I manage to keep Jade quiet until after the last of the restaurant's guests have left. Rosie and Luke said their goodbyes and trailed out gracefully; but I noticed the look over her shoulder at Isla, I took notice of the way Isla jumped up and down discreetly while she fought tears. 

Whatever exchange they made, will have to wait.

I told the manager's and staff to clock out early and to tidy up in the morning, rather than the regular routine of doing it tonight. Needless to say, they were happy about that. Someone that wasn't happy, and still isn't happy, is my daughter.

Jade stands at a wall of the dining area with her arms crossed, she scowls her eyes into me as I walk towards her with Isla by my side. "Go on then," she says. "Tell them."

Jessie and Jamie look up from their phones, glancing between us all. 

"So, you're my Dad's new girlfriend?" Jessie asks Isla. 

"It's more complicated than that." Isla responds, her hand slips from mine as she rubs her head. 

"More complicated?" Jade snorts. "A bit of an understatement, don't you think, Dad?"

I glare at Jade, my nostrils flaring. "Shut up for a minute. Let me explain."

"Explain what?" Jamie says. "That you've hooked up with a girl half your age?"

"More than half." Jade puts in.

I stand so awkwardly as all my children look at me for some kind of speech. "Don't you recognize her?" I say quietly.

Jessie and Jamie turn their attention to a drunk Isla, whom is slightly swaying and looking in a different direction. 

"Shall I refresh your memories?" Jade says. "She's the kid that used to walk ten miles because she was convinced she lived at our house."

"You're that Isla?" Jamie spits out, his mouth falls open in shock. "I thought I recognized you!"

"You're the one that I spoke to on the bleachers," Jessie says. "I remember now."

"Mhm." Isla mutters.

"Dad, this is crazy," Jade squeals. "You've officially lost it!"

"Weren't you. . . in therapy?" Jessie mumbles.

"Jessie!" I sneer.

"What?" she says. "She was, right?"

"Yes," Isla says, spinning her head back around. "I was in therapy. For years. Your father knows that it was all a misunderstanding."

I look to her, confused as to why she would say that, but she refuses to meet my eyes. "It wasn't a misunderstanding."

Isla snaps her eyes at me. "Yes, it was."

"No. It wasn't."

"What's going on?" Jessie says. "What wasn't a misunderstanding?"

They expect me to answer that, but as Isla digs her eyes into mine, I get the feeling that it suddenly isn't my place to say anything. 

"That she thought she was our mother." Jade responds. 

I bite on my lip, yanking my eyes from Isla's, who has the world's deadliest look on her face. 

"Our mother?" Jamie whispers. 

Jade looks to him. "I over-heard a conversation a few years back between them on the driveway, this psycho believed she was our mother reincarnated."

Jessie and Jamie both burst out into laughter, covering their mouths while they try to contain it. It unnerves Isla, and her hands begin to tremble at her side. 

"I was a confused child," she says in defense. "But I am not confused anymore."

"I'm sorry," Jessie laughs. "You thought you were our mother? Our dead mother?"

Her amused eyes look at me, and she drops them, seriousness suddenly plagues her as she slowly takes it in. 

"This isn't a joke," I say. "I know exactly how it sounds, it's impossible and it took me a while to get my head around it at first but-"

"Woah!" Jade pushes her hands through the air, stepping forwards. "You're not actually telling us it's true, right?"

"Right?" Jessie repeats. 

"Dad?" Jamie whispers.

I look to Isla for confirmation, but she's still not looking, she's still glancing at the far wall; lost in a trillion thoughts that are taking her anywhere but here. 

It lies upon me to do this, to do the one thing Isla and I agreed upon, whether or not she's included. 

I look my children one-by-one in the eye, I take a deep breath and I hold my chest as the words unleash hell into the air. "Yes. It's true. Isla is your mother."

And then the chaos begins.