The Choices We Make (Revenge)

Friendship

Nolan's Mansion, Hamptons

Three weeks later - December 19th

"Hey, Ems!" Nolan waved a towel, while he watched Emily swimming her laps in the inside pool of the villa.

"A few more laps," she said, dipping again.

He laughed. "Don't you think it's enough? The baby will be born as a dolphin."

Sighing, she interrupted her swim and slowly went up the steps. "You can't understand that, Nolan. I feel weightless in the water. Can't say that when I'm ashore." She rolled her eyes and pointed to her big belly. "And I don't think I can make it for 13 more weeks!"

He handed her a bathrobe and smiled. "I don't envy you, but just think about the reward in the end."

"Yes." She put a hand on her belly. "I wonder all the time what mother I'm going to be. I mean, I really didn't have a role model."

"You had your father," Nolan said. "And I think he did a good job raising you as long as he could." He went to a table and poured himself and Emily some lemonade.

"I'm glad I have you to talk about particular things," she said, sighing, falling heavily into a chair. "Sometimes I wish I could entrust to Daniel or maybe Charlotte. But then I would have to tell everything else. And I'm not ready to tell them about Amanda Clarke."

"Or that Charlotte is your half-sister," Nolan added.

Emily nodded. "Yes, that too. Imagine how she would react if I told her that her parents had her own father killed."

Nolan pinched his nose thoughtfully. "No, not really recommendable." He took a sip of his lemonade. "How is it over there in the house?" He asked.

"I wish I could go back to the beach house, but Daniel is afraid something will happen to me when I'm alone." She frowned at him. "He is in the editorial office every day. I hardly see him. It's almost as if he is deliberately avoiding me."

"And when you are together?"

"Then he's super worried and overprotective." She sighed softly. "We had no sex for three weeks." She rolled her eyes. "He probably believes it's too much stress."

Nolan laughed. "I don't know how stressful the sex with him was before, but yes, I can understand him a little bit." He eyed her round belly skeptically. "He is probably afraid that it could harm the baby."

She nodded. "Yes, he is like a mother hen, extremely anxious. I hope this will change someday."

"Then it's a miracle that he has allowed you to visit me," Nolan said, grinning. "Not that I have plans to give you too much stress."

"To be with you is kind of ... therapeutic because I can talk about everything what's on my mind," she said, looking at him. "Gradually more and more puzzle pieces are coming together. Even though I can't remember anything yet, sometimes I get a feeling of familiarity. I know I'm about to remember everything soon."

"That's good." Nolan nodded. "However, I wonder what you will do when you know who shot you."

"I have no idea." She shrugged. "If it was Victoria, I don't know how to live with her under one roof."

"Would you report her to the police?"

She gently stroked her belly. "Do I really want to take Daniel's mother away and the baby's grandmother?" She shook her head. "I really don't know. If she did shoot me, I'd just like to know why she did it."

Nolan scratched his head thoughtfully. "Well, it's not that hard to guess, after years of trying to destroy her family."

"This is my family, too," she murmured. She rose slowly, reaching for her clothes. "I'm going to go now. Are you coming to the Graysons's Christmas party?"

"For nothing in the world I'd want to miss that." He rolled his eyes and grinned mischievously.

"Good, then we'll see you there." She looked outside the window. "It looks like it could snow soon," she said, looking at him thoughtfully. "Wouldn't it be nice to have a white Christmas?"

He nodded. "That would be the perfect Christmas party."

Emily smiled at him and then went to the bathroom to change clothes.