She closed her eyes, savouring the warm morning sun on her body as it filtered through the surrounding trees.

All was quiet, save for the occasional bird chirping and the odd cow letting out a low bellow.

"When did it all get so hard?" James' voice broke the silence.

Grace gave a small melancholic smile, glancing at him to see his gaze trained at the massive expanse of pasture that surrounded them.

"We used to sit out here all the time, the girls running around," he nodded his head in front of them before letting out a sigh.

"I'm sorry Grace," he said, "I'm sorry for everything...I'm sorry for how our lives, how your life has turned out," he ran his hand through his hair, "none of this has been fair for you, it wasn't the life I'm sure you envisioned for yourself-"

"It was once though," she cut him off, "we were the life I wanted you know, we were happy..."

"Until I fucked it up..." he said sadly, "I should have...I should have been a man back then so you could be with a man now that deserves you and can be what you need...someone that cherishes you and loves you..."

"You do love me," Grace interrupted.

"Not how you should be though," he looked at her, "you walk into a room and I know how wonderful you are and how amazing you are but...that's it," he paused, turning to face her properly, "when you walk into a room, I should be looking at you with awe, like you're my whole world and my absolute happiness-"

"Stop, please..." Grace cut him off, his words felt like a knife to her heart, knowing he once felt that way about her but it would never happen again.

"No," James insisted, "I don't look at you like that," he paused, "but Harry does."

Grace let out a small gasp, a look of shock on her face.

"No he-" she began.

"Yes, he does, any fool can see it," James said, "and I'm certainly the biggest fool around here."

Grace looked down at her toast, suddenly not feeling hungry anymore.

"You told him about Mason last night," she asked, "why?"

"Because you need someone Grace," he sighed, "you need to be loved...hell, we all need to be loved, but I want that for you."

Grace let out a scoff.

"Why would I want someone as lovely as Harry to get involved in your fucked up family?" she asked, glancing at her husband.

"I could say the same thing about Mason," James replied, before turning his body to face her, "I'm just saying, I don't want you to live your life alone anymore, I never have-"

"Yet you made it that way," Grace replied bluntly.

James signed heavily, not knowing what else to say to convince Grace but also not wanting to push her to the point he upsets her, so he thought he'd try and change the subject.

"I don't know what's gotten into Lucy lately," he suddenly said, "to out you like that today was just..." he trailed off.

"More like what hasn't gotten into her," Grace mumbled.

James looked at her, frowning as he waited for her to clarify herself.

"Your sister wants him for herself," Grace finally replied, "she has ever since he arrived."

"Jesus, that woman wants anything with a pulse," James replied with some disgust.

Grace thought about what had transpired the other night between the three of them.

Should she tell him?

Things were fractured enough as it was.

But after the way Lucy had turned on Grace yesterday, who knew what she was really capable of.

Especially if she decided to run to Joan.

"James," she took a deep breath, "Lucy did something not long ago...to Harry..." she trailed off.

James looked at her expectantly, waiting patiently for her to continue.

"She accused him of something but he didn't do it," she went on.

James shrugged his shoulders.

"So if he didn't do it, does it matter?" he questioned, "is it all cleared up?"

"James, she accused Harry of coming onto her, like, physically getting rough with her...that he wanted her..." she explained.

James' eyes widened and he shook his head.

"Did he?" he asked, his mouth agape.

"No!" Grace replied adamantly, "remember we had that nanny cam in the room? I didn't get around to removing it yet..." she trailed off, feeling her face heat up at the memory of what she had watched Harry do in bed.

"I can't believe she'd do such a thing," he shook his head, "do we still have the footage?"

Grace's plate fell off her lap and onto the ground.

"Shit," she murmured as she bent down to pick up the plate and the remains of her uneaten toast, "you know it only stays around for a certain amount of time, but I saved it separately..." she trailed off.

James sat in stunned silence.

"I just thought I'd tell you...so you knew I guess...after yesterday..." she shrugged her shoulders sadly, "I don't trust her now, I really don't James."

"I think I'm in agreeance with you there," he said, "imagine if she knew about-"

"I don't even want to think about it," she cut him off, "it's bad enough your mother knows."

"But where would you be if she didn't?" he replied.

Grace thought for a moment.

"Either way, I'm in hell," she looked over at him, "aren't I?"

"My mother is indeed the devil," he sighed.

They sat there in silence.

Comfortable silence.

"I still think you should let Harry in," he finally broke the quiet.

"I still think you're insane," Grace replied, earning a laugh from James.

"Can you at least think about it," he reasoned, "I just don't want you to miss out on a chance at some happiness."

Grace said nothing, feeling it was all completely hopeless.

"Just don't keep pushing it away, that's all I'm trying to say," he said, "don't push away a chance of finding love."

"Okay, okay," Grace shook her head, signalling she was done with the conversation, "I'll think about it, can you shut up now?" she said.

James shook his head and laughed.

There was the Grace that he knew and loved.

He watched as she grabbed her plate and stood up.

"I think I need to go and do something productive," she stated, "I need to get back on track after yesterday."

"Take it easy hey?" James advised, "if you happen to run into Harry, can you send him out for a chat?"

Grace looked at James sharply.

"Nothing bad I promise," he held up his hands, "I feel I should apologise for my sister's appalling behaviour, that's all."

"As long as that's all and the two of you aren't suddenly in cahoots regarding my life," she said as she walked back inside.

"Give it time," he murmured, "give it time."

~~~~~~

"Shit she's coming!" Harry quickly nudged Rosie as the two of them stood at one of the windows, craning their necks to see what was happening with James and Grace.

"Act natural!" Rosie hissed as she ran over and quickly opened the fridge, grabbing the first thing she could get her hands on and pushing it into Harry's hands, "make like you're pouring this for everyone!"

Harry glanced down at the bottle in his hands.

"Rosie this-" he started.

Rosie slammed some glasses down onto the bench.

"Start pouring!" she urged him frantically.

"But-" he tried again.

"Ah Ms. Grace!" Rosie cut him off, "Harry was just getting some drinks for everyone, would you like one?" she smiled at her.

Grace looked at the bottle in Harry's hand before looking at Rosie and then back to Harry.

"Wine?" she raised an eyebrow, "bit early isn't it?"

Harry stood frozen, the bottle still clutched firmly in his hands as Rosie made a strange noise in response.

"Don't make out like you weren't watching," Grace rolled her eyes, "I know you," she pointed her finger at Rosie.

"I do it because I care," Rosie huffed, earning a smirk from Grace.

"Harry," Grace turned her attention to him, "James wanted to have a bit of a chat with you if you don't mind."

Harry's eyes widened.

"Nothing serious," Grace smiled, "I told him..." she trailed off, remembering that Rosie didn't know of Lucy's accusations regarding Harry, "anyway, just a friendly chat..."

"Right," Harry replied, "friendly chat," he started heading towards the back door.

"Harry?" Grace called out to him, watching as he whirled around, "you might want to put the wine down though."

Harry looked down to see he was still clutching the bottle to his chest like his life depended on it.

"Wine...yes..." he said, taking a couple of large steps and placing the bottle on the bench, "right you are," he agreed before taking a deep breath and heading outside to see James.

He wiped his hands on his jeans as he approached the older man, his stomach starting to knot, unsure of where this was going to go.

"Harry," James looked up at the young man as he neared and gestured to the empty seat Grace had just occupied.

Harry sat down and waited for James to begin.

"Grace told me about Lucy," he started, "specifically what she accused you of."

Harry looked down at his lap, finding his hands suddenly very interesting.

"I can't begin to say how sorry I am about that, it's absolutely abhorrent that she would do such a thing," he said.

"I swear I didn't touch her-" Harry began.

"I know," James cut him off, "I trust Grace implicitly and if she says you didn't, then you didn't," he paused, "and the look on your face tells me the same thing."

James looked out to the distance before speaking again.

"You must look at us and think how royally fucked up we are," he chuckled though there was no humour in it.

"Not every family is perfect I guess," Harry shrugged, trying to be diplomatic.

"Does your mother blackmail you?" he asked him.

"Can't say that she does...no," Harry replied.

"I have to ask though, why haven't you up and gone? Most people tend to leave within the first month..." James trailed off.

"I think you know the answer to that," Harry replied boldly.

"What makes you think anything will come of this?" James asked him.

"I don't," Harry replied honestly, "but it's like she has this pull..."

"Magnetic like isn't it?" James finished off for him.

Harry nodded in agreement.

"You know, I did an awful lot of thinking last night," James suddenly said, "I'm at a point in my life where I don't think I can go on like this, Grace can't go on like this either," he paused, "please don't mention I said this to her."

Harry shook his head, promising he wouldn't.

"I want to be happy, I want to live out my days with the person I love, I should have that right yes?" he asked.

"Absolutely," Harry agreed.

"You know, Grace has always wanted to go to London, I just never got around to taking her there," he said wistfully.

Harry's brow furrowed in confusion, not sure what to say.

"If," he paused before looking at Harry, "if I can get her there, it'd be nice that she already knew someone, had a friend..." he said with a tight-lipped smile.

Harry's eyes widened.

"I could be that friend," he whispered.

"You could be that friend," James agreed.

They stared at each other for a moment before James stood up, Harry following suit.

"Remember, not a word to Grace about what we've spoken about," James reminded him, "can you do that?"

"Of course," Harry replied.

"Good lad," James smiled, "shall we head back inside then?"

Harry nodded in agreement and followed James back inside the house.

He started to think about everything and came to the realisation that James was just as unhappy as Grace was and that maybe he had been wrong about him.

He wanted nothing but the best for his family.

Harry was beginning to put the pieces together to solve this puzzle.

But there was a nagging thought at the back of his mind that there were still a few pieces that he was yet to find.