Love in the Lockdown

To their credit the cops did a professional job in storming the mansion they were in. The dude and his men were not expecting it at all.

They saved Fleur but they were too late for Lina who died later in hospital. Fleur was in a state afterward. She got psychiatric help and was drugged to the eyeballs for a while. She eventually settled own and decided to get out of the scene.

She had to anyway because they feared for her life and a possible retaliation from the Dudes contacts; which were those very Russians that started this, by the way.

And that's how I ended up here. I had to go to Canada to escape and there I met Kiwi Keith here and immigrated to the land of the Kiwi."

"What happened to the gang?"

"There was a huge bust. It never really came out about the Dudes involvement. He was kind of exposed. There were photographs in the media but nothing explicit that he could be prosecuted on. He just resigned and disappeared. He must have sung like a canary because later there was a massive trafficking bust over several countries but his name never came up again. Fleur was absolutely rabid about anything to do with abuse. If that guy Simon you talked about did anything funny with Fleur, tried to black mail her or something, she would nail him come hell or high water."

For the first time I thought I finally knew Fleur, the woman of mystery. OK, it was not total closure but I now understood that while living with Fleur I had been living with a ticking time bomb. It was a relief that what happened with Fleur did not seem to be as a result our relationship.

May be, just may be if it hadn't been for the lock down Fleur would have killed this guy and nobody would have known. Who knows what the plan was but I knew one thing. I ask you; what woman would have an affair with a guy who caused her father's suicide through trying to destroy his family and business?

It would always be my shame that I did not live up to the protector she saw in me. If we could have communicated more, if she could have opened up, she would still be alive. But then I love my life with Lily and Helen and Mikey, these thoughts just made me feel conflicted.

I sighed with all this ancient history. I was now living in a life where this sort of thing doesn't happen. I glance up to see Lily sitting there. I hadn't notice her returning after having gone to bed. She was just sitting there in her floral loose top and trousers that she habitually wore to bed. I stared admiring her high forehead, her long wavy blonde hair cascading onto her shoulders, framing her awesome cheekbones, her long neck topped by an exquisite and still cute young looking face.

We had learnt so much about each in that terrible few months apart; especially our dire need for each other. We still have our highs and our lows as with all relationships, but we always talk it through. We try to instill this idea with our children; being open, honest and talking.

But we are not perfect. Lily sure knows how to needle me if she is feeling willful, but she also knows how to pamper me and get round me if she wants to. She has turned out a wonderful business partner, a respected country doctor and a doting Mother.

Me? I admit that early in our marriage I was not always the greatest partner. I believe that the visit from Suzie put a lot of my demons to rest and gave meaning to part of my life.

Lily and I spend a lot of time with charities mainly tackling child abuse in many forms. I feel privileged in my occupation to be able to give some tangible help. And I look back at the time of the lockdown to the two women that inspired my path in a most unusual way.

"Oh come on Connor, what's got into you? Will you stop mucking around down here and come to bed."