Chapter 7

Zoe's battered car turned up an hour later at Andy's house and Rhea climbed in. Her eyes were still red, but there was a calmness about her demeanour and steely resoluteness that frightened Zoe. They drove in silence to Zoe's house.

"I'll be a minute," Rhea told her as Zoe unlocked the front door. Rhea walked into the lounge, leaving Zoe by the doorway, where her partner was sobbing on the couch.

"Oh Rhea," he started and she interrupted him with an outstretched finger.

"I don't want to split up the family but you seem to think that paying for sex was more important than me and Izzy."

Simon groaned and Rhea shouted at the stricken gentleman.

"I would like us to try and work through our problems. It will take months, years probably, and I may never be able to trust you again, but I would like to try. For Izzy."

Simon wailed and got up to hug Rhea who halted his progress with an outstretched knee in his genitals. He collapsed prostrate and Rhea stood over him. "You do not touch me," she shouted. Simon groaned in agony but Rhea was unrepentant. "Oh come on, two weeks ago you were paying hundreds of pounds for that"

Simon burst into sobs. "Tomorrow lunchtime you empty the flat of your possessions and come to Andy's house. He said you could live there for awhile. It's your second chance. If you are not there tomorrow I will know you don't want it."

Simon looked up at Rhea smiling through the pain Rhea had caused but she didn't return it.

"Some ground rules," she said forcefully. "One, there will be no touching, kissing, fondling, groping, manhandling or sex until I decide. And when we do, whatever decade that may be, you will learn how to do it properly. You used to know but you got lazy and just focus on yourself. It stops, I am not faking any more orgasms." Simon went to protest but Rhea cut him off. "Two. All of our money is now controlled by me. You will pay all of your money a joint account and we will keep a cash book. Any spending not approved by us jointly and we split. Understand?"

"Yes," Simon replied meekly.

"Three, any further visits to hookers or other women and I will chop off your soft bits. Four, no attempts to get money from Andy, or accepting it if he offers. Five, any rows we have are not be conducted in front of Izzy or Andy. Six, you do not keep secrets. If I think you are keeping secrets I will hurt you. You got all that?"

Simon nodded and muttered. "Thank you. I love you."

"And seven. You do not keep telling me you love me. If you loved me you would not have ripped the heart out of our family. You would not have made your daughter, your fucking daughter homeless. She has to change schools, move away from her friends because of you. So no, you did not love me. When you mean it, you can say it. Do you understand?"

Simon nodded humbly and Rhea turned on her heels and left, two minutes after entering the room.

Zoe looked up at Rhea walking past and shrugged, "Are you sure?"

Rhea nodded and breathed out. "Yeah. I think so. But he needs to realise that this really is last chance saloon."

"He doesn't deserve it."

"I know. But then we need him although I don't know if it will work. We just have to try. But I am not going to be overly talkative with him at the moment."

"Well Mum isn't talking to him either," Zoe added and Rhea groaned. "Actually she says she never wants to see him again."

"I better go see her then," Rhea added and Zoe asked her if it was really a good idea. The firm look in the young mother's eyes was definitive and Zoe drove to a family house ten miles away.

Rhea picked up her handbag and got out of the car, knocking forcefully on the white front door.

"Hiya Zoe, Rhea," Andrew Matheson greeted the moment he saw them. "How are you Rhea?"

"Yeah, hiya Dad," Zoe replied and Rhea wiped her eyes.

"Where's Emma?" Rhea asked, ignoring the question and Andrew pointed towards the kitchen.

"Baking cakes. Look Rhea, we know what Simon did and..."

"I'm fine," Rhea said quickly and strode down the entrance hall and flung open the kitchen door. Emma Matheson was beating the mixture in her bright yellow kitchen but put down the icing bag the moment she saw Rhea.

"Emma," Rhea called out to the woman. "We need to talk."

"Oh Rhea. I am so sorry. I never thought he would do something like that. I really didn't. If there is anything you or Izzy need, let us know and we'll try to help but I've told him he is not welcome here..."

"No," Rhea said calmly. "You do not get to disown him."

Emma blinked for a moment and then gestured. "But he slept with fifteen year olds, prostitutes and colleagues. He frittered your money away and you're homeless."

"I know what he did but he needs us," Rhea replied, her voice still calm but assertive.

"The Good Lord would not..."

Rhea banged her fist on the cupboard. "I fucking don't care what the Good Lord wants. It's what I want. You can't disown him. He is your son and your granddaughter's father. If Izzy and I can give him a second chance, everyone else will. I mean it, he is still my partner and he is still a member of your family. Unless Izzy and I are to be unwelcome here as well."

Emma recoiled from Rhea's words but shook her head. "I'm sorry Rhea I do not want him..."

"You don't get to choose," Rhea shouted firmly and withdrew the small hunting knife from her handbag. Emma's eyes flicked towards it immediately and she squealed.

"Put that down, Rhea."

Rhea shook her head. "No. I didn't want to get it out, but you've made me."

"Rhea. Stop this. I know it's been a shock," she blubbered. "But he did nasty things and you need help to get through this"

"No. We need help, not just me. He stays as part of our family. Yes, he is in trouble. A whole fucking cesspit of trouble. But we will work through it, I know we will. If we come here then all three of us come or none of us, you understand? You've already lost one son to prison, do you want to lose your other one?"

Emma watched Rhea's right hand and the weapon in it and breathed in sharply. "I don't know, Rhea..."

"Understand?" Rhea said angrily and Emma nodded, her eyes not leaving the vicious knife in Rhea's right hand. "Good. Now ring him and tell him to come to dinner around 5pm tomorrow."

Emma hesitated and Rhea gestured with her hands sharply. "OK. OK. I'll do it."

Emma picked up the phone and Rhea watched. "Oh, and tell him you love him," Rhea added as the phone rang and Emma raised her eyebrows. "He needs to know. From everyone."

"Iceland?" Rhea asked and Andy grinned.

"Yeah. Well I'm planning to take in Norway and Faroe Islands first, come back for a day to clean clothes and the like, and then two weeks in Iceland."

Rhea hummed. "When?"

"August. Seven weeks on Saturday."

"But Iceland. I mean, you can hardly get a tan on the beach, can you?"