The Royal Scandal | Prince William |

Part VI: Old Wounds Leave Scars

"Yes, this is my son Alex, my husband Derrick, and our latest addition Theo." Haley's smile relaxes as she focuses on each of them, and she bends down to coo Theo's name to him.

Jaclyn stands taller then feeling her kids suction to her legs like their lives depend on it. "It's lovely to meet all of you. Haley, you might remember my husband William, and these are our two kids, Amelia and Phillip."

Silence follows and she looks down to check on each kid catching their eyes before turning to William. Silently they agree that something will need to be done about their shyness. The snow falls around them and builds on the ground in slowly melting sloshes, and when flakes cling to her hair she nervously brushes them out.

"Don't you usually have to spend Christmas with your family?" Derrick finally asks, his boot scuffing at the wet snow on the edge of the pavement, and she knows it's not a question with an agenda. He's just trying to fill the space. His hand settles on Alex's shoulder drawing Jaclyn's eye, and in that moment it becomes obvious how strikingly dissimilar Alex is to him, Haley as well.

Jaclyn blinks rapidly pulling her attention back to her. The exact reason for a sudden holiday to Illinois still remains a secret. She'd like to keep it that way.

"We were given permission to miss the Sandringham festivities this year." She squeezes Will's hand gratefully through her thread bare gloves, and doesn't look at him as he does the same.

"I'm sure Janet and Larry are pleased, they really miss you." Haley looks over her children, her son who appears a stark stranger amidst his family is hopping from foot to foot threatening to take off skating down the sidewalk. "We should be going, it's getting a little too cold for the baby. Wish your mom a Merry Christmas for me?"

Jaclyn's already nudging her kids back towards the car, and William takes them leaving her alone with the holiday carols from the radio as her comfort. For a second Haley and her are there alone, almost too far apart but too close at the same time.

There's a moment where they size each other up, take each other's lives in their hands and weigh them like scales. Where did they diverge? What went wrong? And who did it right? Two girls, same town, same school, same dance studio, and yet they've ended up here.

Haley turns first, chin dipping to her chest, but her first step halts and she's frozen despite the ice under her feet being nothing but fractured water.

"Jaclyn, I-"

Apologies at this point are frivolous. They're mother's now with whole chapters that they'll never share. Jaclyn can't even remember the teasing anymore. It's nothing.

"I know Haley, it's alright, happy Christmas."

-----

There's something sweet about doing her daughter's hair in the same bathroom her mom used to do hers. Amelia sitting on the same handmade uneven stool, and fidgeting just as much as she did. Jaclyn grins running the cream through her daughters slowly lengthening hair and brushing her blonde waves that fall like gentle ripples in water.

Perhaps some things are meant to repeat, fate and time one singular thing with events that will always come to pass. Mothers will hold their daughters up under awkwardly fluorescent bulbs while looking into a slowly rusting mirror and do their hair.

Some things are different of course. She has the money and the knowledge of how to smoothly brush and maintain her daughter's waves that her own mother did not. So there's less crying. Less frustration over frizzy mats. Less broken brushes.

"Mummy?"

"Yes, sweetheart?" Jaclyn's eyes glanced up catching Mia's inquisitive stare through the mirror. Her daughter, appearing the image of sweetness, threw her off with her next words.