Eva rolled her shoulders, shook off the old ghosts that always sprung up whenever she'd had these calls with Jerry. Those calls had grown less and less frequent over the last two years. Soon enough they'd be a relic, tucked away in the awful mess of the past and all her blunders.

Enough, she thought. No good could come from beating herself up over what couldn't be helped or changed. If she was to be punished, she'd certainly paid her dues by now and then some.

Let it go, she mused. Let it go, indeed.

As she pulled into the drive and her girls climbed out the backseat of the car, Eva looked up as Kevin waved, Peter and Tracy in tow and veered their way.

"Hey. Did you hear about Ji Kim's pups?" he asked, squinting against the glare of sun in his eyes. "They're showing them off in the yard today."

"Puppies?" Lucy bounced at her side, pigtails flopping over her shoulders with each spastic movement.

"That's right. They're eight weeks now and ready for homes. We're going to take a look, aren't we?" he said to his own children. "You guys want to join us?"

"Momma, can we go see? Can we, can we, can we?"

Eva might have been tempted to say no, to pass on the offer and haul her girls inside, had it not been for a soft, hesitant voice. One she didn't hear very often, speak up from behind her. A sound almost swallowed up entirely by Lucy's giddy squeals.

"I'd like to go."

Eva whipped around and Payton took a quick step back, eyes lowering to the tips of her feet. Of her three, Payton was the shyest, most gentle and kind. Three months away from turning ten, she was starting to lose that childlike roundness in her cheeks and taking on the awkward, gangly lines of a kid about to shoot into adolescence.

Outside of school, when answering a question in class, Payton was painfully quiet and said one word to Lucy's dozen.

"Alright, sure. Why not? Let's drop off your stuff inside first, okay? Kevin, no sense waiting on us. We'll see you there."

She caught the look in his eyes, the hesitation, but thankfully Peter and Tracy piped up, too eager and excited to be held back much longer.

"Yeah. Okay guys, okay. We'll...see you." Eva didn't have to look back to know that Kevin was frowning after her. She could feel the weight of his eyes-a skill she'd learned out of necessity. He'd thought to use this opportunity to create a tag along situation, a chance to worm his way into spending time with her and the girls, obviously with the intention of working her in to finally taking him up on an offer of a date.

He wasn't the first to try and fail. But the man was certainly persistent. Many had slammed into the high walls of her stubbornness and limped off, never to be seen or heard from again. Not Kevin. What the hell he saw in her, she couldn't begin to fathom.

Between the ill-fitting wardrobe and god-awful haircut, Eva had done everything she could make herself as unappealing as possible to the opposite sex.

Alyssa probably would have liked him, might even have tried to talk her into giving him a chance. But Eva couldn't justify stringing him along merely because he was...safe. Decent. A good dad. No, avoiding men was safest. Best.

She'd dipped her toe in the pool once, and look what that got her? A couple of times Eva had been tempted to slip out for a night to the mainland and indulge in heated, reckless, anonymous sex.

But paranoia was a bitch, and an effective cure to kyboshing her libido.

She'd skilfully used the ploy of snacks and bathroom breaks to stretch out another twenty minutes of insurance before they headed out, catching Kevin and his kids on the way back, as she'd hoped.

Judging by the scowl he'd been wearing, Eva trusted that he'd finally take a hint and quit pestering her.

Always full of energy, Lucy was at the head of the pack, winging down the sidewalk in circles, singing a school song at the top of her lungs. Hailey brought up the rear, headphones stuffed into her ears and music on blast.

Eva had bit the expense and purchased an iPod for her birthday last year. They'd been all the rage not so long ago. Now kids were all sporting iPhones, and trying to explain why Hailey couldn't have one had gone over real well.

Payton walked with her, hand in hand. Eva saw far more of Nathan in her middle daughter than she did in the other two. From the shape of her features, dark blonde hair and olive complexion. But she had Eva's eyes, for sure. A soft, quiet brown.

Eva lifted their joined hands, kissed those small, little fingers. And though Payton smiled, she stayed silent as ever.

"Excited?"

Payton nodded.

"How many do you think there are?" Eva asked, steering away from the ambiguous territory of a simple yes or no.

She lifted a shoulder in a shrug. Eva sighed.

Okay, she thought. Though Payton was soft-spoken and didn't say much, she trusted that Payton would speak when she needed to. Unlike Hailey, Payton's silence wasn't a form of punishment or passive aggressive warfare, but just who she was.

"Ooooh, Puppies!" Lucy's shrill voice sliced through Eva's thoughts and she looked up as Lucy skidded over to a swarming mass of yapping fur. Seeing her, the puppies immediately converged and within seconds Lucy was covered in at least six wriggling bodies of tongue lolling affection.

Squeezing her hand, Eva looked down at Payton and smiled. "Go on," she said and let her go join in the adorable chaos. While Hailey joined her sisters, Eva moved to the older Korean gentlemen sitting in a lawn chair, all elbows and knees, newspaper in his hands.

"You must have all the kids in the area going nuts."

He laughed at that, set his paper aside. "Do, indeed. We've had some of them stop by more than once, already. You guys looking for a dog?"

Eva shrugged. She'd toyed with the idea once or twice. In truth, she'd wanted to get the kids a dog when they'd lived in Toronto, but the time had never been right and Nathan was always putting his foot down. Then when they'd left...well, always moving and never sitting still long enough to catch her breath, the last thing she wanted to take on was a pet. But now?

"Maybe," she said. "What's their mix?"

"Mom's a lab, dad's a boxer. Both are a kid friendly breed. Great for families. And smart, too." Rising from his seat, he waddled on stiff legs to where her girls sat, puppies clamouring to pile into their laps.

"Momma," Lucy giggled while a couple fought and tugged on her pigtails, another lavishly licking her face. "Momma, they're so funny."

"They certainly do like you, don't they?" The old man hiked at his slacks and stooped down, stroking a hand over squirming bodies. A circlet of jade dangled from his wrist. "Won't give you issue with training. Already dewormed and shots up to date."

"Momma I want one. Can we? Can we have one? Please, momma?"

"Fat chance," Hailey snorted, crossing skinny arms. "Don't be such a dufus."

Lucy's face tipped to her big sister and she stuck out a thin, tongue stripped blue from the Capri Sun she'd finished on the walk over.

Any other time Eva might have said no. After all, puppies-pets in general-were a lot of work and responsibility. The time and energy required was nothing to take lightly. But Jerry's words came back, along with the chaotic mess of the last week, and Eva decided enough was enough. This was home.

She'd promised her girls a settled and happy life on Haven. A fresh start.

They had a decent yard, and summer vacation was just around the corner. Having a pet would not only show that they were finally putting down those roots she so often wished for, but could also be a great tool to bridge the ever-widening gap growing between her and Hailey, as well as teach all three of them the value of hard work and responsibility. Thanks to recent developments, money wasn't an issue, at the moment.

She couldn't give them much, but she could give them this.

Reaching into her back pocket, Eva pulled out her wallet. "How much for the dogs?"

The old man straightened, milky eyes lifting to her. "Oh, well, we're not looking for a profit, Miss. Only that these pups get a good home."

Pleased, she tucked the wallet away. Free? Who the hell could argue with that? "We'll take three," she said. Smiled down at her girls who gaped in disbelief. "Take your pick. One each."

"Are we...this for real?" Hailey's arms uncrossed, hands stuffing into her pockets. But she'd seen the tremor and Eva's heart lurched.

"I don't make promises I can't keep. They're going to be yours, which means walking, feeding, cleaning and caring for them will be your responsibility. Do you think you can manage that?"

"I can!" Lucy shot up, arms outstretched.

"I know you can, baby." Eva smiled.

"Yay!" Lucy squealed, struggling to take hold of a tiny, black blob of fur. "I want this one. This one is mine."

Payton quietly stoked the head of a tri-coloured boy, clam as she was, and nuzzled him with a grin.

"Which one do you want, Hail?"

Hailey's eyes were wide, soft pools of grey. Eva couldn't recall the last time she'd seen her eldest look so...wistful. For a minute Hailey searched through the remaining pups, then settled to her knees and held out her hand, snapping her fingers. A beautiful fawn coloured female with a dark nose scampered over, set paws to her chest and barked.

"There, that's settled. Why don't we take these guys home? Then swing into town to visit the pet store?"

"I've got a couple of leads inside," Mr. Kim offered. "Nothing fancy, but at least they'll see you home."

Ten minutes later, her household had grown by three. And as she watched her daughters walking side by side, giggling and fawning over their new puppies, an air of contented satisfaction settled in her heart.

How's that, Eva thought, for letting go?

#

Marshall was a man accustomed to long, gruelling flights, little sleep and hectic schedules. He'd lived for it once. Thrived on it. But now his body wanted to slow to a crawl and he hated this new, dragging weakness. So to counter against it, he'd leapt at the opportunity to fly out to Toronto for a meeting with Danni.

Excessive, perhaps, when they could have easily arranged a call over Skype, but he'd wanted a reason to pull him away from the siren's lull of Haven.

Eager to kick off the rest of the dust settling on his shoulders, Marshall rolled into the Toronto Star bright and early. Only to find Danni had beat him to her office by at least a solid half hour, judging by the growing pile of scattered pages on her floor, haemorrhaging red with ruthless edits.

Dependable as the sun rising in the East, he thought, taking in the focused hunch of her shoulders, red pen held against a thin bottom lip. Unpainted. Danni wasn't a woman who believed in wasting time on idle chit chat or makeup.

He remembered the first time they'd been introduced, an off-chance meet in a ritzy hotel hosting a silent charity auction. An event he'd slipped his way in to, uninvited. His industriousness had impressed her and Danni decided to take a chance, mentoring the green and clueless kid with a keen eye and a knack for kicking in doors that otherwise wouldn't budge.

In journalism, those were traits worth nurturing.

Under her wings, Marshall worked up the ranks and was now one of her top journalists with a massive following that grew daily. Readers loved his snarky humour an honest style. Everything he had done and had yet to accomplish he owed to her. She'd taken a chance on him when no one else would have; Marshall would see Toronto disappear into Lake Ontario before he let her down.

When he rapped a knuckle against the doorframe, her head shot up and around. Thick dark frames haloed shrewd eyes in a face deceptively young for a woman rounding the bend of sixty.

"There's my man." Danni flashed her signature crooked smile. As he stepped inside, shutting the glass door behind him, she raised a venti cup of Starbucks to her lips, revealing a bright green Tinkerbell watch on a skinny wrist. One in a vast litany of her cartoonish collection. He'd asked once what the deal was, and Danni delivered a simple answer in her usual, no-nonsense style: they were cheap and didn't break the bank, so when one was lost, which happened often, broken or died, which happened even more often, then it didn't matter.

And the kiddie variety made her smile. Reminded her not to take life, or time, too seriously.

"How was Island life?"

Marshall rubbed his hands on his legs. Even here in the corner suite the rush of energy in the bullpen flooded the space. A stark contrast to the calm and quiet of Ethan's home. "Dull."

Danni snorted, taking another swig of caffeine. "No kidding. Listen, buddy, we're getting figures in for your article and have to say, I'm impressed. Even for you, this is good. Really good."

"Awesome," he said, slipping his satchel strap over his head to set down at his feet. "Why do I get the sense a 'but' coming?"

"We're in the news business." Danni smirked with a roll of her eyes. "There's always a 'but'. It should come as no surprise when I say that, following your article, readership spiked and we've been inundated with a flood of online questions and tweets. They want more, Marshall. A lot more."

"I was pretty thorough."

"Yes, you really covered the gallery and the art, but people want to know more about this artist behind the phenomena." She rummaged around her desk, found the editor copy of the paper where his article was circled with thick, black marker.

Never much of one to sit still, Marshall moved in slow, pensive strides, from desk to window. "I told you, the deal was we didn't get personal."

"Well, you're going to have to. Who is Eddie Blake? Why does he-?"

"She," Marshall interrupted, turning back around. "He's a she. Eddie is a cover for Eva." That caught her attention, he mused. And saw the notorious glint of journalistic hunger spark in Danni's sharp blue eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because there wasn't a need to."

"Eddie Blake is a woman." Danni sat back, rolling the red pen between her fingers. "Well that's...unexpected. This could be huge. People love nothing more than the mysterious and brooding artist. The reluctant celebrity. Get me her story, Marshall. What's her secret? What's her unspoken truth? As the philosophy behind her art demonstrates, everyone has one. Find hers."

Marshall swept a hand over his face, dragged it down. "We promised to keep this low scale," he said. "I told you she wants to remain private. I have to respect her boundaries."

"Since when do you care about honouring boundaries?"

"She's a single mom, Dee, not an embezzling politician with his hand up a teenager's skirt. We had an agreement."

Danni folded a hand over her fist, worrying the knuckles and squeezed until they cracked. A sign she was getting tense. Understandable, he mused. It wasn't often the two of them weren't on the same page about a story.

"Listen, this bit is skyrocketing. Networks across all of North America are picking it up and someone's going to get to the bottom of it. Any other reporter isn't going to care about scruples or boundaries. Once they make the connection, they'll drag her out into the muck and mire to sanctify or crucify her."

She released her grip, shook out her hands. "You know who she is, that gives you an advantage. A serious one. Use it."

"Dee-"

"Do you want this fucking job with CTV or not?"

Marshall's gaze drew out to the steady rush of the downtown core. Once he'd loved this hum of life. And he'd thought coming back into the thick of the city would invigorate him out of his slump. But standing here now he just felt drained by it all. Deep, deep inside his bones ached for the soothing calm of Haven...Hated admitting he was already missing the stretch of beaches, the crisp sea air.

Doing a follow-up would give him the excuse he needed to go back. Maybe for a couple of weeks, just to get it out of his system? By the end of which he'd be so mind-numbingly bored the thought of returning to the city would seem like heaven.

"Well, I did keep a foot in the door," he admitted. "Told her I'd be in touch if I wanted to ask further questions, then shot out before she could argue."

Danni leaned back in her seat, long legs folded beneath her and swivelled slightly behind the large desk. "I taught you well, grasshopper. And you think you can get her to agree to this? Exclusively?"

Marshall beamed, hooking his thumbs in his pockets. "C'mon, Dee. Don't insult my skills."

"Good." Pleased with the turn of the tide, Danni lifted her coffee, waved it. "Go forth and pillage with my blessing."

He cleared his throat, smoothed a hand over his chest. "I'll need some time."

Intrigued, that coffee paused before reaching her lips. "How much?"

Marshall worked it over in his head, went over the cues he'd noted during the interview and had to accept, grudgingly, Eva Turner wasn't going to be an easy sell. "Remember Boston?"

Danni answered the question with a long, steady sip. "Take a sabbatical. Three months. We'll turn this into a bi-weekly feature, that's six articles. Chip away at her a bit at a time. I'll cover it with Gervais. Use the time wisely. I'll want a proposal for the series in a week, and a rough draft for the first article shortly thereafter."

"And if I can't get the story?"

Danni unfolded from her chair, feet bare, and stood on thin legs that brought her to match his impressive height. "I'd like to say, 'I'll understand'." Stopping in front of him, she gathered his hands in hers.

"But this is a business, Marshall, and you're paid a lot of money to deliver. So deliver."