For Fiona

32. Love Box

Rachel did not want to let her emotions show, because she was in the middle of a lovely, birthday party, but after what Bailey said, she had to ask Tim and Lucy, "Is this true? Are you faking all of this to adopt Fiona?" She had been waiting in line for a piece of cake, but her hunger was forgotten as she waited for an answer.

Tim's eyes immediately snapped over to Lucy, his panic poorly concealed.

Lucy, however, did not skip a beat. "Why would you even ask that?" She pushed back, her voice low and severe. "You know I love Tim."

"It's a serious accusation," Rachel tried to explain.

"Woah, I didn't mean to make some sort of accusation," Bailey replied, trying to act innocently.

"You told the social worker that is making the determination on where to place Fiona that her current family is a sham," Rachel pointed out.

Bailey's eyebrows skyrocketed. "Oh, YOU are Fiona's social worker?"

"What the hell did you say to Rachel?" Lucy bit out, her tone equally dangerous and quiet.

"I just repeated what Ashley told me, but I didn't know Rachel was the social worker," Bailey tried to explain.

"Tamara," Lucy said sharply to get her attention. She plastered on a smile. "Can you make sure everyone else gets cake? Tim, Rachel, and I need a minute." Her erratic heartbeat was loud in her ears, and the only reason she did not completely spin out of control was that Tim placed a hand on the small of her back.

"Hey," he murmured into her ear. "It's gonna be okay." He escorted Lucy into the house in the hopes that she would not lunge to attack Bailey, since that would have made things worse, and he pulled her into his side once they made their way into the kitchen where Rachel joined them. "Look, this is all a misunderstanding," he said evenly.

"Is it? That's a serious allegation Bailey made, and apparently, some woman named Ashley can corroborate it?" Rachel replied.

"Ashley is a bitter ex," Lucy somewhat embellished. "Tim broke up with her to be with me." At least that was the truth.

"I see, so you're saying her testimony would be unreliable?" Rachel gathered.

Lucy blinked, needing to think for a second, because Ashley had been informed about the adoption and the paper marriage, unfortunately. "Come on, Rachel, you know me. Would I really marry someone just to adopt a kid?"

"You love Fiona a lot. That's clear."

"And I love Tim. That's clear, too," she added.

"Some things are the same between you two. From what I remember, you two were inseparable, and could read each other's minds, and I think you used to look at each other the same way," Rachel recalled.

"He was my T.O.. Any relationship would have been against the rules," Lucy tried to reason.

"So you set me up with a guy you liked?"

"I set you up with someone that I wanted to see be happy, and you're a great person that I thought would get along with him."

"But you two always got along better."

"Long shifts in a shop bring people closer. Look, we're getting off topic. This family isn't fake. This family is real. We love our daughter, and we love each other, and that's that," Lucy stated matter of factly.

"I have to take this seriously," Rachel insisted. "I don't have a choice. I heard with my own ears that your relationship is all a lie, and I want to believe you, but I have to put you two under a bigger microscope. We can't place kids with families that don't actually exist. Playing house for the sake of the adoption process? I don't think I've ever heard of something like that happening before, but it's definitely a red flag."