As usual, Sister Julienne arrived at Turner's residence on the dot for the appointment and she rang the doorbell, a smile already brightening her face.

Unlike usual, she didn't hear the cheering voices of the children competing to open the door for granny.

While she patiently waited, she reminisced. A few days before, Timothy had visited Nonnatus. The young man showed up and proudly introduced his fiancée. She was delighted to hug him again and to finally meet Carol!

She immediately invited them to the parlor and made some tea. Naturally she already had all the facts: being a nun didn't make her different from any other grandmas! Every Turner kid was a regular talking point in her conversations with Shelagh, but now she really cared about having first-hand knowledge of all the details!

Tim and Carol were glad to share all the particulars, then Tim asked if she would be willing to team up with his mum to organize their reception. She was absolutely enthusiastic to help them, no need to say it.

Oh, little Timothy! If she closed her eyes, she could still see him in his cub uniform. She couldn't believe that the nice and witty kid was now a man who was about to start a new family.

That long wait was something weird though. She pushed on the doorbell again, peering through the windows to catch sight of someone.

At last, Shelagh appeared and let her in.

"Oh Sister Julienne, sorry…I was upstairs. I had a shower and I was finishing getting dressed. Please come in!"

"Are you on your own? Where is everybody?"

"Angela, May and Teddy went to to buy Colette's birthday present. Patrick is visiting the Mullucks and Julie went with him," he reported as they made their way to sit outside on the patio.

"Oh, what a sweetheart! She and little Patrick are truly inseparable," commented Sister Julienne referring to the Mullocks' younger child.

"I'm telling you! Every morning she asks me when she will go back to preschool because she misses playing with him. And Teddy huffs because he doesn't want to hear about school."

The two women laughed.

"And where are our future newlyweds?"

"En route to Edinburgh, they left early this morning. They need to vacate Tim's apartment and collect their things. Carol asked us for permission to stay until the wedding. We couldn't say no," she confessed.

"Oh…I thought they were only staying for just a few days," Sister Julienne said with surprise.

Shelagh opened up about what was going on with Carol's parents, confiding her concerns.

"Oh Sister Julienne… Patrick and I are very fond of that girl and we thought it was the least we could do to give her some peace of mind!"

"Of course, you did the right thing. Carol and Tim are experiencing an important moment in their lives and need tranquility and a quiet surrounding. Hopefully things will get better with time," Sister Julienne reassured her, gently touching Shelagh's hand to encourage her.

On their way to Scotland, Carol had two thoughts sticking in her mind. Besides finding the right words to confront her parents, there was also another thing that hung over her head. For the moment it was just a worry, an eventuality... but making the most of 's advice, she decided to share the issue with Tim.

"Oh honey, I haven't told you about the meeting with Matthew Aylward yet! With everything going on, it just slipped my mind," Tim beat her to the punch.

"Right! What was it about?" she quizzed him.

"He was wondering if we were available for replacements. Between conferences and refresher courses the clinic is a little understaffed at the moment. The assignments would be until the end of August. He didn't want to bother dad and when he knew we were in Poplar and temporarily unoccupied, he thought we were the right people for the right jobs," he outlined, his left hand leaving the wheel to seek hers.

"Mh…and what did you say?" she asked, shifting her position on her side to have a better look on him.

"Well, I asked him for a few days so we can think about it. I wanted to talk to you first and know your opinion. What do you say?" he asked, peeping the look on her face.

"I say that if we can be helpful for the community, we should accept. That's what we doctors do. Nontheless, we could use some extra money," she added, reaching out her hand to rub Tim's neck and relieve the tension on his shoulder.

"That's what I thought too. I'll call Matthew tonight to let him know we're taking the job."

"Great!"

The journey proceeded quietly and they had just passed the exit ramp for Cambridge.

Tim had another issue he wanted to talk about, but it was more sensitive and he was uncertain about whether or not to discuss it in a car. He was torn because he considered it extremely important and urgent. That wasn't the ideal place for sure, but when would they have so much time and privacy to deal with it without interruption?

He was about to begin his speech when Carol cut him off.

"Do you know what?" she suggested excitedly.

"What?"

"On our way back, we could stop over in Cambridge and leave our stuff in the new flat. It wouldn't make sense to bring the boxes to your parents' home..." she noted.

"I don't know…maybe it would take too long! We won't make it back home in time for Sunday night," he pointed out.

"So what? We could sleep there and leave for London on Monday. In fact, we could also make the most of it and sort out our wardrobe, our books and all the odds and sods we're gonna bring with us!" she advanced.

"Yes, that makes sense…I'm in!" Tim agreed.

"By the way…you're not setting your freaking skeleton in our home, are you?" she asked.

"Why not? It was my dad's…we'll save it for a third-generation Dr. Turner!"

"Tim, I don't know if you realize there's barely room for us... Let's get it back to your father, maybe it'll serve another second-generation first…" she chuckled.

"No way! It can stay near the bookshelf, at the entrance…"

"Tim!"

There was still a long way to go and as the miles kept going, they continued bickering over the arrangement of that eccentric item.

Having lent his car to Tim, Patrick and Julie had no other choice but to walk to the Mullucks' house.

Patrick enjoyed the stroll holding his daughter's little hand. He engaged her playing I Spy with my Little Eye, a little trick he always used with his children as a distraction during long walks. He was very confident because it always worked in his 25 years of expertise as a father.

At least, until today. Until that child.

At the halfway point, Julie began to complain that she was exhausted and didn't want to walk anymore. She threw a tantrum begging her father to carry her.

He took a deep breath, lowered at her eye level and with a loving but firm tone of voice advised her: "Sweetheart, of course I can carry you! But in this case I'm gonna have to go back and bring you home. If you want to go and play with your little friend, you have to keep walking and behave like the good girl you are."

The toddler chose to keep on walking, while not giving up protesting.

Patrick listened in silence, sniggering as his chatty little munchkin recited all the reasons why she considered it absolutely not fair: it was a long distance - true fact, her legs were shorter than his - undeniable, she was just a 3 years old girl - I know, I was there!, it was hot - overstatement, her feet hurt - such a drama queen, she was just a little girl - very keen to sustain that argument huh? -, she had the sun in her eyes and that was bothering her - mini Shelagh at her best -, and so on until they finally got to the Mullucks' front door - thank God.

Getting there was a feat, but still…he did it!

Rhoda welcomed them and let them in.

" ! Please come in! Hello Julie, how good to see you!"

After hearing his mother calling her name, Patrick Mullucks rushed at the door wrapping his bestie in a bear hug. He was a little over a year older than Julie. A beautiful and sweet child with blonde hair and incredible light blue eyes.

"Good thing you brought her along, Doctor! Since it came out that you were coming for a visit, he has done nothing but ask us if you would bring Julie with you!" Bernie told him.

They took a moment to glance at their children happily playing on the carpet.

"Oh, please …have a seat! I'll make some tea and then I'll join you," said Rhoda.

Bernie and Patrick went sitting at the dining table.

Rhoda and Bernie were enormously grateful to him because he was soldiering at their side in the legal battle against the Distillers company. Also, and his wife were working on setting up a trust for Thalidomide children. Not to mention all they had done for them and for their daughter since she was born.

That morning, they reported that Susie was doing very well in the new special school and that a few days earlier they had received the appointment for the new prosthetics, more suitable for her adolescent body.

"I'm glad to hear she's doing so well!" Patrick sincerely said with a grin on his face.

"Shelagh told me that Timothy is getting married!" cheered Rhoda, "I'm very happy for him, he's a truly extraordinary young man!"

"Thank you. Indeed… Shelagh and I are so thrilled for him and his fiancée."

"She's a doctor too, right?"

"Yes, they will both start their specialization in October. Timothy as researcher, while Carol as pediatrician."

"Will they stay in London?"

"Until the wedding. Then they will move to Cambridge," he reported.

"Oh good! I would really like to see him... it's been so long since the last time I met him!" Rhoda said with a smile.

"I'm sure there will definitely be a chance! He'll be around for the next two months... By the way…now we have to go, right, darling?" he said, addressing his little girl.

"I want to stay here and play with Patrick, daddy." the little girl replied. Hearing her pronouncing his own name, he couldn't help but smile. She sounded exactly like Shelagh.

"We'll come back another time, mum is waiting for us at home now." he tried to convince her.

"Please…Can Juju stay and play with me?" little Patrick begged him, hand in hand with Julie, both looking at him with their best puppy eyes.

"Dr. Turner, if it's not a problem for you, you can leave her…they're playing so well together! We can drive her home later in the afternoon." Bernie offered.

"Please daddy, please!…I want to stay here with Patrick!" Julie implored him.

"Are you sure?"

Julie nodded and he gave in to her demands.

He squatted down looking little Patrick right in his eyes "Will you take good care of her?"

"Yes, I always do that," the boy answered intently.

He smiled at him and ruffled his hair.

He left Mullocks' house and walked toward his house. His heart was a little broken though…for the first time, his daughter deliberately chose to be with someone else outside the family and not with him.

Timothy and Carol arrived in Edinburgh late in the afternoon.

Her parents had arranged to meet them the following day at 4.30pm. They had already anticipated they wouldn't be able to stay for long since they were attending an important dinner.

Carol didn't feel like going home to sleep, so she stayed at Tim's for those two nights.

Despite the tiredness of the journey, they were both sleepless. The inconvenience of sharing a single bed and their minds focusing on what would've happened the next day weren't helping at all. And there was an overdue question…

It was past midnight when Carol asked him, "What did you want to tell me in the car this morning?" her head was resting on his chest.

"If I remember correctly, you were the one about to tell me something…" replied Tim. lazily brushing her back.

"Is that a good or a bad thing?" she queried.

"Well…Under normal circumstances that wouldn't be a problem, but in this case…I'm afraid it might be so," he admitted.

"Uhm…so it's mine, that's why I hesitated to talk about it," she suspired.

They looked into each other's eyes, clasped their hands to find the courage to say it.

Carol spoke first.

"Remember the night we did it on the couch at your parents' house?"

Tim looked at her, let out a sigh and finished the sentence for her: "I know, in the heat of the moment I didn't use any protection. That's what I wanted to tell you." He placed his hands on his face and stared at the ceiling.

"At least it was the very same thing. No other not-so-good news coming up," she commented, feeling almost relieved.

"Oh God Carol…I'm so sorry. If it were to happen I would never forgive myself!" he declared miserable, blaming himself for that negligence.

"Darling, listen…let's not jump to conclusions, ok? We'll wait and see. Maybe we've been lucky this time. Honestly, I think we shouldn't be at risk 'cause I wasn't in my fertile days. The reason I wanted to share it with you is just because whatever happens, I want you to know that I won't have any regrets. And you don't have to either. Promise me…"

"I promise. And I promise I'll be more responsible."

"We'll be more responsible…you weren't alone, darling. We're on this together and always will be."

They brushed their lips.

"Let's get some sleep now...a very long day awaits us tomorrow," Tim said.

"Tim…"

"Tell me, honey."

"Can you hold me tight?"

"…you don't even have to ask."

When at last they finally managed to get some sleep, the alarm rang.

After having breakfast, they began to pack Tim's stuff. In a few hours, books, clothes and an unidentified quantity of bits and pieces were sealed in a dozen boxes.

At noon, Carol went out to get lunch.

With a satisfied look, Tim examined the now empty flat where he had lived for the last six years. A new chapter was ahead waiting for him, for the two of them and he couldn't wait to start his life with Carol.

After a quick lunch, they drove to Campbell's residence.

When they arrived at 1.30pm, the house was empty.

They brought the boxes in and started gathering and packing Carol's stuff.

Tim, examining all the objects on the shelves, asked her why she didn't want to take them away.

"I don't want to carry around meaningless things. Besides, you're the hoarder…" she replied.

"I'm not a hoarder! I enjoy collecting things that remind me of beautiful moments, that's it!" he retorted.

"Tim…are you kidding me? We have twelve boxes of your stuff and barely eight of mine. You're a squirrel, darling!" she mocked him.

"Am I what?" he asked, looking at her with a challenging look that couldn't hide his grin.

"A squirrel!" she teased, smirking at him.

He pulled her towards him and pushed her down on the bed, trapping her with his body.

"Say it again. What am I?" He provoked her with a husky voice.

"A squirrel. But a very nice one!" she giggled, closing the gap between their lips.

Their sloppy kiss became a deeper one. They were sliding their tongues in each other's mouths, savoring their taste.

Carol entwined her arms around his neck, to hold him close and dag her fingers in his hair.

Tim was brushing his lips on her silky neck, pecking the soft spot behind her ear, tracing a damp trail down the path leading to her collarbone, sending shivers to her spine.

She was breathing hard as his hands glided down to her sides and slipped under her shirt. Then he swiped up again reaching her plump mounds, while he slowly rocked his hips on her leg, hardening in no-time.

"A very hot squirrel…" she exhaled in his ear.

She was aroused as well, already feeling the heat of moisture flooding between her thighs. She kept sucking and pinching his neck and acromion with her lips while brushing her nails up and down his bare back.

They were both moaning as that seducing torture inflamed their bodies.

Even if interrupting that blissful moment was the last thing he would like to do, he made a promise and they had already risked enough. He gathered all his willpower to halt it, taking mentally note to start keeping a condom in his wallet.

"Carol, stop!…we have to stop, darling." he panted regretfully "I have no cond-" but she already slithered her hand in his trousers.

"Why should we stop?…There's still a lot we can do…" she whispered in his ear.

"…Oh God, darling…you're so shattering!" he purred on her lips, eye rolling for the blasting massage she was working on his bulge.

He tried to focus on her, on how to intensify her sensations even if regaining control of his actions was really hard. Everything was too hard.

He slipped his fingers in her panties brushing her folds.

"Ah…yes…Tim! Please, you're so damn good…" she wailed.

"And you're so wet…" he murmured. He was struggling to resist her, she was so mind blowing he would have plunged his mouth in her to explore and sink in her essence. They had never gone so far, though.

"…Do you still want me to stop?" she teased him as she set free his erection, taking him in her hand.

He desperately crushed his lips on hers, again. He dipped a finger, then another, inside her entrance sliding in and out, while gently circling her nub with his thumb.

He couldn't last long. Neither could she.

Carol cried out his name, then she started to stroke his slippery shaft, slowly then faster causing him to stifle and bulge even more. They were groaning louder in a crescendo with their tempo and it didn't take much until they both came undone, suffocating their scream in each other's mouth.

They stayed still, panting and sharing small pecks. Carol opened the drawer of the bedside table and took a few tissues to clean up their mess.

"C'mon, darling. Breaktime is over!" she ordered.

He protested, but did as requested.

Once the last box was closed, Tim deposited it at the entry with all the other packages and joined Carol in the living room.

She had made some tea and they sat down waiting for her parents to come home.

She was a little nervous, but she was not fretting as before. Maybe that moment of release had a good effect on her. Or perhaps it was due to 's advice. More likely she was feeling self-confident because of Tim. She was starting to see herself no more just as a daughter, but mostly as a woman ready to start living her own life.

It was around 4.15 when they heard the door open and then close again.

The clinging sound of keys dropped on the entrance table was followed by Doug's hello.

"Hello dad, we're in the living room," she announced to him.

Moments later, Doug Campbell appeared on the threshold.

"I saw all the boxes ready at the entrance. So are you leaving already?" her father commented in what looked like a wistful tone, taking place on the sofa in front of them.

"Yes, dad. We already emptied Tim's flat. There are just a few things still missing and we're leaving tomorrow morning at dawn. We'll stop in Cambridge to drop off things at the new apartment and if it's not too late, we'll try to get back home before dinner. Or we'll stay there for the night and leave for London the day after…we'll see." she reported.

"I understand. So, have you found a place to stay in Cambridge?" he quizzed, addressing his gaze to Tim.

"Yes, it's a small apartment near the hospital. It is a convenient solution and will allow us to put aside savings for the future." he replied.

"Very good. Actually, I thought you'd be back home before…before the wedding," he revealed. Carol was almost surprised. For the first time, she thought her father didn't seem disappointed or upset. She would have said he was…sad!?

"That was the plan, but we have received an offer for a temporary job in a clinic. We've an interview next Wednesday and we changed our projects," she explained. That was not entirely true, but she preferred to avoid bringing up the real reason why she needed to leave that house ahead of time.

"I see. That's a good thing though…" he told her, with a half smile.

Carol noted he was slightly nervous, he kept blinking and clearing his voice. She poured him some tea.

"Thank you, darling," Doug said, smiling again at her daughter. He took a sip before placing the cup on the table.

At that moment they heard heels echoing in the entrance. Patricia Campbell appeared in the doorway shortly thereafter.

She greeted them with a satisfied and ruling smile and took a seat on the opposite sofa, next to her husband.

Carol tensed immediately. Timothy placed his hand on Carol's, trying to reassure her.

"So, how was the drive?" she asked Timothy.

"Quite smooth…we didn't get caught in traffic," he replied.

"And have you put together the guest list?" she questioned her daughter.

"No Mum, we don't have a list yet," she answered in a cold tone.

Her mother's presence had entirely changed Carol's attitude. Tim tightened her hand.

"I told you it was important, Carol! We need to get the invitations printed!" she protested.

"MUM!" Carol interrupted her abruptly. Tim cleared his throat, sliding his hand down her back to calm her. Carol felt him.

She stopped and thought again about what Mrs. Turner had said to her: open your heart, be honest and don't raise your voice.

She bit her lower lip, took a deep breath and then spoke again, in a softer and calmer tone.

"Sorry Mum, and by the way I'm also sorry about the fight we had on the phone…" Carol babbled.

Her mother looked at her astonished.

"You see, Mum…the truth is that Tim and I are very upset about this whole thing and we didn't want to work on the list. You made such an important decision without even telling us and without confronting us," Carol stated, staring at her.

"Carol…I don't see what I should have said to you. It's one of the most exclusive venues in London! It was something that had to be done, after all. And it seemed to me that you were on the high seas..." her mother insisted.

"I can understand why you did it, Mum. Really, I can. But you still made a decision on our behalf. That's why I got angry," Carol added, continuing to speak calmly.

Tim narrowed his eyes on Doug and met his gaze. He saw him mirroring his own action, placing his hand on her wife back to cool her down.

Still not intruding on that battle between lionesses, they both knew to play a fundamental part in it.

"I'm sure it's a beautiful place Mum, but the truth is that it's not the way we want to celebrate our wedding. We want to do something more intimate, simpler, without glories. Something that reflects us," she confessed.

"Oh come on Carol, don't be ridiculous!" she hissed, standing up vehemently and turning her gaze away from her daughter.

Carol took a deep breath, seeking for Tim's hand again.

"Mum, please…I ask you to respect our choice and I also ask you to be kind enough to cancel the reservation," she declared in a gentle but solid tone of voice.

"WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?" her mother snapped, outraged, looking at her again with fury in her eyes.

"Pat…please. Calm down now," intervened Doug, firmly glowering at his wife.

"I'M NOT CALMING DOWN, DOUG!" she argued.

"Mum…I am asking you, begging you, to understand and accept my will, our will," she pleaded with her.

"Oh...so, let me guess: you are ashamed of our lifestyle, isn't it?"

"I did not say this! There is nothing wrong with the way you live. I'm just saying that it doesn't belong to me!" she finally roared.

Carol's mother didn't answer.

"Patricia, can you please come sit here?" Doug was actually the only one who could have a voice in that situation. Carol really didn't count on his favor, still he seemed so supportive.

Patricia went back to sit next to her husband.

"Mum, Dad. I am aware that things have never gone well between us," she said with her voice shaking "I know that we have often clashed because I have always wanted to follow my heart. I know I have not lived up to your expectations. But I really hope that things will change in the future. I really do, 'cause believe it or not…I need you both. I wish that together we could find a way to get along and build a different, healthier relationship." Carol managed to come to the end of her speech, even if her voice was cracking and tears fell on her face.

Timothy embraced her and held her close while she found comfort leaning on his shoulder. Their hands interlaced.

"What did we do wrong?" her father smoothly asked her.

"Dad, I believe you did what you thought was right, really…but it wasn't what I needed most."

"WE GAVE YOU EVERYTHING, CAROL! The best schools, the most beautiful clothes, ballet school, piano lessons, you have traveled all over the world! WHAT ELSE DID YOU WANT?" her mother harshly accused her.

Carol was fiercely resisting the urge to cry.

She collected her strength and said: "Of course Mum… I know that not everyone can grow up with these opportunities. Thank you for letting me. But honestly I would have preferred to feel you close, I would have needed you at my side when I was sad and crying in my room. Or having you there at my ballet recital or at my piano performance, just to see if you were proud of me, to see if I was making you happy. But you were never there and Mum, if ever you were...it was just to mark my failure."

"Darling, I think I got what you're saying…but since we can't change our past, help me understand what we can do now?" her father sincerely asked.

"I'm asking you for a fresh start. Be at my side, at our side. From now on. Show me your love, show me you care for me and if ever you'll be proud of me, please say it because I desperately need your approval," she finally let her tears come down.

Tim held her close in his arms, kissing her head and whispering soothing and loving words. He was so incredibly proud of her.

After a few moments of silence, her mother left the room. Doug rose to his feet and kneeled close to her daughter.

"All right, darling. I will call tomorrow to call off the reservation. OK? Stop crying now…we'll go through this," he hushed her.

"Mum is gone…how can you say that we'll go through it?"

"I'll talk to her…give her some time. OK?"

She nodded, still cuddled up in Tim's chest.

Doug placed his hand on Timothy's shoulder. They looked at each other respectfully.

"I'm sorry, I have to go now. I can't really cancel this dinner," he said, sighing over it.

"Don't worry, it's ok…we have to go too." Tim said.

Tim assisted Carol as she recomposed herself.

Her father gave her a tender caress and he hesitantly hugged her to say goodbye.

Carol got in the car while Doug helped Tim load the packages.

"Thank you , I really appreciate what you've done today," he said, after closing the trunk.

"I would feel better If I did it a long time ago, Tim…" he confessed.

"There's a time and a place for everything…maybe it wasn't the right time, then," he said before they shook hands.

"Take good care of her."

"Yes, I always do that. And I always will."

There was still a long way to go, but change was in the air.