right over my head. I'm just a small town girl from Oklahoma who's good with a paint brush." So that's where Amelia got it from. "When I met Thomas I thought Dolce and Gabbana was a candy." She giggled.

"I get it. I didn't really get used to all of this," I motioned to the house. "Until recently. My head still spins thinking about it."

"Mom look!" Amelia called from the kitchen.

"Duty calls but it was nice meeting you. Ana. By the looks of those two we'll be seeing a lot of each other."

"Mom!" Amelia called again and Carol walked away.

I was walking over to my mother and sisters in-law when I saw Frost.

"I'm so glad you were able to make it!" I really was even if he made me uncomfortable his presence somehow set me at ease.

"I'm glad you invited me." He looked around taking in his surroundings. "This is a lovely home. You and your husband really know how to throw a party."

On queue Christian was behind me. "Thank you. Christian grey." He held out his hand.

"Lucas Frost." He took Christians hand, not even slightly intimidated by the name. "Ana insisted I didn't bring anything but my mother would turn in her grave if I showed up to a dinner party empty handed." He handed me a bottle of wine.

I looked at the bottle confused. Wine was never my forte. "Thank-"

Christian grabbed the bottle out of my hands. "This is a 1970 Château Haut-Brion" I looked at Frost and shrugged my shoulders. "It won first place at the 1976 Paris Wine Tasting. This is a 17 grade." Christian explained to me but it all went in one ear and out the other. "How did you get your hands on this?" This time it was Frost shrugging as if it wasn't a big deal but apparently this wine won the Super Bowl of fermented grapes. "I know a guy who knows a guy." Christian looked up from the bottle and at Frost. "A man who knows his wine is okay with me. Let's open this up, shall we?" The two walked away and I hear Christian say. "A writer named Frost? Well that's a hard legacy to follow." They were getting along! Christian doesn't really have friends but I hoped Lucas would change that. I eventually made it over to Kate who looked at me disapprovingly at me. "What?" I had no idea what her issue was. "Ana, you're married." She whispered angrily. "The last time I checked." I pointed to my wedding ring. "Then why were you flirting with that man?" "What man?!" I was outraged. I was totally in love with, and committed to Christian. There had to be mixed signals somewhere. "Shut up he's coming!" I turned around expecting to see Christian but it was Frost. I hadn't noticed earlier but he looked like he stepped out of the 20's; his burlap colored vest complete with pocket watch. "Lucas this is my best-friend and sister-in-law Kate Grey." "Hello Kate. It's a pleasure to meet you." "Hello. How do you know Ana?" Kate was being rude and I needed Frost to stay with Grey Publishing. She wasn't helping. "Anastasia here is thinking about publishing me." "How nice." Her tone let us know she didn't think it was nice at all but like the gentleman he is, Frost ignored her. "Ana I was wondering if I could finish telling you about my theme since we were interrupted earlier." "Sounds great." I smiled at him hoping it'd make up for Kate's behavior and led him to the corner of the living room which had been deserted. "So complicated platonic relationships?" "Yes. One's that are non-sexual; or at least should be." "Should be?" "Well you have the standard mother child relationship then there's the abusive mother. It's kind of a through the looking glass prospective. A glance at two different people's realities." This man was brilliant. "I met your children by the way. That Phoebe of yours is something else. She insisted that I add more pink to my wardrobe." He smiled. "I'm sorry about that. I really hope she grows out of this all pink phase. Her room is starting to look like the home of a sugar plum fairy." "It isn't a problem at all. I happily obliged and promised I'd make an effort." I noticed we we're standing really close together and took a step back. I didn't need to give Kate any reason to believe I was cheating on Christian. "How many pieces so you have?" I took a sip of wine, trying to be casual, when I noticed Kate and Mia looking at me and whispering to each other. Great. This is exactly what I need. "Completely finished, five, pending your review of course. But I have about fifteen in the works." "I'm sure they're perfect. I have complete faith in your talent." I touched his hand, just naturally interacting, when I saw Christians face. Shit. I knew this wasn't good. Kate and Mia were already suspicious; I don't need Christian in their boat. "That's very kind of you Anastasia." If my touch affected him in anyway, which I didn't think it did, he masked it well. "If you send over the pieces you have finished first thing in the morning ill be sure to take a look at them and send you any notes I have, though I doubt there will be many."

Throughout the night Christian pulled the members of our family aside and told them about Jacks death. Grace actually cried. We were getting ready for bed when I said to Christian, "That was a nice night. I'm glad you decided to have the party. We're becoming real socialites." I joked. "That Frost is a very educated man." Christian said with his back to me. "He's pure brilliance and so talented. He's sending some pieces to the office tomorrow. I'll bring them home for you to read he-" "How long?" "I haven't seen them yet but his other pieces-" Christian whipped around. "How long have you been fucking him Anastasia?"