Demi busied herself putting the kids into the car after she had fed them. She couldn't stand to wait around the house for Danny to call, she kept thinking about Ben working late.
"Auntie Demi you look very sad, do you need a hug?"
Demi sniffed, forcing herself to snap out of it.
"You know what Amanda; I do need a hug."
As she felt her nieces arms wrap around her neck Demi told herself that now wasn't the time to be wallowing in her own self-pity. She had to be the strong one, to be the glue that kept their family together. Danny, Amanda, Emily, Trevor, they all needed her, Ben would be held accountable one day, just not now.
"What do you say we go and pick out some beautiful flowers for Emily before we meet Dad? Won't he be so surprised," said Demi as she freed herself from Amanda's grasp.
"Can we choose pink ones, that's Emmy's favourite colour."
"Of course we can it's your choice."
Although Demi was on a mission to get flowers, afterward she drove past the car dealership, she slowed down to a crawl looking for Ben's car. It wasn't there and all the lights were off in the office.
Her phone ringing cut into her thoughts.
"Danny, hey, we are on our way to the hospital now, wait for us in the car park and we will all go in together."
As she sped off toward the hospital she reminded herself that she had wasted enough of her time second guessing every move Ben made. Maybe Ben was on his way home at that very moment.
The hospital car park was close to full, but it didn't take long for her to find a park right next to Danny's. She spotted him right away, leaning on the back of his car.
"Amanda wait there with Trevor for a minute while I have a quick talk to Dad, then we will go in," said Demi.
"Ok, Auntie, can we keep the portable DVD player on?"
"Of course you can," she smiled, with the pink bouquet in hand Demi sidled up to Danny and leaned on the car next to him.
"Amanda got these for Emily she chose them herself,"
"Nice,"
"I'm nervous about tomorrow Danny,"
"Well don't be Dem, just do your best."
"Your right, we should go in?"
They both looked towards the hospital entrance in time to see a tall stunning blonde haired woman walk out of the hospital arm in arm with a dark haired man in a black business suit and striped tie. He looked familiar, Demi and Danny looked at each other as if to confirm that they must be mistaken. They weren't, it was Ben arm in arm with another woman.
The flowers Demi held crashed to the floor as she stood there in a dumb silence. She was right, it was happening all over again. She had caught him cheating again.
"What the hell Demi," growled Danny pulling up his sleeves, "I'm going to go over there and bust that jerks head all over the pavement!"
"Stop, don't Danny, not now, not here, not in front of Amanda, let's go back to the car." whispered Demi pulling her brother back.
They watched as Ben and the blonde woman swaggered across the street, the blonde woman leaning into him as she giggled until they reached his parked car. Ben opened the passenger's side door for her and Demi looked away.
When they disappeared from view Daniel looked across at Demi.
"Get out of the car, we need to talk right now!"
Once out Daniel said angrily, "What the hell was that all about?"
"Do you remember when I was pregnant with Trevor? The day I had him I had gone to visit Misty and on the way home I started having contractions. I was scared, so I stopped into Ben's work. His receptionist wasn't out front, so I opened the door to his office and walked in," said Demi still shaking.
"And he was in there with his receptionist, right?"
"I stood there looking at them writhing his big black chair. The one thing that haunts me is that big golden ring on his left hand. Once it meant something. Now every time I see it all I can picture is that stupid ring on his hand as it clung on to the naked back another woman."
"Tell me you didn't let him get away with that Demi!"
"Ben was in that chair, mouth gaping in horror, trying to push his receptionist off of him. She was grappling around looking for her discarded blouse, so I picked it up and threw it at her as hard as I could. Then I had a massive contraction and my waters broke. A few hours later I was holding Trevor. Everyone was there at the hospital making such a fuss, celebrating our happy occasion, and Ben acted as though nothing had ever happened. I wanted to confront him, I wanted to rip his heart out and stomp on it with my shoe... instead I let it go. It has been festering between us ever since."
"Why didn't you tell me Dem, you didn't need to keep this a secret? I would have been there for you, I would have held him down while you ripped his heart out."
"I'm supposed to be the strong one, when mum left, I took her place. I should have sorted Ben out right from the start, this is my own fault!"
"You don't have to be in any of this alone, us Jacob's stick together, especially us, just like we always have!"
"All I ever wanted was honesty, and he chooses now right in the middle of a family crisis to hang out with some blonde bimbo in our car. Why now when we all need each other more than ever, how could he, and who the hell is she!"
"Dem, I know who she is, I have never met her, but I have seen her before."
"Who is she?"
"Victoria's mother, she is in that advert, the one for the car yard, where she is wearing the white dress that flies up!"
"Oh yeah, that slimy car yard ad for Ben's company. They have life sized cut outs of her in the dealership main building, she is nasty. And Victoria... Just when I thought Victoria couldn't sink any lower in my books. They are all going to pay for this Danny, I will see to that!"
"No Dem, WE will see to it and while we are being honest, I need to tell you something, about Victoria, why she got arrested."
"What?" Demi gasped.
"I told the nurse that Victoria shook Emily before we brought her in...."
"Good, she deserves everything she gets Danny, she is guilty, and you did the right thing!"
Danny turned away and closed his eyes, he didn't want to talk about it anymore.
"Let's get the kids out of the car."
Danny felt sick to his stomach, part of him wanted to share the whole truth with Demi. As he stood beside his sister Alistair's words kept ringing in his ears, 'if they find Victoria innocent, they will come after you next.'
Demi was angry at Victoria, maybe that could come in handy, since she was going on the stand tomorrow. Just a gentle shove in the right direction and Demi would be on his side. It was an opportunity to close the gap too, he reasoned.
"Remember when we were kids we shared everything. Somehow over the years we grew apart without even realising it. I'm sorry I didn't try harder."
"It isn't your fault, I could have tried harder too."
"Demi... you believe me, don't you?"
"Believe you about what Danny?"
"That I didn't hurt Emily."
"Of course I do, Victoria is completely to blame if you ask me."
"If they let Victoria go, I'm next, it just scares me that I might be the one up there - what if they take the girls from us?"
"Danny, anyone with two eyes can see that Victoria is guilty, it won't come to that, nobody will take the girls, I will see to it!"
"There you go again making the world a better place for us all, I love you like a twin!" Danny said as he hugged her tightly.
Demi stepped back and smiled broadly at him as a tear spilled down her cheek.
"I love you like a twin too DJ, nobody will take away our family or our happiness. They will have to go through both of us first!"
Amanda climbed out of the car and tugged on Danny's shirt.
"Daddy, why are Emmy's flowers on the floor?"
Demi gasped as she turned away to scoop up the flowers by her feet and wiped her face with her sleeve to hide the tears from Amanda.
"Daddy can we go and visit Emmy now please?"
Danny glanced toward Demi, who was now holding the bunch of pink flowers in her hands. He cleared his throat and Demi smiled and nodded.
"Let's go," said Danny looking towards the hospital entrance.
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