the emotional wringer — she could barely imagine what it had been like for Eric and his brother, let alone for the bewildered senator, whose world had just undergone a tectonic shift. It was time for her and Rey to bow out.
Apparently he'd come to the same conclusion, because he caught her eye immediately when she looked at him, and nodded. Emmy squeezed Eric's hand to attract his attention.
"I'm going to slip out with Rey. I think you need some serious family time — tell Owen I'm taking him back to my place, and you can get in touch later."
"Thank you," Eric whispered, and he brushed her lips with a light kiss. "I can't tell you how much I love you right now."
"Good luck," she whispered back before slipping out, Rey in tow, with the briefest of acknowledgements to Owen and Eleanor. The abiding image she stayed with as the elevator doors shut was of Senator Glenison, standing stock-still, head bowed while the three members of his family surrounded him, silent.
"Greek tragedy has nothing on this," she said to Rey as they exited the building into the New York Sunday evening traffic, and he laughed.
"I'd heard about the senator's legendary temper, but Owen hadn't warned me that his mom could be so badass."
"I don't think any of them had any idea!" Emmy said. "I'd only ever met her once, but I was blown away. I wonder if they're going to be able to fix this though — there's so much baggage there..."
"You can say that again. But you know, whatever happens, one thing's for sure — Owen's really happy to have his family back."
◆◆◆
The call, when it came, was late — to the extent that Emmy had actually taken out the blankets she'd folded away when Anna had left, to make Rey a bed on the couch.
"Em? I'm sorry it took so long. Dad — Dad was a mess," Eric said, sounding tired.
"Really?"
"He's a piece of work, Em. Not that I didn't know, but still. And my mother is the bravest person I've ever met — and I'm ashamed to say that took me thirty-one years to figure out."
"Hey," Emmy said gently, "maybe you didn't get much of a chance to see it before now. She had to build up to this."
He snorted.
"One thing's for sure, Dad was pretty shocked. He had no idea she had this in her. Nor, to be honest, did any of us. I mean, if I'd known, maybe I would've done something earlier. Tried harder."
"Don't start blaming yourself, Eric — this is all happening because of what you did. It's a good thing."
"Yes," he said fervently. "No matter what, this is a good thing. I have my brother back. And Mum — this is better than any treatment, anywhere. Even with all the stress, and Dad, and the angst — she's just, well, happy. Owen's absence was destroying her."
There was a wealth of what ifs and roads not taken in his tone just now, and Emmy decided to leave them be for now — even if part of her sighed at the obliviousness of the three men in question. Better late than never, after all.
"So what happens now?" she asked.
"Right now? I'm sending the car to pick up Rey — Mum left with Dad — do you want to come over?"
The offer was tempting, and Emmy found herself hesitating — but she had two meetings in the morning and there was a ton of new stock arriving that would need sorting and pricing.
"Can you manage without me? I would, but tomorrow is a long day and..."
And if she came over they wouldn't sleep for a couple of hours, that much she knew, and she couldn't afford another short night after all the time spent sending off Anna.
He sighed at the other end.
"To be honest, much as I would love to have you in my bed, I've slept maybe eight hours over the past three days, what with the flying, the jet-lag and the nerves, so perhaps it's best. I'll call you tomorrow, then."
"That sounds good," Emmy said with a smile.
"Oh, and I should ask Priya Kapoor to get in touch with you," Eric added almost as an afterthought.
"Sorry?"
"My media relations adviser. She's very good."
"I...what do you mean?" she asked, reeling.
"Just in case this hits the press...Dad is...well, he's mulling over whether to continue his campaign, and it's likely that Owen's reappearance will be noticed. And from Owen to you is a pretty easy step."
"It is?"
Eric