Goldie spent the next few days watching Jeff to see what he was doing regarding the Velasquezes, but she didn't say anything to him about it. She didn't want to nag, and she didn't want him to think she was obsessing.

She was therefore surprised when he announced one morning, "Okay, it's done."

She turned to him as she buttoned Genie into her overalls.

"What's done?"

"Maggie's parents. I just talked to Sophia, and they'll be here in a couple hours."

"What?" Goldie's hands stopped adjusting the straps of the overalls, which were blue with flower appliqué. "Like today? Now?"

Jeff nodded. "I wanted to wait a couple days, prepare emotionally or whatever, you know? But as soon as I suggested getting together, she couldn't be stopped. I guess she and Hector are dying to see the girls." He turned back to arranging Jemma's hair, tying it in a little whale spout over her head. Her hair was much thicker and longer than Genie and Pippa's, and needed to be kept off her face somehow. The other two could be managed with tiny baby barrettes.

Goldie swallowed as she returned to dressing the baby, her brain going into overdrive to figure out what to do, if anything.

She ran to the bathroom and sent Sophia a text.

Remember, we've never met, okay? We're strangers. And you're not going to talk about your lawsuit? Because it's no longer going to happen, right?

The response came back almost immediately.

Of course, we know! And as far as the lawsuit, if today goes well, of course it's not going to happen! Let's just see how today goes, stranger. See you soon! So excited to see the girls, it's been over a month!

Goldie exited the bathroom after splashing cold water on her face.

"You okay?" Jeff asked as he herded the girls downstairs. "You look kind of green."

"I'm fine," Goldie assured him.

They'd just gotten the girls put down for their naps when the buzzer sounded.

Please let this go well. Please let this be the beginning of untangling my fucked up life.

Jeff let them in, shaking their hands. No kisses or hugs, Goldie noticed.

"Unfortunately, they've just gone down for their naps," Jeff was telling the older couple. "They don't usually sleep long anymore, though, especially in the morning, they should be up and about in an hour or so."

Hector and Sophia carefully extended their hands to Goldie. "You must be their nanny?" Sophia inquired politely.

"Actually, she's my wife," Jeff said with a smile. "It was sort of sudden, we did it while we were in England with my family over the holidays."

"Your wife?" Hector repeated, shocked. "We had no idea, did we, Sophia?"

"No reason you would," Goldie assured them as she shook their hands. "As Jeff said, it was very sudden, and we tried hard to keep it quiet."

"She's actually the reason this is all happening," Jeff explained as they sat down. "It was very important to Goldie that the girls know their grandparents, she felt like it would be such a loss to both sides if it weren't to happen."

The Velasquezes, recovering quickly from the bombshell of Jeff and Goldie being married, nodded as they looked at her with gratitude. "Well, thank you so much, for everything," Sophia said sincerely, covering Goldie's hand with her own. "We've been wanting to see them, be a part of their lives. Losing Maggie was so hard, so very hard, and then to be separated from the only remaining part of her, well, you know—" she wiped her tears, overcome.

Hector looked at Jeff. "Thank you for reconsidering. I know things weren't good when we last saw each other at—at Maggie's service."

"There are a few things we need to talk about, though," Jeff responded, taking a deep breath.

"Such as?" Sophia and Hector looked at Jeff expectantly.

"I don't want to discuss religion, in particular the girls' religion, with you." Jeff looked back and forth between Sophia and Hector.

Sophia swallowed and grasped her husband's hand.

"When the girls are older, they'll make their own decisions about god and how much or how little they want of organized religion in their lives," Jeff continued. "This isn't just my wishes, I know you know, Maggie felt very strongly about this."

Hector and Sophia nodded, hands still clasped.

"So, how are they? Jemima, Imogene, and Phillipa, I mean?" Hector said.

Goldie was impressed at his acting skill. Anyone would believe he didn't know them at all.

"Well, we call them Jemma, Genie and Pippa, for starters," Jeff responded. "Their real names are a bit unwieldy for such little girls. Would you like to see some photographs while we wait for them to wake up?"

The grandparents nodded eagerly, and Jeff set up a slide show for them on his laptop. Goldie made coffee for them and brought it out.

"Thank you, dear girl," Sophia said. "Not just for the coffee. I know you made this happen, so thank you."

Goldie just smiled and sat back, relieved. Things couldn't have gone better. Operation Grandparents was a success, and this meant that probably Operation Lawsuit would just go away.

And then things would be perfect.

"Godie! Dadada!" Came over the baby monitor.

"Ah, there we are," Jeff said, smiling as he rose. "We'll go and get them, then, shall we?" He looked at Goldie, who nodded.

They went upstairs to find Genie and Pippa standing in their cribs. Jemma was of course still sleeping. They put her sisters in her crib with her, and let them wake her up.

"Jemma. Jemma!"

They patted her face, and Jemma rolled over, opening her eyes and smiling at her sisters.

Jeff and Goldie quickly and efficiently changed their diapers, talking to them, making them smile.

"We have a surprise for you, yes we do," Jeff said, smiling down at Pippa as he buttoned her up. "Your grandma and grandpa are here."

"Gwanny? Gwandad?"
"No, not them." Jeff considered as they carried the girls downstairs. "We'll have to think of some other names for them."

They entered the room where the Velasquezes were waiting. "Sometimes they're a little leery of strangers, please don't be offended if they get upset at the beginning." He looked from Hector to Sophia questioningly. "And how does one say 'grandma' and 'grandpa' in Spanish? I used to know—"

"Bway-ah!" Jemma crowed from her fathers arms. She pointed at Sophia. "Bway-ah." She leaned toward Sophia, pointing, arms outstretched.

Oh. Dear. God.

This possibility had never occurred to Goldie.

"A-bway-ah, A-bway-oh, hi!" Genie said smartly from Goldie's arms.

Jeff was staring as they handed the girls over to Hector and Sophia.

"That's right," he said, almost to himself. "Abuela and abuelo, grandma and grandpa."

Jeff continued to look back and forth between his daughters and their maternal grandparents. They were obviously not upset to be dumped into the arms of these strangers, and were behaving as if they were very comfortable.

Jeff looked at Goldie. "They're acting like they know them," he said. "And where on earth did they learn the Spanish for grandparents?"

Goldie swallowed and backed into a chair, feeling like she was going crazy.

Just then the buzzer sounded.

Jeff gave Goldie a dark look and headed over to the intercom. "Yes?"

"There's a Griffen Edwards down here for you," the doorman said. "He says he's an attorney."

Oh. My. God.

Goldie turned accusingly to the Velasquezes, but they looked as astonished as she felt. They obviously had no idea he was coming.

"What does he want?" Jeff's voice held confusion and irritation. "What's it regarding?"

There was a brief silence, then the doorman said, "He says it's regarding your daughters, sir."

Jeff let out a breath. "Send him up."

He waited by the door to let Griffen in, and they entered the living room together. "Now. Someone needs to tell me what the bollocks is going on here," Jeff said, gesturing for Griffen to sit. "How did the girls know who they were, let alone what to call them?" He gestured toward the Velasquezes. "And who in the hell are you, and what do you have to do with my girls?"

Griffen smiled at Goldie. "Hey there, Sorenson."

"And how in the world do you know my wife?" Jeff ran his hand through his hair, looking more and more wild. "Someone tell me what's going on, right now."

"Your wife?" Griffen repeated, the smile falling off his face. "You're married?"

"I refuse to tell you anything more until you state your business," Jeff said, pulling Goldie down to sit next to him.

The girls surprised by all the yelling, were silent in Hector and Sophia's laps.

Griffen opened his briefcase and pulled out some papers. "I represent Hector and Sophia Velasquez. They're suing you for full custody of the three minor children, Imogene, Philippa and Jemima Ormonde."
"What?"

"No, we're not, not anymore." Sophia waded gamely into the breach. "We were, but not now, not if you'll let us be a part of their lives."

She turned to Griffen. "That's why we called you this morning, we told you that the lawsuit was off, we were calling it off! You had no cause to come here and intrude on a family gathering."

"You were going to sue for custody of the girls?" Jeff asked wonderingly. "You were going to try to take them away from me?"

"We were desperate, son, please try to see it from our point of view," Hector implored. "Our precious daughter taken from us and us unable to see her only children? The only grandchildren we'll ever have?"

"Don't call me 'son,'" Jeff said.

He turned to Goldie. "Did you know about any of this?"

"Know about it?" Griffen repeated. "She was a spy, a plant, she came to work for you to help me build my case."

No. No.

"What?" Jeff's face was ashen.

"Here's the report she filed with me a few weeks ago," Griffen added, handing Jeff a piece of paper.

Goldie tried to take it from him, but he merely held it out of her reach as he read it, his face darkening like a thundercloud.

"No, Jeff, let me explain, please—"

Jeff raised his eyes from the report to regard his wife. "You've been preparing a dossier of how bad a father I am?" His looked back down at the paper. "And you included the kidnapping attempt?" There was anguish in his voice. "We were both there, you know how that happened—"

"Jeff, please—" Goldie repeated, tears spilling over. "I need to talk to you—"

"NO." Her husband's face was like stone. "I've had quite enough talking for the time being, especially from you."

"What do you mean?" Goldie's voice was nearly a whisper.

"Get out. Get out of here, damn you."