For The Two

After ending the call with his grandmother, James took a moment to gather himself, chest heaving with barely restrained fury. The idea that his own flesh and blood was being forced to question his integrity because of this vendetta...it drove home just how insidious and far-reaching Calum's smear campaign could become if left unchecked.

Well, James would be damned if he let it spread any further and engulf the two people most precious to him - his daughter and wife.

Speaking of which...Lily chose that moment to hurry through the patio doors, anxious eyes sweeping the room until they landed on him and Ava. Her shoulders sagged minutely with relief, but the tautness around her mouth remained.

"There you two are," she exhaled shakily, moving to join them on the playmat. Up close, James could see the faint smudges under her eyes, the pinched lines of stress etched around her lips. It was painfully clear she'd been beating herself up over this steadily imploding situation too.

God, how h