ODDS OF LOVE SEASON TWELVE

Episode 85

" Bloody buggering hell ," Nigel muttered under his breath as he sat up in his hospital bed reading the front page of the Washington Reign where they had a full fledged article on his cousin Roman's attack spree written by Scott Sands. Although it was more of a hit piece on his father really. It basically detailed exactly how much knowledge that Nicholas had about Roman's mental instability and his history of stalking. His heart almost sobbed with sadness as he read how his father had essentially covered it all up in the past. All to protect his murderous cousin.

He sighed as he put the paper down. It didn't change his feelings about his father. Not at all. He had grown to care about both his parents after all. But he sensed that in the court of public appeal this would not go good for Nicholas. Especially the social media world of LifeChapters and Buzzing. Volkouv Enterprises owned both apps as well as FireBook but they couldn't really control what the people on them said about anything. Or felt. Nicholas was not so rich and prominent that the critical analysis wouldn't hurt him.

He sighed once again. He couldn't totally fault Reese Malden who he knew was one of the two owners of the paper. The man's spouse had died by Roman. If it was Richard he would probably do the same thing. He would want revenge in any way he could.

As he reached for a fork so he could begin eating his bland unseasoned heart healthy breakfast of hash browns, scrambled eggs and turkey bacon that waited on his food tray he saw the door to his room opening slowly.

The woman who came in was unknown to him yet she was not dressed in medical scrubs so she couldn't be staff. No , she was wearing what looked like a button down plaid flannel men's shirt over a pair of faded blue jeans with rips in the knees. Swinging off her shoulder was an enormous brown leather satchel bag. She was an older lady but not by too much. Younger than his parents but a little older than his husband. Her hair was a silver blonde and worn in a boyishly short hairstyle.   Her eyes.... Her eyes were like his and his mother's and his grandmother's.

A bright twinkling curious violet. Slanted violet eyes with a glimmering of blue and green.

He stuck the fork into a hash brown and put it in his mouth, chewing it steadily as he asked softly," Can I help you, ma'am? "

The woman smiled at him gently. " I'm the woman who could have been your mum if life had been different ," she said in a strongly accented Irish voice that reminded him of Nance.  In fact she reminded him physically of his mother.

He was lucky that he had already swallowed the food in his mouth because what she had just said almost made him choke. " Excuse me? ," he said as he put down the fork.

She was still smiling as she came over to sit in the chair beside him. She offered him her hand for what turned out to be a firm handshake. " I knew your father Nicholas. Your ma and I met him at the same time in a pub in a quaint old English village. We both fell for him immediately. Well.... I did. " She sighed almost wistfully. She had to be in her late forties but suddenly seemed much younger in that one moment. " Sorry. Look at me over here babbling like some daft babe in the woods. I have not even introduced meself. Nance is rude but I try not to be. I know who you are from my mother Nance Glover and my sister Matilda Swan. Nigel as you are called now but born little Nicholas Jr. I'm your mother's sister. Younger sister. Margaret Glover Reilly I am called. I'm your aunt. Remember I messaged you on LifeChapters ?"