ODDS OF LOVE : SEASON 15

Episode 69

" Mrs. Reilly, you don't know who I am but I got your number from your nephew Nigel ," Aiden Norris said as quietly as possible as he sat at his cluttered desk in the Washington Reign newsroom , editing a story he was writing for the obituary section on the life of shooting victim Susan Mullins , a bottle of Pepsi at his easy reach as well as a small opened bag of corn chips. " My name is Aiden Norris. "

Margaret Reilly was just returning to her own office at the Aura Magazine from a meeting with her co editor David HighTower and several editorial assistants , her face pallid from the constant morning sickness of her now second month of pregnancy, her phone pressed against her ear gingerly. She went over to sit on the pale blue sofa in her office by the window.

" I know who you are , young man. I know exactly who you are. My sister Matilda mentioned you to me. You claim to be my.... my sister Maeve's child. "

Aiden stopped typing and sat back in his chair, the picture of his mother so clearly in his head now. " Maeve Glover is my mother. By Daniel Norris. I never knew her. I was raised by my father's parents Alice Rose and Roger Norris. They gave me a wonderful life. I appreciate them as surrogate parents and grandparents but I need to know more about my mother. Your sister, she said my mother is ....dead now. Is that true? "

Margaret sighed. She kicked off her simple flat shoes and flexed her toes slightly. She tried not to think about Maeve. They had been so inseparable growing up especially being identical twins. They had told each other everything. Except about the young cocky  American man that fourteen year old Maeve had met in a pub when in a rare rebellious moment her sister had pretended to be eighteen with her hair done up and her face made up to look older. If Margaret had known about Maeve and Daniel she would have..... She didn't know what she would do really. Their father had had a hair trigger temper on him and didn't mind overly disciplining all of them. Although sweet shy and fairly docile Maeve had escaped most of the beatings. Matilda had taken the majority of them as the oldest and she had as she aged tried to protect her younger siblings.

Margaret didn't want to lie to this man. Especially if he was Maeve's son and her nephew. Yet she didn't want Maeve's privacy disturbed. Her sister after the suicide attempt was not dead but she might as well be. She lived in a world of her own making in the hospital in the small English village. She was not the same as before. She was more fragile. Like a child now. Her determination to protect her sister overcame her reluctance to lie to this stranger who had called her out of the blue.

" Yes. Your mother is dead. She passed away long ago. I'm sorry. What do you want of me?"

Aidan wanted to cry. Which was foolish really. He didn't even know his mother yet he felt as though he was grieving this loss immensely. "How did she die ? ," he asked.

" That's not necessary for you to know. What do you want of me? "

Aiden exhaled out a long low breath. " I was wondering if you could meet me for lunch. Today or tomorrow perhaps. To .... talk about , tell me more about her ? My mother? I need to know. If you would not mind? "

Margaret sighed and closed her eyes with her hand on her thankfully non greasy stomach . "I can do that. Tomorrow at noon. Here in my office at the Aura. We'll door dash something in. "