Learning to Love

I liked the sound of that, 'Maria's fiancé' the only think that sounded better than that would be Maria's husband.

We went with the police to the crime scene to check if there was any other damage, there was none, and then to the police station where we identified the culprits. They were to be charged later on in the morning. In the meantime we all went back home and tried to sleep.

A few minutes after we opened for the lunchtime trade, Mother walked in and up to Maria. "I have come to apologise for my outburst yesterday morning. I was out of line and I know that now. I can see that you and Malcolm are in love, deeply in love, and I wish you well for the future. I have one request to make."

"Oh yes, and what might that be?" Maria asked, feeling just a little scared.

"I would like you to teach me to love. Can you, will you do that for me?"

"It could take time, you realise that. I'm not saying that because I think that you could be a hopeless case, but because to get to love someone, you have to know them, really know them. It took me months to break down the barriers that Malcolm had placed around himself, but once I managed that, the results have been worth the time and effort."

"Time I have plenty of, and I want to make the effort. On a night that you two are not open, would you come to dinner with me, at my father's house, and bring your mother, I think that Father has taken a fancy to your mother. I told him that he was behaving like a lovelorn schoolboy. He just smiled and told me to invite her anyway."

"We don't open on Mondays so we'll be there next Monday. And by the way, your father is probably younger than mine."

"Great, that's really great, if the two of them hook up my father's new wife, my step-mother, will be my son's mother-in-law, and his Grandfather will also be his father-in-law." She laughed at the thought. "We'll see you then."