Four Decades

Sundays

The worst of this whole situation had been the tabloids. Marine had grown up being on the privileged part of the British society, the name Wordsworth was in tabloids and newspapers since her father was a young and rich bachelor, since then he had been in love and left by the big actress Vivien Duval, he had become a father and a window and his fame only grew. So when Marine found her passion she knew her name would appear tastier for gossip.

The media went crazy when Marine Wordsworth showed up at the 2000 Paris Fashion Week with no partner. It was the first Fashion Week her clothing brand, Afton, was being part of, and as CEO and designer, she just had to go. She went to the red carpet 5-months-pregnant with a beautiful purple dress with her hair up in a beautiful bun and her clear-and-light-makeup. And just like on the red carpet back in September, leaving the hospital with her newborn daughter was chaotic, and lotted the news for at least 2 weeks.

But still, Marine had a business to run and she had learned how to deal with all of the attention and decided to make the best of it all. In November she releases a clothing line for children, and when the baby is born they open up the newborn line called Wynn's First Winter. It's crazy but throwing her name out in the wild and especially her daughters brought more profit, the whole line is a success and keeps the attention more on her business rather than all concentrated on the scandal of being a single mom so young.

When she finally was able to leave the hospital, all the family had to move together with a security team to go with their cars through a sea of paparazzi trying to get the first picture of a newborn baby. But after that, the December month is as smooth as it could be with a new member of the family can be. Marine had an apartment, a good one, mind you, but she decided to spend the first month on the mansion, where Richard had made the biggest room available into a big nursery. Marine didn't see the necessity of it, Wynn had a perfectly good nursery back in her apartment, but he had insisted that his first granddaughter needed her own room in his house.

They spent Christmas day in the ballroom where a huge Christmas tree had been set up and they took thousands of pictures with baby Wynn, all of her aunts and uncles spoiled her rotten, and Richard was always holding her up. Then Marine went to her apartment in central London in early January, where she felt like she was truly at home. Minerve had interviewed some elderly women to help Marine with the baby and had chosen a 50-year-old adorable short woman named Patty Pullman to work as Wynn's nanny for the day so Marine only had to stay with her during the nights and the weekends.

So, in short words, the first months with her daughter were turbulent turns and outlets, but everything made sense when looking at her baby. She throws all of the criticism she received out on the window and concentrated on being a better mom to her child every day.

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August 11th, 2002

Hurley goes out of the rehab centre when Wynn is 14 months old. Silas is the one that tells her over the phone while he schedules his next visit. He sounds proud of his nephew.

- He never stayed in a centre this long, you know- Silas says excitedly on the other side of the phone- 17 months there, he followed every rule and was a model patient.

Marine wants to be happy, especially when he tells her that Hurley will be staying with him in their native village of Great Kingshill, but she can only feel suspicious. Hurley had been better before, he made everyone believe he was clean and himself again and then he relapsed. Poor uncle Silas was getting old, wary and he needed care, he couldn't take a broken heart and another rehab centre again.

But still, she smiled and hoped for the best outcome of their situation. Even if it meant that now he could come after his daughter. Marine supposed that was a good thing, Hurley always wanted to be a father, to be better than his own just like Marine wanted, and now he could finally meet his daughter. Marine had been sending pictures of the baby ever since it was born, she sent a picture of Wynn being a newborn and of her first birthday, so he would recognize her at least a little.