Erica had been busy at home looking through some of the proposals for the spring prelaunch of Origana, even though the winter line was still yet to hit the shops. That marketing was set to launch after Halloween, in a hope to steal a little of the publicity from Erica 2: The Agony and Ecstasy. The film was now an event she was dreading. Erica had distanced herself from it as much as she could, but wasn't opposed to use the publicity it would generate. Bianca was probably planning the same for the Miranda Centre.

Not that her daughter would tell her these days…

…

When Bianca arrived at the apartment unannounced, Erica was delighted but not wholly surprised to see her. Deep down in her heart she always knew that Bianca would see sense eventually.

"Sweetheart!" Erica exclaimed opening her arms to embrace her daughter. Bianca stepped back out of her reach.

"I came to talk." said Bianca, her voice quite flat. "Can I sit?"

"Of course," said Erica gesturing to the sofa. "You don't have to ask."

Bianca took a seat on the cream couch and propped her crutches beside her. Erica took the seat next to her, still smiling at her daughter.

"What did you want to talk about?"

"I want to talk about Marissa…" said Bianca with a sigh.

"You found out about her affair?" concluded Erica.

Bianca looked at her mother in dismay.

"She's not having an affair!" Bianca retorted angrily. "I came here to talk to you about all this nonsense you've been sprouting. I thought you would have seen sense by now, but no… you're as delusional as ever!"

Bianca moved to grab her crutches, clearly planning to get up and leave already. Erica however was quicker and snatched them away from her.

"Mother I need those!" said Bianca hotly.

"I'm sorry sweetheart but I need you to listen to me!" Erica said firmly, putting the crutches far out of Bianca's reach.

Erica took a deep sigh, preparing herself for being the bearer of bad news.

"I know you always want to see the best in people…" she began.

"…Just like you always want to see the worst…" muttered Bianca, mad that she was now a prisoner on the couch thanks to her mother.

"…I know you want to believe that what you have with Marissa is a good thing." said Erica ignoring her daughter's grumblings. "And it was a good thing I'm sure. But things change. Marissa has changed only you won't see it."

"How can you tell, you barely know her?"

"I know enough."

Erica sat down beside her daughter again and reached out to touch the back of Bianca's hand; but once more Bianca pulled away.

"I'm sorry I have to be the one to tell you this." said Erica gravely, "But Marissa is having an affair with Scott. I now have proof."

Bianca gave a disbelieving laugh.

"And where have you magic-ed that up from?" she asked disdainfully.

"I'm serious." said Erica. "I overheard her arranging a date with Scott over the phone. She was clearly flirting although she was trying to hide it from me. When I followed her to the restaurant I found them together."

Bianca shook her head in incredulity.

"You've been following her?" she asked, appalled.

"Sweetheart, I was looking out for you!"

"How… what… when?" muttered Bianca, more astounded at her mother's behaviour than her apparent revelation.

Erica was hoping for more from her daughter… or at least signs of acceptance. She was just staring at her in disbelief.

"She was in my office when the call came; I couldn't help overhear it…" Erica began to explain.

"Wednesday." said Bianca, as realisation struck. "It was Wednesday wasn't it? When she came to talk to you about your friend Auben… And when you saw her with Scott were they at Krystal's?"

"Yes." said Erica slowly.

Bianca actually burst out laughing.

"Do you know how ridiculous you are?" Bianca asked. "The person flirting disgracefully with Marissa on the phone and arranging a date was me. Only I had to bail at the last minute because that Duchess arrived unexpectedly to tour the Miranda centre. I felt bad for abandoning the date, but I left her in Scott's capable hands. And he had come looking for Madison! They are friends, mother… best friends. It is perfectly possible in this day and age for a woman to be friends with a man."

Erica tried to process what Bianca was telling her, but she just couldn't accept she was wrong.

"You say I was mistaken, but she and Scott…"

"That is never going to happen." barked Bianca. "Marissa loves me. I don't doubt it. She shows me everyday… with every look and smile and kiss. Why are you so sure that you are right and I am so wrong! You know her barely at all and yet you sit in judgement over her for something she would never do."

"It's not like that." retorted Erica.

"It's exactly like that…" snapped Bianca. "No one is good enough for me. If you had your way I'd be living like a nun rather than be happy and in love!"

"That's not fair. You just keep getting your heart broken and I hate to see you in pain." exclaimed Erica desperately. "You happiness is everything to me! You are my baby. I've almost lost you too many times not to want you all the love and happiness in the world."

"Well I have it. I have someone who heals my heart and you aren't prepared to accept it. I have all the love and happiness in the world with Marissa."

Erica still couldn't stop the flinch on her face at the mention of Marissa's name.

"I want to believe that." said Erica slowly.

"Only you don't…" said Bianca bitterly. "It's not her fault you can't stand her mother or trust her father. She didn't meet her biological parents until she was in twenties. She is simply who she is, a beautiful, charming, funny, adorable woman who has my heart, and who I know will always keep it safe. The amnesia didn't change what we mean to each other; my disability didn't change it; all the pain and anguish of these last few months… and your lies won't change it either."

Erica nodded her head slowly.

"I just want…"

"No, you always get what you want, mother. What I want is for you to give Marissa a chance. Everything you did for us with the newspapers; you worked with Krystal to track down that Inquirer editor; you faced the airport riot. It's almost like you've regressed. You want to pretend that it didn't happen and that you didn't do all that for her and for AJ. It makes absolutely no sense. Why now all of a sudden?"

"Because I'm right!" snapped Erica.

"You're wrong!" Bianca replied just as sharply. "And I want you to see just how wrong you are and I want to hear you say sorry."

Erica opened and closed her mouth, not sure how to respond. She wasn't used to Bianca being so fierce.

"We can start tonight." said Bianca. "You can come to dinner. You can come and see the family life you are trying to sabotage."

"I can't tonight." said Erica. "Opal and I are going to the Charity Gala at the Yacht Club."

Bianca just gave her mother a hard stare; that clearly wasn't good enough.

"It's true I swear." said Erica. She couldn't stand the fact that Bianca was doubting her so much.

"I can't believe how blind you are being!" she cried, trying one last time to get Bianca to see her side. "What will happen to your family when Marissa leaves you like all the rest?"

"I'm being blind! " exclaimed Bianca, she shuffled forward in her seat, clearly having had enough, "…Right, I'm leaving! Can you give me my crutches, please?"

"Not until you listen to me!" pleaded Erica. "Not until you've heard my side!"

"You don't have a side, mother, and what is worse you can't even see how wrong you are!" said Bianca, struggling up from the couch one-footed. "I am not going to stay and listen do your delusions. I gave you a chance to make amends but you won't take it! Now I want my crutches back!"

She held her hands out pointedly to her mother. Erica reluctantly returned then to her.

Just before she left the apartment, Bianca stopped and turned to Erica.

"Mom, I think you need to work out why you are trying to come between me and Marissa. She has done nothing wrong. This is all coming from you! You need to figure out why …before it's too late!"

…