Friday November 16th, 1928
——

"Can I tell you a secret, Marsha?" I sit up on my bed, looking to her as she placed my freshly washed clothes in the dresser draw.

"You can ask me anything sweetheart?"

"You have worked here for many years right?" She turns to me nodding.
"So you were here when my mother was younger?" She nods again.

"My mother worked for the Kingston's during your grandfather's reign, and when I was born, one would say I practically grew up here."

"That's why you are so loved by father." She smiles.

"I watched that chubby mischievous little baby, become the man he is today." I giggle, tapping the spot on my right and she walks over to me sitting down.

"What's all this about?"

"What was mother like then?" She smiles softly, her eyes showing a sparkle as she thought back at the past.

"She was...a fair maiden in love."

"Really?"

"Mhmm. One minute." She stands to her feet, leaving the room and returning a few minutes later.
"This was the first picture your father ever had of her."

"She looks like me."

"Indeed. Tabatha Gardia was the most beautiful in all of Pemberton. So much so that her father would sometimes refuse to have to leave his side. She was to marry only the best in his eyes."

"And father was that?" She laughs.

"Oh goodness no." My eyes widen in disbelief.

"Father wasn't?" She shakes her head, chuckling.

"He actually wanted her to marry into the Andrew's family. The Kingston's then we're not as esteemed as they are now, your grandfather was still building his great empire."

"So how did they end up together?" She smiles softly at the picture.

"What his princess wants, his princess gets." She says tapping my nose with her finger, making me laugh.

"She was not always this uptight and cold." She takes the picture from my hand.
"She was full of life, joy and love...but it was as if all light left her when her parents died. Now she's this strict, must follow protocol, don't ruin our reputation woman. And truly it's so saddening." I stare down at the picture as well, sighing sadly.

"Do you think she'll ever allow herself to experience the joys of life again?" I look up to her.

"I pray to God every day that she will. And that you my dear, will find a man that loves you just as Christ loves his church." She pinches my nose and I screw up my face.

"What kind of love is that?"

"One that loves surpass one's flaws." She stands to her feet.

——
Present Day
Friday November 19th, 1936
——

"Take it easy sweetheart. I don't get why you already want to move about. Dr. Edna said you should be taking it easy still." Marsha scolds me, helping me to put on my dress.

"I can't lay in bed any longer Marsha. I fear I'll lose my mind. Plus I have to check in on the progress of the apartment building." She shakes her head, rolling her eyes.

"You need to be careful not to open back your wound. They only just removed the sutures." She says softly hitting my arm.

"Ow." I feign pain.

"I did not even hit you hard you miserable girl." She hits me again, making me laugh.
"And you need not to worry of the apartment building. Your father and Matthew have been making sure that everything is operating fine, and on schedule. Oh, and it seems Mr. Henson, if I am correct, according to your father is doing much more than just a great job with the building's operations. Your father even says he is doing a far better job than those he has hired before. Seems Mr. Henson is always going to have business with The Kingston's family from now on." She says walking over to the dresser draw, looking through it and taking out one of my dresses.

"Oh that's wonderful news. Mr. Henson truly deserves it." She nods, smiling.

"Have you heard of Barbara?" She chuckles softly, making me laugh myself.

"Who hasn't? I always knew the girl was hiding something."

"Aren't we all."

"Some more than others." I raise a brow at her confused.

"What have you heard through the grapevines Marsha?"

"Oh no no no." She shakes her head.
"I have signed contract, I am not to speak of such things." My eyes widen and I lightly hit her shoulder.

"What secret does mother hide?"

"How do you know it is about your mother?" She laughs walking away from me, placing the dirty dress into the laundry chute.

"She is the only one who always speaks of contracts. You must tell me." I whine, going over to her and grabbing hold of her arm.
"Please Marsha. When have you ever kept me out of the loop?" She rolls her eyes, folding her arms. I pout my lip to try to soften her up.

"That does not work on me anymore young lady."

"Please." I drag it out, shaking her arm.

"Okay fine." She sighs in defeat.
"It seems your mother and father are-" Someone knocks on the door, causing the both of us to jump in fright.

"Maybe you really aren't to know." She smiles smugly walking away to go open it.

"You will tell me later." I point out, walking over to my bed. She laughs, pulling opening the door, her eyes widen in shock, and I freeze when I hear who it was.

"Mrs. Kingston." Marsha glances at me, and I feel my heartbeat quicken.

"Is she awake? I wanted to know if I can speak to her." She's asking? She doesn't ask. She just enters.

"She is Ma'am. I..." Marsha looks to me.
"Madam wants to speak with you Ma'am."

"I...I umm..."

"It is quite alright if she does not desire too." My eyes widen even more out of utmost disbelief. Was that really my mother outside that door?

Marsha looks to me as if waiting for my answer, and I hesitantly nod yes. She nods, opening the door wider.

"You can come in Madam." Mother walks inside, dressed elegantly as always. Marsha looks to me, the unspoken question of if I wanted her to stay or leave.

"You can leave us." She nods, walking out the door and closing it behind her.

We both stare at each other, the room morphed into an extremely awkward silence, and heavy tension.

"How are you?" She speaks first.

"I'm doing better." She nods, and we fall into more silence.

"Why are you here?" I come out and ask. I really wanted to know. She hasn't visited me since I yelled at them all to leave, and that was four days ago.

"I...this may seem feign coming from me, but..." she shifts on her feet, I'm sure uncomfortable as I was.
"I'm sorry." I begin to choke on air, holding the back of my head when it sparks with slight pain.

"You have to be careful!" She says rushing over to me.
"Are you okay? I didn't mean to hurt you." I push her hands off me, causing her eyes to widened.

"I'm fine. Are you okay? Because apologizing is not your forte mother." I watch in even more disbelief as her eyes glisten with tears.

"I almost lost you Paulina, and in that moment I realized just how much time I had wasted trying to stay true to reputation." What is happening?

"When both your grandparents died, I made a promise to them that I would let nothing ruin the name they had built. Your father and I promised we would do far greater, I only failed to realize what it was making me lose, but I won't let it happen anymore." I remain silent simply staring at her.

"I was a horrible mother." She continued.
"I treated you like you were an object and cared not for your feelings. I made you, forced you to terminate your child and now you....now you will not be able to give bear anymore because of my foolish actions." She lowers her head as her tears begin to fall.

"My heart hurts every time I think of it. Think of you falling that day, and Dr. Edna telling us that your womb was removed—I...." She lightly hits her chest, pulling at her collar of her dress as she began to sob before me.

"I'm so sorry I failed you. So so sorry I caused all of your pain." She looks up to me.
"I don't expect you to forgive me, but I want you to know I will change. I was so angry at your father and at everything, and how you were sleeping with the son of the same man that had relations with my husband, I just...I was so mad, but that does not excuse my behavior." She takes hold of my hands, and I let her.

You let her?

I let her.

"I'll be a better mother from today onwards, I swear to you Paulina. I'll try not to dictate too much when you are making horrible choices." I scoff humorously, rolling my eyes, a smile coming onto her face when I do.
"I will never be that woman again Paulina. I promise you." She says determined.

I sigh deeply, resting my hand to her cheek.
"I just want to be happy mother. Finally happy. Not angry, not bitter, just...happy."

"I want that for you." I smile softly.

"It will take time for me to forgive you, but I hope you will stay true to what you have said."

"I will." She says with a strong look of determination on her face.

"I truly hope so." She smiles.

"Can I...can I hug you?" I nod, opening my arms to her and she immediately wraps her arms around me, of course mindful of my stomach.

She breaks down in my arms, and I softly pat her back, to give her some comfort. The sound of the door opening causes us to pull away, both father and Robert entering.

A faint smile blooms onto Father face when he sees us.

"My girls." Father says walking over to us, pulling us both into his arms.

We pull away after a few seconds, my eyes meeting Robert's and he gives me a small smile.

"We have something to tell you." Father announces and I look to him confused.

"What is that?" I look between the three of them, mother's face turning read while father smiled proudly, Robert coming to stand behind father, a small smirk on his lips.

"We are in a relationship." Father proudly states.

I look between the three of them, before landing on my mother again.
"You are sleeping with a colored man?" A smirk creeps onto my lips as she flushes even more red.

"Well not technically. He is only penetrating your father, so that does not actually mean I am sleeping with him. But if him touching me-"

"Oh that's enough mother! I don't want to know anymore details!" I frantically wave my hands to stop her rambling, both men chuckling.
"Oh my gosh. You are a greedy man father. Two of them at once." He smirks, and mother smiles up at him.

"I am quite greedy am I." He says, wrapping an arm around each of their waist.

"And what about you?" Mother asks.

"Me?" She nods.

"Assad has left for Sarton."

"Did Dennis ever explain himself?" I ask and Father nods.

"Assad's mother after separating from his father, fell in love with the widowed Lieutenant General that was over their village. Their relationship was never able to become anything more because as Dennis stated, his father was given the choice to choose between becoming general, or being ostracized from the army for loving a black woman." My eyes widen in horror.

"That's horrible." They all nod.

"Dennis said he had never seen his father so sure of something in his life; that he was more than ready to give up his title for the woman he loved, but she encouraged him not too and to take the promotion, seeing as he has worked very hard for it and always told her how much he has dreamed of being General." Robert adds.

"So he left her and that was it?" Father shakes his head.

"They moved to London yes, but he always sent money for her regularly, and letters to make sure she was well. Sometimes he'll send his son to check in as well. She was the one that called Dennis in London, after finally gaining her strength again, and told him to go and stop her son from ruining his life as he stated."

"Hmm." I look down, thinking over all that was said.

"Carl and his mother has been arguing with me for days now. She calls for him to divorce you but Carl has denied." Mother declares and I nod.

"He has said so to my face. He wants to take me to London."

"I don't think it is wise for you both to travel with the recent raise in Nazi concerns." Father stated and a slight heaviness fills the room.

"I would believe it is safe for them. From what I've gathered, they are not yet a threat, though they are keeping eye on them. The only thing I would say is you guys may experience or hear many conversations of it."

"I would rather you both remain in Pemberton." Father declares again.
"I would feel more at ease knowing you guys are on Pemberton land than overseas."

"Then where can we go?"

"You are going with him?" Mother asks and I pause.

"I.......yes." I nod and they all smile.

"I think I know a place." Robert states and we all look at him.