Setting up the rendezvous.

Swiftly we reached for our mobile phones. While Elizabeth tried to contact Rachel, I sent a message to Amy saying I might be gone longer than expected. It was probably best not to let Talia know of the plan just yet, I decided. Ten minutes of staring at my screen later, I got a response.

"Sure, Ian. Do what you need to do, give Elizabeth my rezqalafew"

I glanced at Amy's garbled message, then grinned. Between Amy's accident and Talia's shocker, they needed some time to blow off steam.

"Okay, I'm picking up Rachel as soon as she's done with work. We'll grab dinner nearby, then go to the bar," confirmed Elizabeth. "Is everything all right at home?"

"I think the girls will be fine without me for half a day," I smirked. "I'll just kill time for next five hours."

As the afternoon ticked on I briefly considered making a trip back home to see how Amy and Talia were doing - each other, if Amy's text was anything to go by - but on the other hand, it was nice to not have to worry about the ladies for a change. Idly I milled the paths and pavements, finding myself at the park where Amy and I had our regular runs since all those years past, even after we reunited, up to the point where she had her accident. A fond, bittersweet potpourri of memories washed over me.

And just like that, I ended up doing a couple of laps around the park. Muscles groaned, then rejoiced as adrenaline flowed through them once more. The sensation of sweatdrops dancing down my forehead only spurred me to go faster, but there was only so much I could do without running myself ragged. In short order I dropped myself on the nearest park bench I could find and laid back. Reclining in the open air never felt so satisfying.

"First thing when Amy is taken off crutches," I mused to myself. "We're going for an afternoon of exercise. Maybe I can ask Piers to come along and - "

The train of thought was interrupted as two children ran past, tossing a ball between themselves, prompting the annoying niggle at the back of my head to shoot me a reminder.

"I wanted Ian to be the father."

"Goddammit," I winced to myself. "That's it, I need a nap."

By the time I managed to rouse awake the sky had already dimmed considerably. I reached for my phone, spotting the message prompt from Elizabeth. "We're at the bar! I'll try to keep her occupied, but don't take too long getting here," it read... and sent from an hour ago.

I swore.