The dinner they had shared had been fun, and Faye had been more relaxed then she had been in a long time. She had had a glass of wine and even Silas had teased her about drinking too much when it was revealed that Faye had told Chloe and Lia about falling down the stairs.
Silas had offered to walk Faye home and she had let him. They hadn't discussed anything important, it was as if there was a silent agreement that they had covered enough serious topics for one day. They had taken the long way around with Silas holding her hand as they talked about this and that. They had passed Dr. Evers's house and Faye had told him the ghost story associated with it.
When they had reached her house, he had given her a very long goodnight kiss, and Faye felt as if she was being truly wooed for the first time in her life.
Whatever the crisis had caused Chloe and Silas to separate themselves from everyone had been, it was over, and they had been out as a group a few more times, including Ben's book signing, where he and Lia had fallen into each other's arms to the delight of Faye and Chloe.
Faye and Silas were going slow, they were getting to know each other, and Silas had talked a lot about his past, how he had ended up in the medical profession, why he had chosen to travel the world. She had learned a lot about how dedicated and loyal he was, not only to his profession but with his family and friends too. He still needed to explain many things, but Faye wasn't sure she was ready to hear the explanation because things were going so well, and he was being true to his word and letting her set the pace.
She had to admit that there was a certain rush she got from keeping their relationship private, she hadn't told Chloe or Lia yet, and Lia was so blissfully happy that she had stopped trying to figure out what was going on with her and Silas and Chloe and Silas.
He was still the reserved and stoic Dr. DeGraff at the hospital and in public, but he was someone totally different with Faye. With her he was charming, funny, and kind, he was considerate and patient, and willing to answer any questions she had. The truth was that she was enjoying the romance of it all since she had never experienced such a thing before.
However, she wasn't the only one enjoying romance, Lia and Ben had made up and he was home again. They were officially engaged, and they were throwing a giant New Year's Eve party at their newly restored house to celebrate. Faye had taken over the lease for Lia's old apartment so there was no need for her to live in the house anymore, and she had been slowly moving her things, which was part of the reason she had started to clean out the house.
Now, Chloe and Lia had come to help Faye pack up the house. It was a long process of sorting through childhood memories, but it felt cathartic as if she was ready to move on and take the next step whatever that might be.
They had been steadily working through the morning and had made a lot of progress with the living room, some of the items that were pulled out hadn't seen the light of day since she was a young girl, and she had to stop and examine all of them, but Lia and Chloe were patient with her because they understood how hard it was for her to process it at times.
"What about these?" Chloe asked, holding up some photo albums.
Faye walked over to them and opened one, smiling when she saw a photo of her parents. "These go in the keep pile," she said as she took them.
"Faye, whatever happened with you and James Palmer?" Lia asked as she threw some old fabric in the donation pile.
"Nothing," she answered just as there was a knock on the door. Faye froze, remembering who had knocked on her door the last time. She set the album she was holding in her hand down and walked towards the door, looking through the window to find Andrea waving at her.
Faye opened the door and Andrea threw herself at her, wrapping her arms around her. "Oh, I'm so glad you're home!" she said. "I really need to talk to you, to explain..."
Faye didn't have an option, she stood back and opened the door for the beautiful blond hurricane.
"This time I don't have a police escort," she giggled and stopped short when she saw Chloe and Faye watching her curiously.
"Andrea, these are my friends, Lia Haven, and Chloe Lockwood. They're helping me clean out the house," Faye introduced, but before she could introduce Andrea properly as Silas's daughter Andrea cut her off.
"Why are you cleaning out the house?" She looked around at all the different items strewn around the room.
"The house is for sale, didn't you notice the for sale sign out front?" Faye asked.
"No, must you sell it?" Andrea asked with wide-eyed concern.
"Yes, it also belongs to my brother and sister and they want to sell. Where's your brother?" Faye asked.
"He went to see Poppa at the hotel. He had something important to give him and he didn't want to lose it." Andrea's eyes had landed on Chloe and she was watching her closely.
"You're Chloe?" she asked curiously as if the name had just registered with her.
"Yes," Chloe said, looking at Faye questioningly.
Faye only shook her head in an attempt to let her know that it didn't matter.
"Can I talk to you," Andrea asked looking down at Faye from her statuesque height.
"Sure, I was going to get us all a drink anyway, I'll do that now." Faye led the way toward the kitchen with Andrea following close behind her.
"What brings you to town?" Faye asked.
"Oud en Nieuw," she said as she sat in a kitchen chair. "New Year's Eve, it's always been a big deal for Aaron, Poppa, and me. We have celebrated it together every year, either we go to him or he comes to us if we are not in the same place."
Faye nodded thinking that it sounded like a nice tradition to welcome in the New Year with those you loved the most. "What did you want to talk to me about?" Faye asked as she pulled out some glasses and a pitcher of iced tea.
"I wanted to apologize for accidentally letting my mother know about you. She overheard Aaron and I talking about you and Poppa and when she cornered me about it, I didn't know what to say. Then I remembered you had mentioned Chloe, who I don't care about, so I gave Mother her name. I knew if she came after you, you wouldn't stand a chance." Andrea looked at Faye as she was served a glass of tea. "I like you, and I think you are good for Poppa, and I didn't want her to frighten you away."
Faye smiled at the girl, unable to hold the thought against her because it was most likely the truth. If Astrid DeGraff had decided to put her in her place it would have hurt. "She was a bit frightening," Faye agreed, and Andrea giggled.
"Now I owe you an apology Andrea." Faye sat down across from her. "I told your father that you and Aaron both know that he is not your birth father," she said softly.
Andrea paused with the glass halfway to her mouth, a look of fear crossing her face.
"I tried to keep it a secret, but when he shared the story with me, I had to tell him the truth. It felt unfair not to, I'm sorry I betrayed your confidence, and I didn't do it lightly," Faye said with heartfelt sincerity.
"Was he mad?" Andrea asked in an urgent whisper.
"No, he said he was stunned that you knew, but not mad." She let Andrea take it in for a moment. "I think it is something that the three of you should talk about now."
Andrea nodded as her phone rang. She looked down at it and smiled. "It's Poppa, he must know that we're talking about him." She answered it and lapsed right into Dutch, so Faye picked up the three glasses of tea and carried them into the living room where Chloe and Lia turned to look at her.
She could tell they were dying of curiosity, but to their credit, they didn't ask any questions.
They went back to work and a moment later Andrea joined them. She was not a shy girl and she had no problem asking Chloe and Lia all about themselves as she helped sort through a box of old Christmas ornaments.
"Look, Faye, this one has your name on it!" Andrea held up and ornament that she had made in school. "You have to keep this one!" she insisted. Faye joined her on the couch, and they started to look through all the beautiful colored treasures.
"Your accent is interesting Andrea, where are you from?" Lia asked.
"I'm Dutch," she said without a thought as to what their reaction might be.
"Are you related to Silas DeGraff?" Chloe asked as she watched Faye and Andrea with their heads together.
"Yes, he's my father," she said looking up at them with a smile. "You both know him?"
"We work with him at the hospital." Lia supplied as a look passed between her and Chloe. Faye caught it and took a deep breath, preparing for the questions.
"I just heard a car door, I bet it's Poppa, he and Aaron were coming to get me." Andrea jumped up and raced to the door, rushing out of it when she saw it was her father.
"Faye!" Lia hissed. "Silas has children, grown children? Why didn't you say and how do you know them so well?"
"They came to visit earlier this year, they're nineteen," Faye shared, "and, they're twins."
"What was she saying about a police escort?" Chloe asked concerned.
"Hayes took them out drinking and they got caught. James Palmer was the officer that brought them home, and to get them off I agreed to go out on a date with him because when he saw the house he asked me out." Faye explained as she saw a shadow in the hallway.
"But you went out with him more than once." Chloe wanted try to disprove Faye's theory as to why he went out with her in the first place, and if he asked her out a second time then it must have been because he liked her not because of the house. Lia and Chloe had been there to help her pick up the pieces years ago when she had learned about the rumor of her supposed wealth. It was what had cemented their friendship. "There must have been some kind of interest on his part otherwise he wouldn't have asked you a second time," Chloe insisted.
Silas entered and looked at the three of them. "Don't let me interrupt," he said with a reserved smile of greeting. He must have overheard their conversation about James.
Faye shrugged. "There was no real interest, we just kept each other company," Faye hedged. It wasn't the exact truth, she was too embarrassed to tell the whole truth, that the second date had been a last minute date.
"What does,' kept each other company' mean, exactly?" Silas asked, crossing his arms, and both Lia's and Chloe's eyes grew wide at the question. He sounded like a jealous lover and Faye felt her heart jump at the thought of it.
"It means what it sounds like." She shrugged, she wanted to savor the moment and enjoy his jealousy.
"Liefje," he warned, and Faye's toes curled at the note of intimacy in his tone, and Chloe gasped behind her, and when Lia heard the shocked gasp she looked at Chloe for answers. Faye didn't notice either of their reactions though, she was focused on Silas who was staring at her.
"Well, on the first date he kissed me," she said, drawing it out as long as she could, enjoying that he was jealous, she had forgotten all about Lia and Chloe watching. It was suddenly just the two of them.
"And the second date, was that the time you came home carrying your shoes?" he asked softly.
"Are you jealous?" she asked sweetly.
"I've never pretended not to be," he growled as they stared at one another. Faye recalled him telling her he was jealous when James kissed her after their first date.
She was caught in Silas's gaze and missed Lia reaching out and grabbing Chloe's arm in excitement at Silas's reaction.
"This looks like a serious conversation," Andrea said as she and Aaron joined them, breaking the spell.
"I was just about to tell your father about a girls night that Chloe, Lia, and I had a while back, I think he wants to know if there was a pillow fight." Faye watched Silas's eyes narrow, but she swore she saw him take a relieved breath.
Aaron laughed at Faye's little joke.
"And I was asking her how her relationship with Officer Palmer was going," Silas said, not backing down. "You remember Officer Palmer, don't you Andrea?" Andrea blushed at her father's gentle rebuke.
"Oh, did you really go out with him?" Andrea asked innocently. "Did you have fun?" She turned to look at her father with a sudden smile. "Did Faye make you jealous Poppa?" she giggled, happy at the thought.
"If you must know, the only reason he asked me to the movie was that his date canceled on him at the last minute, and I was the only one he could think of that might not be busy," Faye said, embarrassed at having to admit it. "I ended up not feeling very well that night as well, so he dropped me off early."
Silas and Faye looked at each other, both knowing the reason why she didn't feel good that evening, and Chloe froze with a look of horror on her face as she looked between the two of them, realizing what was happening and what had happened that night.
"I'm sorry, liefje," he said softly, confirming Chloe's guess.
Chloe dropped the books she was holding with an oath. "I'm so so sorry," she looked at Faye and then Silas and started to cry.