This page contains a collection of snippets which constitute an exercise in universe building. This is not the usual way that I build a universe, but it made sense in this case.

Please note that none of these have been edited and they may not be expanded or continued.

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An Exercise in Universe Building

“Do you think he’ll wait for me?” Honey asked, in a whisper. “Or am I making a fool of myself?”

In the darkness, Diana remained silent for a long moment. “I don’t think you’re making a fool of yourself,” she answered, at last. “But I know that Trixie’s wondering the same sort of thing about Jim.”

“That’s completely different,” Honey replied at once. “Of course Jim’s going to wait for Trixie. He doesn’t even have to say a word; it’s completely obvious, just looking at him. But I don’t see that in Brian, about me. I mean, we’ve had fun, going to dances and things, but is it just that it’s convenient? Or do we actually have something special?”

Diana sighed. “I don’t know that either, but I guess you’ll find out in the next couple of months.”

Honey put her hands over her face. “I don’t want to wait. Or, maybe, I don’t want to know that I’ve been wrong to hope. Or something. In any case, I don’t want what I have, but something else instead, only I’m not sure what.”

“I don’t know what I want, either,” Di admitted. “I just wish we didn’t have to go through being left behind.”

“What is it, Trixie?” Honey demanded. “Whatever it is, spit it out.”

Her best friend’s expression became uncertain. “Are you sure you don’t want to wait for someone more tactful to tell you?”

Honey shook her head. “No. I want you to tell me. Because I know that you’re honest and you won’t sugar-coat the bad news, whatever it is.”

“How do you even know that there’s bad news?” Trixie wondered, but seeing her friend’s impatient look she relented. “Fine. I’ve just heard from Jim and he mentioned something about Brian, which I thought you might want to know about.”

Honey closed her eyes. “He’s dating someone, isn’t he?”

“Yes,” Trixie admitted. “And it sounds kind of serious.”

Honey nodded, shoulders sagging ever so slightly. “I kind of thought this might happen.”

“I’m not going to like her, whoever she is,” Trixie decided, with a rather fierce frown.

“You don’t know that,” her best friend replied. “She might be very nice.”

Trixie shook her head. “Not as nice as you. It’s not possible.”

“I’ve met someone.”

Trixie hesitated a moment, wishing that she could see Honey’s face. “You have?”

“Mm-hmm. He’s not exactly the kind of person I expected to be attracted to, well, actually, I mean he’s not at all the kind of person I expected to fall for, but I have and he’s nice and I want you to meet him, only I’m pretty sure that he’s not the kind of person that you’re expecting, either, so I kind of want to warn you, or at least, warn is too strong a term, but maybe kind of give you a hint of what to expect, which is not what you would expect, if you see what I mean.”

In the short pause that followed, Trixie reflected that she expected Honey to date one of the other Bob-Whites, so anyone in the same location as Honey right now would be unexpected, but other than that she had little to no idea of what her friend was talking about.

“What kind of unexpected?” she asked, going for the most diplomatic approach she could come up with on the spur of the moment.

“He’s an international student,” Honey explained, in a rush. “We’re in a couple of classes together and we just clicked. Like instantly. Like I’ve known him all my life.”

Like the two of us clicked, Trixie added to herself. “Okay. So, where’s he from?”

“Well, that’s the unexpected part of it,” Honey answered. “And I know that people might be a bit uncertain about it and that it’s going to take some getting used to and it’s not what anyone would expect.”

“Where?” Trixie demanded.

A short pause ensued. “Saudi Arabia.”

“Does he wear one of those things on his head?”

“No! He’s completely normal, like anyone we know, he just happens to come from another country, that we don’t know very much about, but he’s here to study and we’ve been friends for a while, and–”

“You’re already involved with him, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” Honey squeaked.

“Okay. I’d like to meet him. I guess I can come down on the weekend, if you can set something up.”

“That would be wonderful, Trixie! I’ll talk to Ali right away and we’ll make some plans, because I really want you to be able to get to know him a little.”

“I want that, too,” Trixie answered. “Whoever you decide to date, I want to know them.”

Honey paced the hallway, trying to bring order to her troubled thoughts. No one was going to be happy about this news. She wasn’t happy about this news, but she knew what she wanted to do. But first, she needed to share it with Ali.

They weren’t due to meet for another half-hour, but she could not keep her mind on anything else. With finals looming, she should have been hard at work. Would she even be able to pass? Her brain felt foggy and her stomach churned.

When finally the time arrived for him to collect her for their date, Honey breathed a sigh of relief. He would be there soon. She would explain what had happened and they would make their plans together.

Five minutes passed. Ten minutes. Wasn’t he usually more punctual than this? She checked the time again. Twelve minutes late.

And then he was there and she was in his arms.

“Hey, what’s the trouble?” he asked lightly. “It’s not like you to be so jittery.”

“I’m pregnant,” she blurted, forgetting the more gentle approach she had planned for sharing the news.

Ali’s face became blank for just a moment, then he smiled. “Are you certain?”

Honey nodded.

He took her hand and squeezed it. “We will have to advance our plans.” A frown crossed his face. “The timing is rather unfortunate. The reason that I was running late is because I was speaking to my father and he needs me to return home for a week or two to resolve a problem. When I return, we’ll set a date for the wedding.”

“You’re leaving?” Honey tried to hold back the tears, but they began to spill down her cheeks.

He squeezed her hand again. “First thing tomorrow. My father had already booked the flight when he called. But I don’t think it will be more than three weeks at the very most because I need to be here for my finals.”

Again, Honey nodded. She did not trust herself to speak.

“It will be fine,” Ali assured her, squeezing her hand. “I will be back before you know it and then we will make our plans.”

Somebody pounded on the door. Honey glared at it, but did not make any move to answer the summons. The pounding repeated.

“Honey? Are you in there?” Trixie’s voice asked.

Still, she did not answer.

Trixie pounded again. “Either you can open the door, or I can get them to open it.”

Honey wasn’t sure how easy that would be, but she knew her best friend was determined enough to make it happen. She heaved herself out of the bed and crossed to open the door just as Trixie pounded on it once more.

“What are you doing here, Trixie?”

“What am I doing here? I’m here to see if you’re okay, which you obviously aren’t.”

Honey crawled back into bed and pulled the rumpled covers up to her chin. She heard the door close, then a chair being dragged across next to her.

“What’s going on?” Trixie asked, in a soft, gentle voice. “You can tell me, you know.”

“He lied to me,” Honey whispered. “He told me his father had called him back home, that he was leaving next morning for a week or two. He said, not more than three weeks and that he’d be back for finals. But he didn’t leave the next morning. I don’t know when he really left, but he’s gone and he hasn’t come back and they won’t tell me anything, but I don’t think he’s ever coming back.”

The chair scraped back and Trixie was hugging her, kneeling on the floor next to the bed.

“I love him, Trixie. I love him and he’s left me. He’s left us.”

Trixie pulled back all of a sudden, eyes wide. She shook her head. “Please tell me you don’t mean what I think you mean.”

Honey squeezed her eyes shut as her tears fell faster. “I’m having his baby.”

“Oh, Honey,” Trixie breathed. “I’m so sorry.”

“Look, I know this isn’t the best time, and you probably don’t want to hear about what I’m doing, and it’s beyond selfish of me to even be bothering you with this right now, but there’s something that I think you should be hearing from me, and not from someone else.”

“Trixie.” Honey laughed just a little. “If this is about you and a certain full-blooded adopted brother of mine…”

Trixie gulped. “Did someone already spill the beans?”

“No.” Again, her friend giggled. “But let’s just say that when I spoke to Jim last night, he seemed more than a bit distracted and he wouldn’t directly answer any of my questions and I kind of guessed that he might have plans with you.”

“We did go out last night,” Trixie admitted. “And we’ve decided to date.”

“I’m really glad,” Honey told her.

“Really?”

“Yes, really.” She sighed. “This is right. I just know it. And I’m happy for you, for both of you.”

Honey rubbed absently at her belly. “My father is absolutely furious.”

“The private investigator’s report?” Trixie asked. “What’s in it?”

“Lots of things, and none of them good.” She winced. “For one thing, the name he told me isn’t his real one. And then there’s the fact that he’s not actually even from Saudi Arabia; he’s lived all his life in Libya and he just relied on the fact that Americans don’t really know much about either country, because he’d never even been to Saudi Arabia. And the whole time he was here, with me, he was also engaged to someone back in the town where he’s from and, since he left me, he’s gotten married to her. Every single thing was a lie, from start to finish. I don’t think he ever once told me the truth on any subject at all.”

“So, I guess he’s not getting his name on the birth certificate, then,” Trixie mused. “What are you going to do, now?”

“What can I do?” She shook her head. “He’s not going to come back; that’s absolutely certain, now. And I’m not chasing after him. I’m going to have to deal with this by myself, without any help from him. And, really, even if he wanted to have something to do with his child – which it’s pretty clear that he doesn’t – I don’t know that I’d want to let him. I don’t trust him. Not after what he did to me.”

“Well, you’ve got me to help you now,” Trixie promised. “And the rest of the Bob-Whites, of course, and our families.”

Honey smiled. “There you go again, promising things for other people without asking them first.”

Trixie shook her head. “Not this time. I’m just repeating what I’ve been told. We’re all behind you, one hundred percent.”

“You shouldn’t be,” Honey replied. “I did this to myself, really. It’s my own fault that I’m in this situation.”

“What are you going to name her?” Madeleine asked, in a low voice.

Honey hesitated, gazing down at the baby cradled in her mother’s arms. “I have an idea, but I’m not sure that it’s a good one.”

“What is it?” her father prompted.

She still hesitated, finally admitting, “I want her to have some kind of link to her father. And since there’s no way that I’m going to give her his name, or any name from his family, I thought, maybe, something from the region he’s from would be okay. And I was thinking about the desert.”

“The Sahara.” Matthew nodded once. “Yes, Sahara might be a nice name for a girl.”

“I was actually thinking of dropping the middle a,” Honey hastened to explain. “Sahra. That way, it’s got just a hint about her origins, but it’s still a fairly normal sort of name. And spelled that way, it’s not as likely to be confused with Sarah.”

Madeleine smiled. “Sahra. Yes, that’s beautiful. I think it suits her.”

And Honey smiled back, in relief.

“I know this isn’t what we planned,” Trixie began.

“This isn’t what we planned, either,” Honey interrupted, with a wave at her tiny daughter. “As far as I’m concerned, you’re free to do whatever you want. I don’t expect you to wait for me to be ready to continue with anything that we planned. If you want to go and do something else, then do it.”

Trixie snatched her into a quick hug. “Thank you. I do still want to go into business with you some day, even if it’s not the Belden-Wheeler Detective Agency. I just feel like this opportunity is too good to pass up.”

“Then take it,” Honey urged. “And take good care of my brother, while you’re doing it.”

A faint pink tinted Trixie’s cheeks. “It does have that advantage,” she admitted. “And I’m not going to lie: the fact that it’s right where Jim is did make it a lot more attractive.”

Honey smiled. “I’d guessed as much.”

“I’ve got an idea,” Zoe told him, eyes shining. “Come on.”

She grabbed Dan’s hand and began running through the darkened streets. He followed along, his long legs easily keeping up as she wove here and there. As they neared the river, she let go of him to climb over the railing of a set of stairs leading down.

“Are you coming?” she prompted, as she climbed down the outside of the railing.

“I guess so.”

By the time he had done so, she had dropped down into a fenced area. Dan followed her and she took his hand once more, with a teasing look up into his eyes. She indicated the direction she wanted to go and he followed her into the shadow of a small building there, almost under the bridge.

“Kiss me,” she breathed.

Dan pressed her against the wall and complied.

“That’s your girlfriend, right?” Jim asked, with a glance in the direction Zoe had left by.

Dan hesitated. “I guess you could say that.”

Jim wore a thoughtful look. “She doesn’t want to talk to people like me.”

“It’s not–”

With a wave of his hand, Jim communicated that he was not at all offended. “Is it serious?”

“More than I meant it to be,” Dan admitted. After a moment he added, “For me, at least. I’m not so sure about it for her.”

His friend nodded.

Mart’s eyes narrowed. “You’re still with her, right?”

Mutely, Dan nodded.

“And she still won’t meet any of us.”

Dan frowned. “I didn’t mean it to be this way. It just happened, okay?”

This time, Mart nodded. “Take care of yourself, okay?”

Frown deepening into a scowl, Dan demanded, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means I care what happens to you,” Mart answered, in even tones. “It means that I can see what sort of life that girl is living and the risks she’s taking and I don’t want you to end up as a statistic. It means that it concerns me that your priorities have changed and that you’re spending less time on your own interests and with your own friends, while spending more time on activities which might have a detrimental effect on your future.”

“Well, maybe this is just how things are, now,” Dan snapped in return.

Mart shook his head. “I’m asking you to do what you can to pull her back from the edge, as opposed to letting her pull you over it with her.”

Dan looked away. “I don’t know that I have that kind of power.”

“Find it,” Mart advised. “Before it’s too late.”

“Jump,” Zoe urged. “It’s easy.”

Dan shook his head. “It’s too far.”

“Jump,” she repeated.

He grabbed at her arm, tried to pull her back from the edge. A memory of the conversation with Mart flashed through his head and he shuddered. But Zoe did not seem to notice. She shook off his hand.

“Watch.” She pushed him back. “It’s easy.”

Dan held his breath as she took a run-up and leapt across the gap, knowing before the realisation rose on her face that she wasn’t going to make it. Her arms swung forward, reaching for the other side, failing to get more than the slightest touch on the unforgiving surface. A shriek rose in her throat as she tumbled out of sight, landing with a sickening thud in the gloom below.

Out of sight, someone shouted. Dan looked around for a way to get down, but nothing presented itself. He retraced his steps as quickly as he could, but it took what seemed like hours to find his way down to the place where Zoe must have fallen.

By the time he got there, a small crowd had gathered. Someone had called the police. They hadn’t bothered about calling for an ambulance because it was obvious that nothing could be done for her. Zoe was dead.

Dan turned and walked away, going home in a daze. He took a shower and got into bed, staring at the place where he knew the ceiling to be, though he couldn’t see it in the darkness. The events of the night ran over and over in his mind. He could have saved her. He should have saved her. He didn’t even try to save her.

“Nick! What are you doing here?”

He turned to face her, his expression blank for a moment before he recognised her.

“I work here.” He gave a careless shrug. “It pays the bills.”

“Are you studying?” she asked. “Or have you graduated?”

He shook his head, slowly. “No, I didn’t end up going to college. Things… uh, didn’t work out that way.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” she murmured.

“Look, I’m really sorry, but my boss is watching and he’s–”

“I am a customer,” she pointed out. “And I was wondering about this sofa over here. Come and tell me all about it.”

He did as she suggested, aided by her appropriate questions.

“Well, I think that’s all I need to know,” she decided at last. “I’ll have to go home and measure the space to make sure that it’ll fit before I actually buy it. And I’d like to catch up with you, some time, if you’d like to meet somewhere.”

For a moment, she thought he would refuse, but at last he nodded, once. Di poked around in her handbag and found a card, which she handed to him.

“That’s my number. Give me a call and we’ll make a time and a place. My treat.”

“That would be nice.”

Diana smiled. “Make sure you call me, okay?”

Nick nodded.

“I just don’t do that any more,” he told her. “It’s all over.”

Di shook her head. “It doesn’t have to be. You’ve got a talent that you should be using, even if it’s not your actual job.”

“My job has bled out every last drop of creative energy that I ever had!” He rubbed at his eyes for a moment. “You don’t know what it’s like, being stuck in a dead-end, without any way out. I can’t breathe in that place. I can’t think. And I can’t leave.”

“Why not?” she asked, gently.

A wry smile twisted Nick’s lips. “I was so grateful for his help, way back at the beginning. I had debts, and he gave me a job, advanced me some money – but then I got sick, and missed some repayments and my debt got bigger and bigger, until I had no hope of ever paying it back.”

“You need a financial counsellor,” she told him. “I’ll help you find one.”

“I can’t afford to get help,” he answered. “You don’t get it, do you? I have nothing left. I’m sub-letting a bed in an apartment rented by some shift-workers, just to get by. I’m commission-only in the furniture store, so if I don’t sell stuff, I don’t eat. Even if I do, I might not have anything left after I’ve made that week’s payment.”

“I’ll find someone,” she insisted. “Even if I have to pay for it myself.”

“You don’t have to–”

“Of course, I don’t have to. But I want to.” She smiled. “We were friends, weren’t we? This is the kind of thing friends do for each other.”

“If you say so,” he answered, with a slightly dubious expression on his face. “But thank you.”

Diana sailed into the furniture store, tape measure in hand. She saw Nick attending to another customer and made sure to steer clear, in the hope that he might make the sale. Instead, she headed for the sofa she had been considering and began to take its measurements.

“May I help you?” a man’s voice asked.

Diana looked up from her task to see an older gentleman, greying hair neatly combed. The lowest visible button on his shirt strained across a slight paunch, but otherwise his clothes were neat and clean. He appeared polite and attentive, but a certain look in his eyes gave her pause.

“I was looking at this sofa a couple of days ago,” she mentioned, “and I’m wondering if it will fit in my apartment. I just needed to check some of the measurements again.”

“If you’ll allow me…”

“Oh, no. I don’t actually need any help,” Di explained. “It’s just a very tight space, you see, and I need to know some odd things, like whether my side table can tuck slightly under the armrest.”

He did not appear to like it, but the man took a step or two back. “If you need any assistance, please let me know.”

“Of course,” she answered, letting her eyes stray back to her tape-measure.

The man turned away from her as Nick began to lead his customers to the register. The expression on his face changed and the thought leapt into Di’s head that he might be about to go and take over, in order to deprive Nick of the commission on the sale.

She called out, “Excuse me. Actually, I do have a question about this sofa.”

His eyes on the other customers, he hesitated just a moment before turning back to Di. “How can I help?”

She kept him busy until the other customers departed, but got the impression that he wasn’t happy about it. At length, she ran out of questions and let him go.

“I’m afraid I’m going to have to go home and measure all over again. You don’t have this exact fabric in a slightly smaller size?”

“This is the only model in this fabric,” he answered.

“That’s a pity. But maybe it will fit, because I do like it very much.”

He stepped away.

Diana passed close to Nick as she left, whispering, “What time do you finish?”

“Six,” he replied.

“I’ll meet you right outside, okay?”

“Okay.”

At six, Diana returned to the furniture store and found a place to wait where she could see the entrance but could not easily be seen from inside. A few minutes after the hour, Nick emerged and looked around. She waved to him and he turned in her direction.

“What’s up?” he asked.

“Are you hungry? I’ve got some things to discuss with you and it’d be better over a meal.” As he continued to look uncertain, she added, “I’ll pay. If you like pizza, there’s a place on the corner.”

“I do like pizza,” he admitted.

“Good. Then, let’s go.”

She led the way to the restaurant and asked for a table.

“What did you want to talk about?” he asked, while she perused the menu.

“Choose something to eat, first,” Di advised. “She’ll be back in a minute and I want to be ready to order.”

He nodded morosely, but did as suggested. Once their order was placed, he repeated his question.

“First, I’ve found someone who’ll advise you pro bono, but you’ll need to have all the figures ready for him.” She cast him a commiserating look. “I think it will be a horrible job getting them together, but it should be worth it.”

“I’m not hopeful that I can get out of this mess,” he replied. “But I’ll do it. I don’t suppose I’ve got all that much to lose.”

“Second, was I right in assuming that guy I spoke to this afternoon was your boss?”

He nodded.

“And was he going to go and steal those customers from you at the last minute, or did I imagine that?”

Nick looked away.

“He was, wasn’t he?” she asked, in a soft voice. “And this is how he’s keeping you in debt.”

Still, Nick refused to meet her eyes.

“Third, here is your commission.”

“What?” He eyed the envelope that she held out to him.

“Your commission.” She smiled. “You sold me that sofa. Or, at least, you answered all the questions I had. I got one exactly the same, but cheaper, somewhere else and it was delivered this morning.”

“Diana, no. I can’t take that.”

“Of course you can,” she replied. “If I hadn’t shopped around – and the only reason I did was because of what you told me about your boss – I would have paid what he was asking. This is the difference. I don’t know how much you normally earn on a sale, but I’m not actually losing anything out of this and I know you can use the money.”

She saw the indecision in his face and pushed the envelope towards his hand. He took it and peeked inside.

“No. I really can’t take this. It’s more than I’d earn on one sale.”

“I’m going to get you out of this, Nick,” she promised, while pushing the money back to him. “It’s not right that he’s treating you this way.”

I need to see you. Tonight? After 7?

Diana read the text and answered, ‘Yes. Is that when you finish work?’ On receiving his affirmative reply, she typed, ‘I’ll be in the same place as last time. See you then.’

He only answered with a thumbs up, leaving her to spend the rest of the day wondering just what he wanted.

When the time came, she was waiting but Nick did not appear on time. At ten past, she edged closer and saw him still working. A glance at the opening hours sign told her that the place did not close for nearly an hour. She considered whether to enter the store, but decided to stay outside.

After another ten minutes, she sent a text, telling Nick where to meet her. As she crossed in front of the store, she peeked in to see Nick in what appeared to be a confrontation with his boss. Again, she hesitated, but decided to stick with her plan.

She ordered something to eat and settled down to wait. Almost ten minutes after the store’s closing time, a text arrived from Nick.

Sorry. On my way.

When he came into her line of sight, she noticed the unhappy expression on his face and the tension in his shoulders.

“What can I get you?” she asked, but he shook his head.

“I can’t let you keep paying for me like this.”

“Then, come back to my place,” she offered.

A slight frown crossed his face, but he assented, only to baulk when he realised that she was intending to take a cab.

“It’s how I would get there on my own,” she pointed out.

Nick nodded. “Okay, I guess.”

They travelled in silence. Di paid the driver and led the way into her building.

“Come in,” she invited. “Make yourself at home.”

“I think my boss knows something is up,” he admitted, while still lurking near the door. “I’m sorry I kept you waiting; he didn’t want to let me leave.”

“Yes, I saw you talking to him.” She indicated her tiny kitchen. “Come and find something to eat. You must be hungry.”

He shook his head. “To be honest, I’m feeling a bit sick to the stomach. The thing I wanted to talk to you about… it’s all going down tomorrow. The guy you sent me to… he’s coming in tomorrow to confront my boss. And, if all goes to plan, I’ll be free of him and the debt. But I’ll also be out of a job. Which will mean that I won’t be able to keep living where I am, and I might not see you again. So, I really just wanted to say thank you and goodbye.”

Di reached out and grabbed his hand. “No. Not goodbye.”

“Well, what then? See you later?” He shook his head again. “I don’t know where I’m going to end up. I’m going to have to go where I can get a job, and where I can afford to live.”

“I have contacts,” she pointed out. “Let me help you.”

“You’ve already helped me enough.” He shook his head. “Sorry. That came out wrong.”

Di laughed and drew him up to the refrigerator. “I knew what you meant. Now, please, choose something to eat. And after that, I’ll think of some people to call and line you up with some temporary work to get you started. And stop objecting. I actually want to help you. And I want to keep seeing you. And I still want to see you get back into art.”

He glanced around and saw the notepad where she made her shopping lists and the pencil beside it. Picking them up, he considered Diana for a moment, then made a quick sketch. He held out the finished product to her.

“Here. How is that?”

A smile spread across her face. “It’s a good start. If I buy you some supplies, will you do one for me on better paper?”

He nodded. “Yeah. I like that idea.”

Can I see you again tonight?

Diana, who had been waiting on tenterhooks for any news from Nick, immediately replied, ‘Yes!’ A moment later, she added, ‘My place?’ In the course of a short conversation by text, they made a time and she confirmed the address. Then she had to pass the rest of the work day while trying not to let the matter distract her too much.

At length, the day passed and she made her way home, finding Nick waiting for her on the doorstep.

“Did it work?” she asked, by way of a greeting.

He nodded. “Like clockwork.” He grimaced. “But can I ask you a favour?”

“Sure.” She led the way inside and over to the elevators. “What do you need?”

“Can you store these few things for me?”

As they entered the elevator, she looked at the two bags he carried. “Of course. But can I ask why?”

He grimaced. “The guys I’ve been living with have thrown me out. I’ve got somewhere lined up for tonight, but I can’t keep any stuff there.”

“Then stay at my place,” she offered. “I’ve got a brand-new sofa, which I’ll find very comfortable to sleep on, and you can have my bed.”

He shook his head. “There’s no way that I’m agreeing to that.”

“I’m pretty sure the sofa’s not long enough for you, so it won’t work the other way around.”

“Even if you offered me your floor, I wouldn’t take it,” he answered, softening the words with a smile. “I just need you to keep some things for me.”

She conceded the point with good grace. “If that’s what you want, then of course I will.”

They entered the apartment and, without bothering to ask his permission, Diana began to cook them both dinner. As she worked, they talked through the day’s events.

“I’d never seen him scared before,” Nick mused, of his boss, when the entire confrontation had been detailed. “I’ve always been the one in the inferior position, up until now. It’s a good change to finally have the power to change things.”

“I really hope this is the beginning of something good for you,” she answered, turning away from her cooking. “And I hope that I’ve bought the right things to help that happen. They’re in a bag over there. If there’s anything in it you don’t want, I’ll have it. And if there’s anything I’ve missed, I’ll pick it up in the morning.”

Nick turned and picked up the bag. “You must have spent a fortune,” he blurted, at the first peek inside.

Di smiled. “I had a wonderful time picking those things out. If I’d had more time, I probably would have bought twice as much.”

He examined each item, calm on the surface but with a certain hunger in his eyes.

“Saturday morning.” He tore his eyes away from the art supplies and back to Diana. “The light from that window. That’s where I’ll draw you.”

She nodded, deeply pleased.

He arrived early on Saturday, before the sun had fully risen. Diana felt a thrill inside to see the hint of eagerness in his eyes. The morning held a sense of anticipation, of something important beginning.

Nick stalked around the apartment, checking angles and considering Diana knew not what. At length, he selected a chair for himself and repositioned the sofa for her to sit on. He gave her a few directions and she took up the pose indicated. After a few adjustments, he set to work.

Diana watched him in silence. The intensity with which he gazed at her felt exhilarating, but a part of her knew that the art was the primary focus here and not herself. She let herself imagine what might happen if he turned that intensity on her.

Some time later, Nick stood and stretched, gazing at his work in silent criticism.

“It’s not the best thing I’ve ever done,” he murmured, “but damn, that felt good.”

“May I see?” Di asked, unfolding herself from the sofa.

She saw the uncertainty in his eyes as he handed it over. Di’s breath caught in her throat as she looked at her own likeness. Somehow, he had captured more than just her physical characteristics; there, on the page, lay hints of her personality, even of the thoughts which had flitted through her mind as she posed.

“You’re a very good artist’s model,” he told her, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

“I enjoyed the experience,” she answered. “And I love this.”

A slight frown wrinkled his brow. “I can do better.”

Di shrugged. “I’ll let you have as many tries as you like.”

The comment surprised a laugh out of Nick. “You might find yourself regretting that.”

She smiled in response. “Try me.”

By the time a month had passed, Diana had amassed quite a collection of portraits of herself, and of other subjects – while allowing Nick to keep the ones he wanted for his portfolio. He had found a new place to live and settled into a new job. In his downtime, he had begun building up a body of work, with a view to applying to art school for the next year.

She had also encouraged him to accept the occasional commission, with the first being for a piece to hang in her father’s office. In the few days since he delivered it, he had received several enquiries from people who had seen it.

“I’m going to have to change the days we meet,” he told her one evening, during what had become a regular dinner together. “I’ve found a studio that I can go to and work with professional models. I think I need it – not that you’re not good enough, because you are; more that it’s less personal.”

She nodded, considering this. “I can see how the personal element might make things awkward.”

“You’re not offended?”

She shook her head. “Not at all. In fact, the exact opposite, if that’s a thing. I think this is a good progression for you.” She smiled. “But you can still draw or paint me in your spare time, if you want to.”

“I want to,” he answered. “I just don’t want the art I make to go on display. I want to keep it to ourselves.”

“I keep thinking it’s just that you’re such a good model, that it’s all about the art,” he whispered, “but I’m pretty sure now that it’s more than that.”

She took a step closer. He accepted the implied invitation and drew her into his arms. The next thing they knew, they were kissing and neither knew who had started it, or when it would stop.

“Do you think I need to break this news gently to anyone?” Di wondered. “Is there anyone who’s going to be upset about it, do you think?”

Trixie shrugged. “I’m pretty sure Honey will be happy to hear it.”

“Yes, but what about the boys?”

Again, Trixie shrugged. “Jim will be fine. I hardly ever hear from Dan, but from what Mart says, I don’t think there’ll be a problem there.”

“And your brothers?”

“Brian lives like a monk.” Trixie rolled her eyes. “I mean, I know his studies and career and stuff are demanding, but he takes no interest in anything else at all.”

Di gave her a stern look.

“I know that Mart has dated,” Trixie admitted, at long last. “If he’s upset, he’s a hypocrite and I’ll tell him so to his face.”

“Di is going to tell you something and, since I’ve assured her that you won’t mind, I thought I’d better make sure that that’s true.”

Mart made a dubious noise. “This sounds rather ominous. What am I supposed to be not minding?”

“She’s dating Nick Roberts.” A long silence ensued. “Mart?”

“I’m not upset.” His voice sounded thoughtful. “But I take it that you think it’s serious between them?”

“It’s only just started, as far as I know,” she hedged.

“When you and Jim just started, it was already serious,” he pointed out.

“That’s different.” She pulled the conversation back to the point at hand. “So, can I trust you to act at least a little surprised to hear about it, and to not get upset?”

“I already told you that I’m not upset.” He sighed. “Look, I know that Di and I ended a bit messily–”

She let out a snort.

“–but we’ve had years to put all that behind us. It’s not like I’m trying to get her back, or I’m pining away for the lack of her company, or any other clichés like that.”

“I’m glad of that, at least.”

“I love her as a friend, and I want her to be happy.” He paused a moment. “And I’m not bitter about her potentially finding happiness in a relationship before I do. I hope that one day we will both have that.”

“I hope that, too.”

“It’s finally happened,” Brian muttered, in a weary voice.

“What has?”

“Someone has revealed to me what you’ve all been thinking all along: that I’m an embittered, old crank, who has let life’s opportunities pass him by and, by extension, must feel the need to destroy other people’s happiness, since I, obviously, will never have anything of the kind.”

“When did I give you that impression?” Trixie demanded. “Because I don’t remember implying any of that and I definitely didn’t think it. You’re twenty-six years old, for crying out loud. It’s a bit soon to say that you’ve wasted your entire life and are doomed to die alone in the very near future of incredible old age.”

A long pause ensued.

“Can we start this conversation again?” he asked, at last.

“I think that would be a good idea,” his sister responded. “Let’s imagine that when I asked you how you were, that you were a bit more honest and answered with something like ‘exhausted’ and go on from there.”

“I am exhausted, but it’s also been a stressful, unsatisfactory day,” he admitted. “And tomorrow is shaping up to be more of the same.”

“Then I won’t keep you long. I just wanted to check in with you and see how you are.”

“You wanted to find out if I said anything inappropriate to Diana.”

Trixie tried to count to ten, but only got to seven. “That’s not what I was asking. And I don’t see any reason to continue to talking to you, if you’re going to misinterpret everything I say.”

“Sorry.” He sighed. “I just don’t have the energy to worry about these things right now. I have more than enough on my plate without adding relationship dramas.”

“Wait. You already knew, didn’t you?”

After a moment, he answered, “Di sent me a text. I replied with a thumbs up.”

“Are you okay?” Jim asked.

Honey looked away. “Of course, I’m okay. Why wouldn’t I be?”

He moved around until she was looking at him again. “I’m not suggesting anything. I just wondered.”

She wrapped her arms around herself. “Because Di’s got a new boyfriend and I’m all on my own? I’m fine. I don’t want a boyfriend. I don’t think I ever want a boyfriend ever, ever again.”

“Okay.” He smiled. “But if you need anything, you know where to find me, right?”

She frowned. “People usually try to tell me that I’ll get over it, or that I’ll feel differently one day, or that there’s someone out there somewhere who’ll come in like a knight in shining armour and make everything better.”

Jim shrugged. “I’m not most people.”

“You don’t trust me, do you?”

“What? No, of course I trust you.”

Dan shook his head. “You don’t. If you did, you wouldn’t be making this so difficult.”

“I’m not making things difficult,” she argued. “It’s just that after what happened to me, I swore I wasn’t going to get caught up in that sort of thing ever again, and I’m not. I just can’t deal with relationships, when I’ve got a daughter to raise and a career to develop and other things to do.”

“I’m not asking you to move in with me; I just want to take you to dinner and catch up.”

Honey shook her head. “No. You’re asking me on a date. And I don’t date, ever. Not since Sahra’s father left me.”

“Yes, well, I don’t date either. Not since…” He dropped his gaze. “I think you know what I’m talking about.”

All of a sudden, Honey grabbed his hand. “Okay. I’ll go to dinner with you. But just as friends, because I can’t handle anything more than that right now, okay?”

He nodded.

“Can I kiss you?” he whispered. “Or, is that moving too fast?”

Honey let out a squeak. “No! I mean, yes. Wait, I think I mean, I’m not sure whether I want that or not.”

Dan’s serious expression broke with silent laughter. He pulled her into a hug and dropped a kiss on top of her head.

“I think that answers my questions.” He let her go. “I had a good time tonight, Honey. I’d like to do it again sometime soon.”

“Me, too.”

“This time, you can kiss me,” she told him, smiling.

He did not hesitate, but instead pulled her close. Heat rose between them. Minutes later, they drew apart, both short of breath.

“That was… intense,” Dan commented. “More intense than I meant it to be.”

Honey nodded. “Exactly what I was thinking. Except that I was also thinking that I didn’t really want it to stop.”

“I hadn’t kissed anyone since…”

Again, she nodded. “Yes, I guessed as much. And I hadn’t either since…”

He smiled down at her. “So, you’re saying we’re both desperate and that explains what just happened.”

“Dan! That’s not what I meant, at all!” But even as she spoke, it dawned upon her that he was teasing. “But if you’re looking for an excuse…”

He shook his head. “No excuses needed.”

“I think we need to let our family and friends know that this is going on,” he told her, while trying to keep a physical distance between them. “It’s not fair to keep it a secret any longer.”

“Trixie already knows,” she admitted.

He raised an eyebrow. “And she hasn’t told the whole world, yet?”

Honey shrugged. “She’s probably told Jim. But she’s a lot better at keeping secrets than you give her credit for.”

“Probably,” he answered, with a wry smile. “Okay, then. Who is next?”

“My parents. Regan.” She smiled. “The rest of the Bob-Whites. In that order. Or Regan, then my parents, then the Bob-Whites. Either will work.”

He smiled. “I’ll take option A.”

“Are you concerned about your uncle’s reaction?” she asked, surprised.

“Let’s just say that I’ll feel more comfortable if I know what your parents think before I have to tell him.”

“After the things I’ve done, there’s no way they’re going to object,” she replied. “You know that, don’t you? And even if I hadn’t, they wouldn’t object anyway. They like you, and they trust my judgement, which considering what I just said, they probably shouldn’t, but they do, so it’s not going to be a problem.”

By this time, he was laughing. “Okay, okay. But I still think it’s better to tell your parents first. Uncle Bill will expect that.”

“Let’s have a word alone,” Matt suggested. “Come through to my office.”

Dan nodded, not seeing much choice. He sat, where indicated, in one of the comfortable chairs grouped at one side of the room and his girlfriend’s father sat opposite.

“I’m not like Ali,” Dan announced, pre-empting any interrogation.

Matt eyed him for a moment. “I don’t remember suggesting that you were. And I’m perfectly well aware that you’re nothing like him in character or intentions.”

Dan only nodded, sitting back and waiting for what might come next.

“I don’t want to intimidate you, or threaten you, or do any of those kinds of things,” Matt explained, at last. “I know exactly what sort of man you are. And I know I can trust you with my daughter and granddaughter.”

“Thank you,” Dan answered, softly.

“Have you and Honey talked about the future?” the older man asked. “In a serious kind of way, I mean?”

Dan nodded. “We’ve talked a little, about our hopes and dreams, about our intentions.”

“And are you thinking of what might happen down the track? If the two of you marry one day?”

“It’s a bit soon for that,” Dan answered. “We’ve only been on a few dates. And both of us want to take things really slowly.”

“I do have my granddaughter to consider,” Matt pointed out. “So, if you can answer the question…”

Dan looked him in the eye. “If I marry Honey, I’ll adopt Sahra.”

“And will that be a problem?”

“No.”

A silence fell, during which Matt stared at Dan, who held his gaze unflinching.

“I do have some experience of adoption,” the older man murmured.

Dan nodded. “I was watching.”

Matt smiled softly.

“And I know who to ask, if I need advice,” Dan added. “When the time comes.”

“I wondered when you were going to admit it,” Regan told him, once the two of them were alone.

“I didn’t mean to keep it a secret,” Dan answered. “Honey’s just… nervous, I guess. After what happened with that other guy.”

His uncle nodded, frowning.

“She needs someone to take care of her,” Dan continued. “They both do. And I can do that for them.”

Regan let out a snort. “So, it’s all about her. All from the goodness of your heart. You don’t get anything out of this.”

“She can take care of me, too,” Dan answered, snarling. “It’s completely mutual.” His expression softened. “I need her, too. After… everything. We’re good for each other.”

“And you’re willing to potentially take on another man’s child?”

“Yes.” Dan took a breath, pushing down the anger he felt at the question. “He didn’t want her. But I do.”

Regan looked away. “Are you sure about this? Really sure?”

“Of course, I’m sure! What do you take me for?”

His uncle stared at him, long and hard, a guarded expression on his face. At last he admitted, “The man I thought was my father couldn’t do it.”

Dan froze. “What?”

“My mother’s husband. The man I called Dad.” Regan shrugged. “He couldn’t have children. He made the arrangements himself – and I don’t know exactly what they were, back in those days – but he never really could accept either your mother or me as his own. He always remembered that we weren’t, not really.”

“This is different,” Dan answered. “This is Honey’s daughter. And I’m never going to have to pretend that she’s really mine.”

“You need to be sure,” Regan insisted. “Because, from the point of view of the child…”

Dan nodded. “I’m absolutely certain.”

For a moment, it seemed that Regan would not answer, but at last he said, “Good. Then you have my support.”

A small smile spread across Dan’s face. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”

And he meant it.

“I want to beat him to a pulp.”

Mart’s eyes narrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Dan shook his head. “I’m not going to explain why. I’ve just… noticed things, I guess you could say. Things that he must have taught her to expect.”

His friend’s expression darkened. “Okay. I get you. So, what are you going to do about it?”

“I’m going to teach her to expect better.”

Mart rolled his eyes. “I meant, about him.”

Dan shrugged. “I know. But he’s not worth my time. He can’t come back into the country – Honey’s Dad made sure of that – and I have no intention of going to him. I have more important things to do.”

His friend considered this for a few moments. “Okay, I think I see your point. But doesn’t it bother you that this happened to Honey?”

“Bother me? Of course, it bothers me. But life isn’t fair, is it? I’ve had plenty of chances to see that for myself. But I’m not going to dwell on might-have-beens. It doesn’t help.”

“No. I guess not.” Mart frowned. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

Dan smiled. “Put in a good word for me with Brian.”

“I’ve already done that,” Mart told him. “On multiple occasions and with varied degrees of success.”

He considered that for a moment. “Do you think he’s going to cause trouble?”

Mart hesitated. “I certainly hope not.”

“I’m going to marry her,” Dan stated, chin lifted with a note of defiance.

Brian frowned. “Has she agreed to that?”

“Look, I’m telling you this because I want to clear the air between us. I don’t want to fight, Brian. I don’t want to break up the group by having this uncertainty hanging over us. I’m not trying to cause trouble; I’m trying to–”

“Stop me from causing it?” Brian finished for him. “I see that. I also see that you didn’t answer my question.”

Dan stared for a few moments. “Yes. Yes, she’s agreed to it. And it will be public knowledge very soon; within days.”

Brian nodded, looking away. “It’s not you that I’m angry with. And it’s not even whatever his name really was – though I’m beyond disgusted by his behaviour. But my own behaviour doesn’t stand up to scrutiny, either, which is the main reason why I’ve taken this attitude to Honey, I suppose. I’m annoyed with myself for what I did; for practically throwing her to a predator like Ali.”

“You didn’t–” Dan began, only to be interrupted once more.

“I did. I encouraged her to hope, then I went and took up with someone else the moment I was away from her. I must have hurt her terribly, and yet she’s never shown any sign of it towards me, which is extraordinarily generous of her and makes me feel even worse.”

A smile teased one corner of Dan’s mouth. “Okay. I get it. But I’m asking you to at least try not to react that way when this goes public. She’s forgiven you; maybe it’s time you forgave yourself.”

Brian looked away. “Easier said than done.”

“Just try, okay?”

He nodded. “Okay.” A small smile softened his expression. “And for what it’s worth, I hope you’ll be very happy together.”

“You’re what?” Dan sank onto the edge of the bed, his knuckles turning white where he gripped it. “I wasn’t expecting this. Not yet, anyway.”

“You think I did?” Honey responded, with an edge of some strong emotion in her voice. “Dan, look at me!”

In that moment, observing her properly for the first time since her announcement, his own panic dropped away as he comprehended the deeper terror she must be feeling. He pushed up from the bed and pulled her into his arms.

“Hey, it’s okay,” he soothed. “I’m just surprised. It’s not the end of the world.”

“The last time this happened, it was,” she argued, crying now.

He scooped her up and laid both of them on the bed. “But I’ve already married you. And you know exactly where I’m from and my only relative still works for your Dad. You’re not getting abandoned, this time.” He laid a hand on her body, down near her hip. “Actually, Uncle Bill’s just been replaced, because this is now my closest relative.”

She opened her eyes, gasping as she saw the expression on his face. “You’re right: this is different.”

“Very different.” He had tears on his cheeks, now, which mingled with hers as he kissed her. “You’re not getting rid of me, no matter what.”

“I don’t want to get rid of you,” she answered, half laughing and half crying.

“It’s a boy,” the doctor announced.

Dan sat in stunned silence, as the new baby cried. He could not seem to take in the news. He watched as his son was placed in Honey’s arms, saw the tears of joy on her cheeks, noticed the tender look that she cast down at that little face.

After a few moments, he noticed that he was crying, too. His wife took her eyes off the little boy for a minute to contemplate him.

“What do you think?” she asked. “Is the name we chose for him right?”

He nodded. “Do you agree?”

She smiled and turned her gaze back downward. “Welcome, Finn. I’m so glad to finally meet you, and I think your Daddy is glad, too.”

Daddy. Dan’s heart gave a leap. He was someone’s Daddy. He had a son.

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