Drew had returned Ambers text earlier with Sam's hotel information. She had made out it was just so she could drop her a goodbye note, but truth was she needed to see her. She hadn't planned to ever see her again, but she had to find out if she was starting to remember anything. Sam had recognised Rachel at the diner, and Amber hadn't even mentioned her. Amber was leaving tomorrow and knew herself well enough to know it would haunt her if she didn't at least ask her.

The hotel was a large chain, not the most expensive, but modest and popular. It was large in size and popular with tourists due to its beach front location. Amber parked her Lexus and made her way to the lobby. She had no idea what she would even say to her, and her stomach was tied in knots.

The elevator took her up to the fifth floor and she walked down the corridor looking for Sam's room number. She found it near the end of the row and stopped outside to catch her breath. She knocked lightly, almost pulling back her fist in fear of it even making a sound.

There wasn't any response. Amber turned to walk away, losing her nerve, and she made her way back to the elevator. As she waited she heard voices carry down the corridor, getting closer to her. A man with his two children in a double stroller. The little girl was in a negotiation for ice cream at the beach but her Dad thought the playground would be a better stop as her sister was grouchy.

Amber smiled at the scene as they approached. The baby caught her attention when she realised it was Bea, it was Sam's baby. Amber felt her stomach drop and guts churn.

This was her husband.

She turned quickly to go down the stairs, hoping he wouldn't notice her.

"Hey wait" he called out.

Amber stopped as she reached the door to the stairwell.

"Amber right?" He asked after her.

She took a deep breath and turned back to him.

"Yes" she answered hesitantly.

"Could I spare a moment of your time?" He asked.

"Of course" she replied, following him into the elevator like she was walking to her death.

Amber looked away from him as he watched her closely. The elevator moved swiftly, and he continued to talk with his daughter who had her nose in a guide book. Bea was nodding off.

The elevator opened and he pushed the stroller out into the lobby. "Do you have time to walk with us to the beach? It's only a few minutes down to the ocean"

"Of course" Amber replied, absolutely terrified.

She followed the stroller and the man pushing it until they came to the playground on the sandy beach. He pushed the stroller to the bench inside the play area and unbuckled the little girl who flew off at speed towards the castle that was the play area with slides and swings.

He pulled the sun visor down over the sleeping baby's head and sat down beside her.

"Please sit" he asked.

Amber did as he asked. She sat nervously in his overwhelming presence. He was a handsome man who was tall and bulky in build with large muscly shoulders and arms. He watched the little girl with an eagle eye as she climbed over the castle and moved between other children finding her way to the slide. He didn't utter a word for at least two minutes. Amber was becoming irritated by the silence.

"You were at the hotel" he stated randomly, without moving his gaze from the girl.

"Yes" Amber replied nervously, placing her hands under her thighs.

"Have you and Sam been seeing each other there?" he asked.

"No of course not" Amber stated, shocked he would assume that. "No she doesn't even know I'm here"

"So you haven't seen her?" he pushes further.

"Once. By accident. She was out for lunch and I happened to be there getting some with a friend. I told her goodbye. That was it."

He seemed to nod to himself at that and tense his jaw.

"Then why are you here if you said goodbye already?" he probed.

Amber moved away from him slightly and fiddled with her hands in her lap.

"She said something that made me wonder if she was remembering things about Sydney. I just wanted to check before I leave tomorrow."

"She hasn't mentioned anything else?" he asked. "Anything that you didn't know already?"

She turned to look at him, but again his gaze never left the play area. "Like what?"

"Nothing" he finally responded, meeting her eyes with his own. "Amber I won't pretend that I like you. I have deep feelings of hatred for you. Not you as a person but at what your presence has done to my family. I have lost my wife. I am divorced in my late twenties with two young children and a huge empty house in the burbs. I hate that meeting you changed her, I hate that she loved you first, that she was yours, and I truly despair that those feelings were evidently stronger and more meaningful than our relationship ever was. Most petrifying thing is that at any moment she could remember it all and I will become the man that just filled a void in her life. That when her real life comes knocking and she remembers her true self, our life will become just what it was, a stand in for the real thing, a bus stop that she had to wait at until her ride showed up"

Amber was stunned at this information "I had no idea you two had divorced! I am so sorry. I never intended to affect your life which is why I left her with Drew's number, and walked away. She isn't my Sydney, she's your Sam. I don't even know her! I will leave and I won't come back. I am so sorry. For what it's worth though you got that last bit wrong, you got something more precious than a void in time, you had her heart for five years, and you had two children with her, and neither can never be erased by me or my presence. Family is forever, whatever happens. That is more than I have. You can hate me all you want but you can't ever hurt me more than I have been already. I'm leaving town tomorrow and moving on"

"I think that's best." He replied as the baby began to cry. He bent down and removed her from the stroller. "Oh crap she needs a diaper change" he said panicked. He waved the little girl over from the swings but she shook her head at his pleading.

"I can watch her until you get back" Amber offered, watching his stress levels rise.

"No I can't ask you to do that... you are a stranger" he replied agitatedly.

"Listen you know my name and I bet you did a thorough back ground check on me as soon as Sam told you my name."

He looked back from the diaper bag with a guilty expression. "Yeah I did" he confirmed. "I just needed to know more"

"It's okay, I would have done the same" Amber said standing from the bench. "I can watch her from here. You will be gone for a few minutes and be back before she's even got off of the swings"

He looked back and forth for a few moments as Beas screaming got louder.

"Okay" he gave in "I will be right back, please just watch her"

Amber took out her cell phone and checked the time. Rachel would need her back for the staff interviews in half an hour. She sent her a message saying she may be late and searched the castle for the little girl. Amber felt her heart drop to her belly as she looked but failed to locate her.

"Crap! I lost his kid" she cursed with her hand held over her forehead to block the sun from her eyes.

"Crap is a very naughty word" Came a small raspy voice from beside her. The little girl was sat on the bench dangling her legs.

"Oh thank... god" Amber responded in shock with her hand covering her heart dramatically. She sat herself back down beside her.

"Hi" she greeted "my names Amber" She said, holding out her hand.

The little girl wrinkled up her freckled nose and thought about it, before sticking her small sweaty hand into Ambers "Hi Amber" She replied.

"And who might you be?" she asked her.

"Crap,  I don't know if I should say. Momma says don't talk to strangers"

Amber took a sharp intake of breath at the curse leave her mouth. She had taught her a curse word in two seconds of conversation.

Fuck! She couldn't be trusted with a child for even a moment.

"Do you know my Momma?" she asks eagerly.

"Is her name Sam?" Amber asks completely unsure if it is or not as she never mentioned a second child.

"Yeah, but I call her Momma" she replies, taking a juice box from her Fathers bag and handing it out to Amber. "Can you put the straw in Amber please and thank you" she asks politely.

"Sure" Amber replies, taking the box and piercing the lid with the straw before handing it back into her waiting hands. She takes a large sip and then breathes out heavily taking off her green snap back and sitting it on the bench between them with the juice box.

"That's better" she says to herself "It's so hot" she observes, wiping her hands down her shorts until they rest on her little knees. Her fair hair is pulled up into a pony tail with a few loose strands blowing in the cool ocean air.

"My name is Clark" She offers, as Amber watches her turn her body toward her. Her eyes squint with the glare of the sun. She can't tell with the bright light but she doesn't think she has the green eyes of her mother.

"Well, it's nice to meet you Clark" Amber says honestly.

"It's nice to meet you too Amber. Would you like to push me on the swing?" she asks,

"Love to" Amber responds as she grabs Ambers hand and leads her to the play area. It's only for a few minutes that she's swinging and they are laughing at the height she is making with her long little legs as her Father returns.

"Thank you for looking after her" he says, placing down Bea who toddles off towards the spades and buckets, seemingly a lot happier.

"I will go play with her Daddy" Clark offers, jumping from the swing before it comes to a stop and landing confidently on her two feet with a giggle.

"Okay sweetheart" he calls after her with a smile.

"She is a great kid" Amber says with a smile as she observes Clark help her sister to build a sandcastle

"Another reason you need to stay away" he says with anger in his tone.

"I won't bother your family again" Amber replied, taken aback by his tone, and walking away.

"Amber" he calls.

"Yeah" She replies, turning for a moment.

"I am sorry for your loss. It must have been awful" he is genuine, and loses the tension in his jaw for a second. Amber nods in response and heads back to the path. It is only a few seconds before she feels little fingers pull on hers. She stops and turns, finding Clark at her side.

Amber bends down to avoid the glare of the sun. "Were you going to leave without saying goodbye" she asks sweetly.

Amber looks past her at her father who is watching with Bea in his arms, and then she turns back to Clarks waiting eyes.

"I'm sorry Clark, I have to go for now" she says, squeezing her little shoulder.

"Okay, well I hope we can play again one day" Clark replies animatedly.

"Me too" Amber whispers with a smile.

Her father approaches and blocks the sun as he stands beside them "Come on now Clark it's time to get going and let the lady go"

Its only then as the sun disappears behind his frame that Amber is able to see her little features fully for the first time, and before she can even appreciate her thoughts, Clark speaks innocently and confirms them

"We have the same eye colour" she observes, delighted at the thought.

"Yes...we do" Amber stutters in confusion.

"My Momma says they are like honey" she continues, as her father picks her up swiftly and lets her wave goodbye before heading back to the stroller.

Amber takes out her cell phone, types hurriedly and awaits the answer on the other end.

"Hello sweetheart. It's not my birthday you know? So what do I owe this call?"

"Mom have you still got those photo albums at the house from when I was little?"

"Hello to you too. Of course I do Amber. I know you think otherwise but I'm not a monster. I'm your loving mother and like any loving mother I indeed have albums dedicated to my spawn hanging around my house at all times"

"So, they are in storage then?" Amber retorts.

"Yeah they are" her Mother confirms after a moment of silence "but only while I'm renovating the house" she defends.

"Mother, you renovated a year ago."

"Don't guilt trip me sweetheart. I will go get them this weekend and put them pride of place. If its photos from a child you want I have some up on the walls in my study at home...you know because I do love and adore you, contrary to what you think"

"Thanks Mom. Love you" Amber replies, before hanging up and running back towards the hotel and her car.