One last Chance

please come back to us

*Evi*

We all sat together around the big dining table and ate lunch. I just felt completely exhausted and I knew that this was not the vacation that the others had imagined. I felt incredibly sorry.

I had wanted to fly home yesterday, but Lance had insisted that I stay. He was sure that I would be happy again faster under the Greek sun than in cloudy Switzerland.

Maybe he was right. And I had done really well today. I hadn't cried, at least not until Max had called me and I had told the whole story again.

At least, except for Lance, no one had noticed, because they had all been down at the beach and had now come back up for lunch. After all, I had been out sunning myself today before Max had called.

I saw that as progress. Even if it still hurt incredibly. I wanted to enjoy this vacation at least a little bit. Afterwards I still had enough time to cry.

I had cooked for all of us. I owed it to the others. And the mood was even quite relaxed.

Esteban was talking some crap that even made me smile when the doorbell rang.

Everyone looked at each other pretty confused. Only Lance didn't look confused.

He rose silently and then went to the door. The downstairs was open, which made sure we could all see who he was opening the door to.

"WHAT'S HE DOING HERE?" rumbled Mick, jumping up so violently that his chair flew backwards.

Julia just managed to hold him down, while Esteban was already stomping around the table, snorting with rage. Hannah hadn't managed to hold him yet.

I just sat there staring at him until an excited "Evi!" made me avert my gaze.

Aly came running towards me and I just managed to get up from my chair before she fell into my arms and started crying.

"Evi. Evi.", she sobbed.

"Hey sweetie.", I gulped and wrapped my arms tightly around the little girl.

"Evi. Daddy now love again! He promised! Come home? Please!" she babbled away.

Everyone else had fallen silent.

"Honey, I..."

"Please, Evi come home. Aly cry a lot. Daddy too."

"I know, I'm sorry sweetheart, but your dad and I need to talk first," I said quietly, stroking her hair.

"Bullshit!" cursed Mick "He's broken your heart twice now! You're not going back to him again!".

"Dad moron." said Aly, looking to Mick.

Mick pulled a laugh from his lips that he couldn't suppress "Clever little girl." he laughed and then looked angrily at Charles again "She sure didn't get it from you." then he looked at Lance "You knew they were coming, didn't you?".

Lance nodded "I talked to Max on the phone. He said we could hit Charles if he didn't apologize properly. I thought it was fair that he at least get a chance to try."

"You don't really want to hit him, do you?" laughed Julia, a little uncertainly.

"He deserved it," Lance shrugged, "but he has a chance to apologize now, and he'd better open his mouth or I'll kick him out myself," Lance turned to Charles, who was still standing frozen in the doorway.

His look spoke of desperation.

Can we... I mean... alone?" he asked.

Mick immediately protested and Esteban also snorted.