Cade...

"Oh my god! You've bought me some Stella McCartney underwear!" Sophia's grey eyes stare with irrepressible delight at the five different sets of bras and knickers that I have bought for her for Christmas. "They are perfect, thank you!" As she kisses me, all I can think about is myself—how much I'm going to enjoy watching Sophia trying on all of her new underwear. "You really have spoilt me." Sitting back on her heels, she tilts her head to gift me with one of her priceless smiles. With wrapping paper and discarded pieces of curling ribbons all around her, Sophia sits amongst the presents that I have bought her. Perfume. Candles. Spa day gift vouchers. Chocolates. Some CD's. Champagne. And of course, the Stella McCartney underwear...my girl looks happy.

Patting my lap, I cheekily summon for Sophia to come and sit where I am on the sofa. Without hesitation, she is wading her way through the wrapping paper before sitting herself exactly where I wanted her. "What time do we need to be at your mum and dad's?" Once again, the whole Christmas dinner thing is a whole new experience for me, but I am learning to embrace all of my new experiences.

"Dinner will be about two, so if we get there for one, we can exchange presents." It is one thing to buy gifts for my gorgeous fiancée, it is quite another to have to buy for my soon-to-be in laws. But with some help from Sophia, I think I've actually done okay with this buying gifts thing. "Which means, my very sexy fiancé, we had better think about getting ready."

Enjoying hearing Sophia calling me her very sexy fiancé, a grin quickly reaches my mouth. "You think I'm sexy?"

Smirking, maybe a little coyly so, Sophia softly replies. "You know you are!"

"Do I?" I'm laughing, surprised that she would even think that.

"You're a head turner, Lapley. I know it, and you know it!" Lacing her fingers around the nape of my neck, Sophia is now laughing too, positioning herself higher up into my lap. "But you are my head turner, so it doesn't matter." The feisty edge to her voice is something I don't hear very often, but when I do, I rather like it.

Tickling her, I kiss the enticing side of her neck at the very same time. "You really turn me on when you get all he's mine." Tickling Sophia a little more, she is soon wriggling around on my lap like a dying fish on a boat deck.

"Cade! I mean it! Stop! Please stop!" Her laughter fills the living area of the shag pad, that is, until her laughter is interrupted by that of the loud apartment doorbell. "Are you expecting anyone today?" Sitting up, Sophia stands to allow me the room to stand as well.

"Nope, I'm not expecting anyone today." Just a little bit peeved, I go and answer the door. The person that I do open the door to, is a person I would have least expected to see standing there; especially today. "Mother?" My surprise is evident, but adjusting to the sullen sight of her, I then address her in a far more hostile way. "It's Christmas Day and we have plans, so if you're here to stir up some shit, I'd much rather you go and stir that shit up somewhere else?"

Her face remains just the same, not a glimmer of retaliation can be seen in her dull and depressing eyes. "I'm not here to cause trouble, I just want five minutes of your time?" She asks, jerkily smoothing the one side of her pleated trousers. "Please? Just five minutes?"

From behind me, I hear Sophia. "Just let your mum say what she needs to say, Cade." Her voice is far more welcoming than my own.

Relenting, I step aside to let my mother in. "We're going out, so let's get this over with."

In a gingerly manner, mother steps fully inside the apartment, scanning the very festive room with eyes so narrowly sad and lost. "You have made it look very Christmassy." Still her eyes sadly roam the apartment, until they fall on Sophia who is now standing in the hallway near our bedroom.

"Right, I'll leave you both to it, then." My girl tries to give me an assuring smile before trying to leave me alone with my mother.

But I don't want her to leave. I want her here with me. Just as I am about to insist that she stays, my mother interrupts me.

"Actually, Sophia...I'd rather you hear what I have to say."

So, my girl stays. Faithfully and loyally, she comes and stands close to my side. Both of us stand as a united front, as we silently prepare ourselves for whatever words my mother is about to launch at us. Looking stiff and uncomfortable, the woman who has made my life an absolute living hell, actually seems nervous. Closing her eyes for a second, she appears to need to take a calm breath in through her nose, and back out from her throat before beginning to say her piece. "I have got so many things wrong with you, Cade." She looks at me, swallowing so hard. "I know I have been an atrocious mother. For that, I am sorry." With regret, she blinks back at me before needing to look away. Clearing her throat, Sophia is the one that she now addresses. "I apologise for the way that I have spoken to you, for the things that I have done." Then she changes the pitch of her tone, wanting to express just how sorry she really is. "I really am sorry, Cade." Way out of her comfort zone, mother then pastes on an edgy smile. "I am here, because I want to hand over Lapley Law Firm to you." She opens her shoulder bag, pulling from it a large brown envelope. "I have the papers all drawn up. All you need to do is sign them. I won't be no part of the company anymore, as I am going to retire. So I'll not be around in any way. It will solely be yours." Once again, she looks at me with sad regret. "You are going to marry, and inevitably have children. I know it's too late for me to do right by you, but at least let me do something for any future grandchildren that I may have. Giving you the law firm, will ensure their security. Besides, it is what your grandfather wanted. In his will, it was his wish that you were to inherit the company, and upon my death, also Lapley estate." Holding out the envelope to me, mother's voice has a quiet, pleading tone. "Let me do this for all of you, Cade. Everything is inside this envelope. With immediate effect, I will be out of your life for good."

My eyes lower to the envelope, hesitant to take it from between my mother's fingers. Looking sideways at Sophia, her encouraging gaze convinces me to take it. Slowly, I pull the envelope from the grip of my mother, still so very wary of all that she has told me. "I will have a look over it, first." Is my very forthright response. For as sad and as regretful as my mother seems to genuinely be—I still don't trust her.

Sensing that, mother is quick to leave. "Well, I had better get going." She forces yet another smile, something I have rarely ever seen. "Have a lovely day." Sophia is also at the end of that very rare smile of hers, before she lets herself out.

As soon as the door closes behind my mother, I feel like the air has returned to the apartment again. I don't know what I had expected from my mother's visit, but it certainly wasn't that.

"You okay?" Sophia is stroking my back, so lovingly worried about me.

"Did my mother just come in here and apologise, then hand over the family company to me?" Still completely dumbfounded, I look to Sophia to tell me what has just happened, really did just happen.

Resting her head on the top of my arm as she cuddles in against me, Sophia nods with a pleased smile. "She certainly did."

"My mother has never apologised for anything, ever."

"Well maybe, she thought that it was about time that she did?" Moving around to the front of me, Sophia wraps her arms around my lower back, giving me one of her frowns that looks so very cute on her. "Do you want to have the law firm?"

With no hesitation, I keenly nod. "Yes, if my mother leaves...yes." Thinking of all the professional and emotional freedom, my lips thoughtfully purse together. "I would certainly make a few changes, but yes, I'd like it to be mine."

Stroking the back of my neck with her just as thoughtful fingers, Sophia then broadly smiles. "Then congratulations, my darling...you deserve it."

Sweeping my girl up in my very fortunate arms, I hold her closer than close with her feet now dangling off the ground. "Are you sure you're happy with my decision to take on Lapley Law Firm?" I ask with an excited gleam in my eyes, still holding her so affectionately tight against me.

Clinging on, Sophia just smiles. "If you're happy, I'm happy."

Wanting and needing to kiss her, I delicately do. As I kiss the person who means more than anything else in this world to me, I consider myself to be the luckiest man in the world. With her sumptuous lips kissing me back, I know that my good fortune will be showered on the only person who has ever loved me for me. If what my mother said is true—that one day, Lapley Estate will be mine, I am not even sure whether me and Sophia will want it. So many of my sad and lonely memories live within that vast and opulent house. I don't think it is a place where I could happily live. The farmhouse in Coates, that is where I see mine and Sophia's future. There, is where I would like to see little Lapley's running around. Lowering Sophia gently back on the floor, I bring our cherishing kiss to a slow and loving end. "I am happy." As I tell Sophia that, I truly mean what I say. I am happy. Happiness is now something that has become a constant in my life.

Until Sophia, I had never known it.

Until Sophia, I had never had it.

But now, I know it so very well.

I no longer have to dream about having it, because I have it now in wonderful abundance. That means more to me than anything else.

Regarding my mother, nothing has really changed.

Yes, she apologised.

Yes, she has relinquished the family company to me.

But Sophia is right, I do deserve that company. I even deserved that apology, and Sophia deserved her apology as well.

The only thing that I can honestly admit to feeling about my mother, is a small and reluctant amount of respect.

For her to come here today, that would have taken a lot for my mother. For her to come and give me Lapley Law Firm, and apologise, I can't help but respect her for doing that. But that respect is only small, and it will be only short lived. Mother and I, will never be able to salvage what we have. What we have is too fragile and too brittle. When my mother looks into my eyes, she only sees the man who raped her within them. When I look into her eyes, I see the vivid reminders of my entire past.

With Sophia, that is where my future lies.

With her, I see a new start.

Today, is our first Christmases of many. In the New Year, she will be my wife. Life is just as it should be. Life, is good.

**WOW...WERE ANY OF YOU EXPECTING THAT???
THOSE WONDERFUL THOUGHTS AND VOTES ARE SOOOOOO WELCOMED**