Here is chapter 8! I'm so sorry for taking such a long time to publish this chapter. I've already started working on chapter 9, so it should'n't take nearly as long to post. Thank you so much for reading my story and hanging in there with me. I really appreciate it.

On Friday, Margaret woke up extremely late and subsequently was in a rushed state when she dashed out to her Prius. Normally, she would have taken SEPTA to work, but considering that she was already fifteen minutes late, her car was the only method that would ensure she reached work at a reasonable time. Margaret wondered why Edith had not tried to wake her. She thought it rather inconsiderate on the part of her cousin. What she did not know was that Edith had tried, unsuccessfully, to wake her cousin several times before finally conceding to Margaret's deep slumber. As she grabbed her phone to call Bessy, she saw that Edith had called twice and reprimanded herself for thinking her cousin had done nothing. After calling Bessy, she felt slightly relieved. Her supervisor understood her tardiness in light of the overtime that she had put in the evening before.

As had become usual of late, Margaret was distressed by the Boucher family. Recent events had further destabilized the family and threatened to tear it apart permanently. The previous night, she had received a call requesting that she come to the 26th Police District precinct immediately. One of her clients had been arrested and he had asked authorities to contact her.

She learned that John Boucher, in desperation and frustration, had begun to sell crystal meth. She could not believe that he had resorted to doing such a thing to take care of his family. She knew they were in a dire situation, but didn't think that justified selling drugs, especially one as dangerous as meth.

When she finally met with Boucher, she overwhelmed him with questions. "John, are you ok? Why did you call me and not your wife? Are the allegations true?"

Running his hands through his rusty red hair, he replied "I'm fine as I can be in this situation. I didn't call Heather because I don't know where she is. Margaret, I know you've noticed that on the past few visits Heather has been mostly absent. Well…" At this point he paused, trying to ponder the consequences of his revelation to Margaret. Finally deciding that his condition was hopeless no matter what, he continued "Well, she is strung out on meth." He began to sob. Not knowing what to say, she waited for him to continue. "It's my fault! I should've known she'd be too weak not to try the drugs herself. Taking care of the children and dealing with her own issues was too much for her. I was just trying to take care of her and the kids and-oh God! I never thought it would come to this!" No longer able to continue, he covered his face with his hands and continued to sob.

Margaret felt deep pity for the man in front of her. He was a shell of the man she had first met months ago. While she thought his actions were wrong, she understood the circumstances that led to them. Discussing what would happen to his children seemed inappropriate at this moment, as they both knew what would happen. She didn't want to cause him more anguish and he did not have the energy to think deeply about what might occur next. All he requested of Margaret was to make sure the children were well cared for.

She called Bessy to inform her that the children needed to be taken into state custody immediately. As for John Boucher, she knew that he would require the best legal representation available to handle the charges against him if he were to have any hope of regaining custody of the children. A public defender would allow his case to get lost in the already overcrowded legal system.

Despite her ambivalence, Margaret called Harry. She hadn't spoken to him since their argument at her cousin's college. She hoped for her client's sake that he did not hold any hard feelings towards her.

"Hello, Harry?" said Margaret sheepishly.

"Hello, Margaret?" replied Harry sleepily.

"Yes, it's me. I'm sorry for calling at such a late hour."

"It's quite alright. What do you need?" He truly meant the words he said and, despite it being late, he was happy to hear her voice again.

"Do you remember talking to me about doing pro-bono work when you first came back to Philly?"

"Yes." There was disappointment in Harry's voice when he realized the reason for Margaret's call had nothing to do with their non-existent relationship. Still, he thought, perhaps this was a way to get back into Margaret's good graces.

"Well, I have a client who is in a lot of trouble right now. I'll give you some details since he gave me permission to speak to you. He is being charged with a felony, selling drugs. He's hit hard times recently. He lost his job and has six children to care for. He couldn't find gainful employment so he resorted to this. I know he is a good person and I don't want him to slip through the cracks of the system, plus his children need him. There's no other relative to look after them and right now, it looks as if they'll all be put in separate foster homes. It's late and I know that we both have to be at work in the morning. I would like to give you more details of the case but not over the phone. Could we meet sometime?"

"Would you like to meet tomorrow?"

"My schedule is pretty tight tomorrow. I don't know if Edith told you, but my parents are having their annual summer soiree tomorrow."

"Yes, she did tell me. I'll actually be there. Perhaps we could discuss the case then?"

Margaret hesitated. She had not expected that Harry would attend. She also worried that John might get the wrong idea about her relationship with Harry. However, she reassured herself that if she explained the situation to John, he would be more than understanding.

"I suppose that would be fine." She paused again, wondering if she should tell Harry that she would be there with John. Why should I tell him? He knows that there's nothing between us. "I'll see you tomorrow?" she continued.

"Yes. I'll see you then" said Harry with a smile. He was happy that Margaret was speaking to him again, even if about something so impersonal. He was confident that, with time, she would come to see how perfect they were for each other.

When Margaret finally arrived at work on Friday, her thoughts were already consumed with the Boucher family. She was scheduled to meet with Bessy and Nick to discuss how to proceed with their situation. She went through their file once more before the meeting. While looking through the dossier, she discovered that she had overlooked at item in John Boucher's employment history. He had worked for Etna for seven years before being laid off; his position at the company was his employment before DHS had begun to investigate the family. What if she could persuade John to find employment for Mr. Boucher in a different capacity? She was not sure how to bring this up with John or if she should even bring it up at all. She had to maintain her client's confidentiality, and Margaret was not sure how she could do this if she were to plead with John to find another job for Boucher. As she mulled the situation over, Margaret wondered again if she were becoming too personally involved in this case. While she gave her all to every case that came across her desk, she was not usually as emotionally invested in them as she was with this particular case.

At 11:00 a.m., Margaret went to Bessy's office for the meeting. She updated her supervisors on what had happened the evening before and they, in turn, informed Margaret of the children's current situation. The meeting lasted for an hour and when the hour was up, Margaret was relieved. Although she had wanted to cry at various points during the meeting, she was able to keep her composure. Bessy, however, suspected that her friend was deeply troubled and suggested that they go out for a long lunch. When Margaret protested that she had work to complete, her friend insisted otherwise. "Margaret, if you don't go to lunch, then I'll force you to take the rest of the day off. I'm dead serious."

Realizing that her supervisor was indeed serious, Margaret decided that any more resistance would be futile.

During their meal, Bessy did her best to cheer up her companion and to help Margaret focus on what she perceived to be the bigger picture. "I admire your dedication to the Boucher case, but I'm beginning to worry that you're becoming too involved," Bessy said with a worried look on her face.

"Bessy, I'm not too involved…"

Bessy cut her off, "You've just started dating someone, right? When I first started out in the field, I was very absorbed in my cases, like you. It got to a point where it affected my relationships, including my relationship with the man who was my fiancé. He couldn't handle the hours I was putting in, the emotional involvement I had with my clients, or the fact that the line between work and home was becoming blurred. I had clients calling my cell phones during late hours just like Boucher called you early this morning. It's not healthy. It's also technically against the rules."

"Okay, so maybe Boucher shouldn't have my number. But his case is so different from the others, and it really isn't affecting my relationship with John. We've only just begun dating. It's not even that serious yet." As Margaret said this, she knew she wasn't telling the whole truth. Her feelings for John were growing very strong and yet she didn't want to admit it to the world yet. It was something she wanted to protect and keep tucked away in her heart for now.

"There will be more cases like Boucher's. If you keep responding to them in the same way, you'll not have a relationship with John or anyone."

"Don't you think that's harsh?" Margaret pleaded.

"I don't mean to be, but I think you need to take a step back. I know we want to save the world but sometimes we can't save everyone in it. Don't neglect your own happiness and well being."

"I won't. Thank you for being such a friend, Bessy." As she said this, Margaret reached across the table and gave her hug. As they pulled away from each other, Margaret noticed a ring on her friend's left hand. "Bessy, that ring…is that what I think it is?"

Blushing, Bessy replied that she was indeed wearing an engagement ring and that her fiancé, George Watson, had proposed to her the night before.

"I'm so happy for you!" said an excited Margaret.

"Thanks! I meant to tell you this morning, but with everything that happened last night I figured it was better to wait."

"You have to give me all the details!"

"I will, but we better get going first. We've been here for over an hour!"

The pair paid for their meals and left the restaurant to head back to work. As they walked down Locust Street, they passed Upstares, an upscale Italian restaurant. While glancing through a window, Margaret noticed a gentleman who looked very similar to John sitting at a table near the window with a pretty blonde. The blonde, she was certain, was Channel 6 anchorwoman Anne Latimer. She thought her mind was playing tricks on her until she stopped to get a better view and realized that it was John.

Just as she stopped, John's companion embraced his hand. Margaret could not believe what she was seeing. Only a couple of nights before, he had made her feel like the most special woman in the world. Now, he was apparently doing the same with this woman. She could not believe it! He didn't seem to be a womanizer yet her eyes told her that her impression of him was wrong.

As Margaret processed the scene before her, Bessy realized she was no longer walking beside her. Walking back to see what had happened to Margaret, she quickly recognized the source of her friend's diversion.

"So much for it not being serious" said Bessy as her eyebrow rose. "Oh Margaret, I know what you're thinking" she continued sympathetically.

"Do you know what I'm thinking right now? Do you really know!" she replied angrily as she marched away. Hot tears streamed down her face, blurring her vision.

"Margaret! Margaret, stop!" Bessy clutched her arm, attempting to get her to stop. "I know it appears like something sinister, but perhaps it is innocuous."

"She was holding his hand!"

"That doesn't mean they're dating. She could just be a friend."

"How many men would consider Anne Latimer just a friend? How on earth can I ever compete with her? He dated her, for heaven's sake!" This thought made her cry even more.

"I really think you should talk to John before jumping to conclusions. You're already stressed out over work, and I think it's clouding your judgment of what you've just seen. When you get back to work, I want you to take the rest of the day off. I really don't think you should be working like this."

"I can't take the day off. I have too much work to do."

"I wasn't really asking," Bessy replied firmly.

The two walked back to the office in silence.

Anne arrived at Upstares a few minutes late. As she arrived, she heard a few murmurs as some of the patrons recognized her. Anne secretly delighted in her local celebrity, but maintained a cool demeanor. She didn't acknowledge any of the stares and simply acted as if she was any other customer in the restaurant that afternoon. She walked straight over to John, who appeared to be irritated. Oh, what could be annoying him now?

Anne tried to give him a hug and a peck on his cheek but John pulled away. "You're late" said John in a low, aggravated growl. Although he was admonishing her, Anne couldn't help but to feel attracted to him. His baritone mixed with his British accent was enough to make any woman swoon. She wondered what had made her break up with him on that summer evening a couple of months earlier. How stupid of her! Why couldn't she have been happy with the relationship she had? She had given this gorgeous man up, and his cold demeanor indicated that she was going to have to work hard to win him back.

"I'm sorry. I tried to get here as fast as I could, but I had to finish up a story that will be broadcast at eleven tonight before I could leave."

"It's alright. Sit please," he said shortly.

Their server arrived and their order was quickly filled. John decided to be as polite as he could be and make small talk until their meal arrived. He knew that Anne wanted to reconcile and that she would be disappointed when this did not occur. Although Anne had hurt him, he did not have any malicious intentions. He simply wanted her to see once and for all that their relationship was over.

"John, I'm so glad that you're speaking to me again and that you decided to see me. I know that I shouldn't have ended our relationship in the manner that I did. I've been doing a lot of thinking since we parted and I realize now how foolish I was to…"

Sighing, John recognized that this was going to be harder than he thought it would be. Although he no longer held any feelings for her, he did pity her. He had been able to move on and yet, surprisingly, she had not. He reminded himself that she was the one who broke up with him and had brought this situation upon herself. This made it easier for him to say what needed to be said.

"Anne, don't continue."

"Excuse me." She gazed at him with surprise.

"Anne, I don't have any feelings for you anymore. I'm sorry."

"What? Why did bring me here then?" she responded petulantly.

As she said this, any sympathy John had for her evaporated. She still held the same entitled attitude she always had. He began to wonder what could have ever clouded his judgment enough to make him date her.

"I brought you here to tell you that I have moved on and you need to do the same. I'm not some toy that you throw away and then pick up whenever you feel like. Not responding to calls for a month would usually give most people a hint that their contact was not welcome."

"I don't see how you could move on so quickly and easily when we were together for two years! It's barely been two months since we broke up."

"Oh Anne, spare me! If you remember, you were the one who broke up with me! If you didn't want me to move on, then why did you end the relationship?"

"Because part of me thought you would come to your senses, realize how much you needed me, and propose to me!"

By this time, their voices had risen and they were gaining the attention of both the staff and other customers.

"You know, you really are the most foolish and selfish woman I've ever met!" John hissed. "Instead of telling me your concerns, you try this underhanded scheme. When it blows up in your face, you can't deal with the consequences! Well, now you'll have to deal with them." John finally realized how angry he had become and began to calm himself down before he spoke again. "Server, check please!"

Turning to look back at Anne, he continued, "You really hurt me when you broke up with me. It wasn't just that you ended things; it was the way you did it. Telling me that you were interested in me because my status—that really stung."

"John, I—" she responded while trying to clasp his hand.

He impatiently removed his hand from hers. "Let me finish. I've met someone else and she is truly special. She is genuine and honest. Most importantly, she is attracted to me because of who I am, not what I have to offer. I don't need someone in my life who wants to play games and can't be honest with me." He reached into his pocket for his wallet, and threw several bills on the table. "Here's the money for the bill. I have to go back to work. Take care, Anne."

Although he was not pleased to have had another altercation with his ex-girlfriend, he was happy that she finally knew the extent of his feelings about their relationship and, more importantly, that he was happy with Margaret. Ah, Margaret! The thought of her made him sigh contentedly. He wondered what she was doing at this moment. Was she thinking of him? Was she as eager to see him tonight as he was her? The thought of seeing her again was enough to make John forget what had happened a few minutes earlier. He had finally broken free with the past and was ready to meet his present.

Margaret and John had decided that it was best if she picked him up from his home and took him to the gathering. Since she had driven to work that day, she already had her car with her. Additionally, it was more convenient since she knew how to get to her parents' home.

Ever since she had inadvertently seen John with Anne that afternoon, Margaret tried hard to explain away what she had witnessed. He had seemed happy when he had called her to confirm their plans and had sounded almost relieved to hear her voice. If he was interested in another woman, why would he call her and why would he be so happy to hear her voice?

Perhaps Bessy was right. It was a misunderstanding on her end. Margaret hoped this was the case. What if her initial conclusion was correct? How would she deal with the revelation? The thought made her stomach churn. Every time she felt herself becoming anxious, she reminded herself that it was useless running hypothetical situations through her mind. She planned on asking John about what she had seen at the restaurant this evening. These thoughts were an unwelcome distraction from work.

With Margaret so distracted, the afternoon passed quickly and she soon found herself in front of John's home. Knocking on the door, she was greeted by a small but stout woman named Rosa. "You must be Margaret. Mr. Thornton said that he was expecting you this evening. He asked me to tell you that he came home late from work but he should be ready soon. Please come in."

Margaret smiled at the warmth and friendliness of the woman. She reminded her of Mrs. Dixon, the maid at her grandparent's home. As she stepped inside, she took in the space around her. The Thornton residence was a formal home that once more reminded her of her grandparents' estate on the mainline. There were two large portraits of middle-aged men. Margaret wondered if one of the men was John's father. She knew that his father was deceased, but beyond that she knew very little of him. As she studied the portraits, her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a firm British voice behind her. "I see you are interested in the portraits. Would you like me to tell you who the men are?"

Turning around, Margaret was greeted by the sight of a stern woman dressed in an impeccably neat manner. She wore a straight gray skirt that came to her knees, a tailored black shirt and plain black pumps. A pearl necklace and matching pearl earrings gave the only hint of brightness in the otherwise somber ensemble. Margaret suddenly knew where John got his serious demeanor. Collecting herself, she replied. "Yes. I'm Margaret by the way." She nervously extended her hand which Hannah coldly shook.

Hannah looked the young woman up and down in a disapproving manner. "Yes, John has spoken a great deal about you. I assume you have already figured out that I'm John's mother. As for the portraits, the man on the left is John's grandfather, Edward Thornton, and the man on the right is John's father, George Thornton."

"I thought one of these men must be John's father! He hasn't talked much about him."

"Well, why should he? He's no longer alive and John must focus on the present, right?"

"Right, I guess. I just wondered what his father—what your husband was like. I'm sure in the future John will tell me more about him."

"Maybe."

Margaret wondered what the woman meant by her last comment. She couldn't understand the woman's coldness and asked, "What do you mean by 'maybe'?"

"Wow! Will you look at the time!" said John as he walked in. He had heard enough to know that the conversation was already becoming tense. He knew that his mother still did not like the idea of him dating Margaret and that this impromptu meeting had not helped matters. This was the wrong evening for John to be late from work. "We should really get going, Margaret." He went to grab her hand but she gently pulled away. He looked to see what was wrong but she did not make eye contact with him. Instead, she continued to look at Mrs. Thornton.

"Um, yes, I guess we should. It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Thornton."

"Likewise. I'm sorry our meeting was cut so short. Perhaps next time—if there is a next time—we can discuss how you plan to fit into John's life. You're so different from all the other women he has known. You're very bohemian, but I'm sure that won't matter with time." Hannah said this in a blunt manner while looking straight at her target. When she saw that she had the desired effect on Margaret, a small smirk came across her face.

Margaret worked hard to suppress her rising indignation. She couldn't imagine what she had done to cause such a supercilious reception from this woman. Regaining her composure, she replied, "I'd like to think any man I'm with would accept me for who I am. John has certainly done that thus far," she added while looking at him.

John began to blush in a way that his mother had never seen. She couldn't believe that this woman, of all women, was having this effect on her son! It was now Hannah's turn to suppress her indignation.

"Well, I guess you two should probably head off ," said Hannah aloofly.

"Yes, we should," replied her son sheepishly. He felt awkward in such a tense situation.

"John, are you ready to leave?" said Margaret in irritable manner, bringing him out of his reverie. John noticed this and became angry at his mother, who he thought was the source of Margaret's irritation.

"Oh, yes, I am. Margaret, I'll come to the car in a second. Why don't you go start it up?"

As she left, John took the opportunity to speak to his mother.

"Mum, what was that?"

"John, I cannot believe that you want to be with her! She is clearly not of the same caliber of women that you have been with in the past. She's not like Anne."

"She certainly isn't. She's better!"

"John, I can already see she's some flighty, bleeding heart, bohemian liberal who will never accept you as the man you are."

"How did you get that impression from a five minute introduction?"

"Just look at how she's dressed. She doesn't look all that different from the way Fran dresses."

"You're exaggerating! Her dress was fine!"

"She looks like she should be hanging out with the artsy types on South Street. What a weird vintage dress she had on! Does she march on street corners with picket signs protesting whatever cause of the moment is in vogue?"

"Let me get this straight—because she doesn't shop at Brooks Brothers or Bloomingdales, she's automatically an 'artsy, flighty, bleeding heart liberal'? I thought you were a much better judge of character than that."

"John, I just don't think she will make you happy. You just don't come from the same world as she does. She will sooner or later resent you for what you are now. You worked your way up from poverty to become what you are today. She won't appreciate that. She'll want you to become more like her, out saving the world or whatever it is that she does. I think she's already shown that she doesn't have a real interest in you."

"What? How did you come to that conclusion?"

"Just look at how distant and uninterested she appeared. You think I didn't notice how she pulled away when you tried to grab her hand? She barely looked at you the entire time she was here. Does that indicate someone who is interested in you? At least Anne appeared to care."

"Oh mum, I really wish you would forget about Anne. I've told her in no uncertain terms that we're through. As for Margaret, perhaps she is having a bad day. Your rudeness certainly didn't help. I wish you would give her a chance before judging her!"

"Well, I think you should keep your options open. Your cousin Elizabeth is coming here in a couple of weeks and she's bringing her friend Genevieve. You two got along so well when we lived in Britain. She's just finished medical school and is still unmarried. She even asked Elizabeth about you."

John worked hard to mask his frustration at his mother's attempts to interfere in his love life. She was only looking out for his best interests, even if he thought she was misguided. "I don't have time to discuss this now. I hope you'll give Margaret a chance before you unfairly judge her. I'll see you later this evening." He kissed his mother on the cheek and left to go to the car.

Hannah watched her son as he walked away, hoping he wouldn't get hurt by this woman that she considered to be a floozy. Although she told herself that her concern was purely for her son's heart, she was also concerned that Margaret would be the woman who would steal her son's heart permanently. It didn't seem right. This woman was unworthy of her son! She would have to work hard to prove to John that there were other women worthy of him. She began to count down the days until John's cousin would arrive.