Dominic watched the target, stretching his arms far back until the string was taut then pinched one eye shut so he could aim his arrow. His instructor came up behind him, adjusting his stance and tilting his elbow to a more comfortable position. Archery was one of the few hobbies that he took on as a form of relaxation. It gave him an opportunity to focus and think on things clearly. His father had suggested golfing but Dominic was never any good at the sport. He could never understand the basics and it did not draw his interest as much as archery. His mother feared it, his sisters were awed by it and his wife, was an ace at it.

The arrow flew away from him as he released it, wheezing through the air to pierce the wooden target in front of him. He rubbed his shoulders, looking at the spot his arrow hit. "I should have aimed more to right."

"Fair enough. Mistakes are how you learn to do the right thing. Besides, it is understandable that you are distracted. It is the first time you have to do this in front of your family. I am sure I wouldn't make my shots if my brothers were here to gawk at me."

Dominic laughed with her, looking back to wave at his mother and sisters who watched him from their place under a small umbrella. His sister lifted their filled glasses in salute and he laughed, reaching behind him to pluck another arrow from the quiver, stretching back again to take aim. His sisters had joined him after they finished their Polo game and invited his mother to sit with them. The club was their little hideout spot although it was the first time they had been together after such a long time.

"That's much better." Pearl encourage with a smile when his next arrow hit the centre of the board. His family cheered behind him and he laughed without looking back. "Your sisters are a riot if I am allowed to say. What about your wife? I haven't seen her here in a while and she is really fun to have around. She is really good at this too."

Daniel smiled fondly, remembering how the two women had gotten along after falling into an hour-long archery match. Pearl had won but Nadine had been formidable. "She is doing fine, focusing on expanding her business and rarely has time for much else. Maybe one of these weekends, after I perfect my hand, I would convince her to come over. Give her a little challenge of my own."

"I am ever the optimist but for that, you would need a boat load of experience." Pearl stalked closer to him, her lips stretching in a suggestive smile. "If you want to throw in some more hours, I would be glad to accommodate you."

"Yah, these three hours I spend here are already costing me a fortune and you want to accommodate me." She laughed and he chuckled, taking aim again. "Don't worry about it though; the cost is not a problem. It's my time. After my tenure as mayor is finished, you would pay to get me away from this club."

Pearl laughed, titling his arm then stepping back. "Trust me I have had worse clients, you are one of the best to hire me. You should see some of the men and women who come after you. I always end the course tipsy with the amount of wine and champagne I take to dilute their haughty attitudes."

Dominic laughed, accidentally realising the arrow at the wrong time. He tried it a few more times before his session ended and he joined his family underneath the umbrella. His family had been a huge support to him and his wife since their relationship started. Of course, his mother and sisters had not always being on board because they feared that the town would make his life difficult but after some years, they grew out of their fears. His sisters loved Nadine as if she were their own and his parents equally adored her.

"How did your game go?"

"Fine." Angel replied, reclining on her seat and shaking her ponytail out. "I think I would have to get a break because my knee is still acting up and it is beginning to worry me. Maybe I would take some time off to go to the hospital and have some test done before I push it too far."

"You haven't gone already?" Dominic sighed. "Angel I told you to go months ago."

"Hey, it wasn't so bad months ago. It's a recent development. Besides, you know how much I hate hospitals. I don't want to go there based on suspicions. Each time I go with a problem, they make me feel like a hypochondriac after wards. The doctor always tells me there is nothing really wrong with me. I decided this time I wouldn't go there until..."

"Until it snaps off?"

Angel threw a daring look towards Hilda. His elder sisters continued their stare down while Hilda pushed a glass of wine towards Dominic. "You should listen to Dominic and do the right thing. Even though the doctors tell you that there is nothing wrong, at least you'd be sure. Which is a hundred times better than telling you that your silence made things worse."

"The both of you should stop this. Angel you are going to the hospital tomorrow to have your knee looked at." His mother finally spoke, looking between her children. "I didn't not come here to support you bickering with each other all day. I have better things to do with my day. I came here because you were pitching an idea to Dominic. Remember?"

Dominic's eyebrows shot up when Hilda took his hand with a smile. "We called mom here so she could join us in convincing you to coming out to dinner with us."

"Dinner?"

"Dinner." Angel repeated. "Nadine as well. We live very far from you guys and we rarely have the chance to hang out as a family as everyone is so buys and dad has even travelled out to attend to work. We have not seen each other in such a long time and Hilda thought it would be a good idea for us to go out for dinner tonight. You know, spend some time together. Talk and catch up. Maybe you can fill us in on the wedding you travelled out for."

"What do you think?" Hilda asked.

"Well I love the idea, it sounds amazing but what if I make it a little better." He glanced down at his watch. "It is almost five and Nadine would be getting ready to return home from work. What if I call home and tell them to set the table for all of us to have dinner, together. Nadine has missed all of you and I am sure she would love to have you over. Maybe afterwards you can stay the night. Dad is not home and I know Peter and Ash wouldn't be back until next month. You stay over and go back home tomorrow."

"Really?" his mother smiled with excitement. "Maybe you should call Nadine first and let her know. I wouldn't want her to be overwhelmed with us at your house."

Dominic nodded, although he knew Nadine would never mind his family staying over, he placed the call so his mother would be more relaxed. Nadine answered on the second ring. "Hey, are you busy right now?"

"Umm, no. I am just about to finish here and head home. Why?"

"My sisters came up with an amazing idea to have dinner with us and hopefully stay over until tomorrow before they return home."

Nadine laughed. "Of course I would love to have them over. I don't mind at all. I have missed your family; all of us seem to be so busy these days. I don't remember the last time I had an outing with your sisters. I miss that."

"That's great. Maybe Hilda and Angel could make an appointment for you all to go to the sauna but right now, I think the dinner would be enough. I'll see you at home right?"

"Of course, I'll see you."

Dominic dropped his phone on the table. "Well, like I said, she loved the idea. She also said that she missed you all deeply and maybe one day you can all go out together."

His mother grinned, excited at the opportunity to spend time with all of them. After some time, Angel stood from the table, pulling their mother along to show her something inside the club. Hilda and Dominic remained seated, watching their mother and sister walk towards the building.

Hilda smiled as she took Dominic's hand with a resigned sigh. "How have you been?"

"Pulling through or at least I would like to think so."

"I know I have said this before, and I don't want to hurt you but you have to move on."

"I know." Dominic covered her hands with his. Leaning down for a moment to rest his head against their joined hands. "I don't want the pain to eat into my life with Nadine but it is still hard. I have buried three children in the space of five years and I don't think there is anything that would help me forget. I want us to move past it but, I have no place to start."

Hilda shrugged. "Maybe you guys need to talk to each other, get it all out in the open. I mean, when August and I had problems we usually found a way to get everyone out of the house; the kids would go to mom's then cleaners would go home and we would lock ourselves in our room. Let me tell you, a lot of words were said and we hashed out all our concerns then moved from there. Our situation was different from yours but get everything out to the open and work with the problems one by one."

"I don't know."

"Look, Nadine is one of the toughest girls that I have met. I am not saying this because she is your wife, I am saying because she is your wife. Do you remember all the nonsense this town drudged up on her when you guys started dating, all the theories they pulled up on why she would choose a man like you. All the names they called her, the digging into her private life. She survived all of it and came out the other end as a winner. Once you guys talk, you would know where to go from there."

Dominic lifted her hands to his lips, pressing a kiss to them before he let her go. She waited for him to pack up his things then they went into the club to find their mother and Angel. The ride back was rowdy with his sisters finding more things to quarrel over while they headed home. No matter their age, the two of them always found one thing or the other to bicker about. Dominic was used to it. His family was large, with him being the middle child. He had two younger brothers but Angel and Hilda were his older siblings. Not once in all his forty-four years did they allow him forget that. They enjoyed teasing and ribbing him and he never took offence because he knew they did it with love. He did the same to his younger brothers.

When they finally got home, Dominic jumped out of the car, taking the steps two by two. He caught a glimpse of the maids as they set the table but there was no sign of Nadine. For a moment, he thought she was still at work but when he got to the bedroom, he noticed her purse and shoes set on bench in front of their bed. He ushered his sisters and mother into the living room, where they had wine waiting for them then left to look for his wife.

Their mansion was big but Nadine had a few choice places she liked to hide out in when she needed time to think. She was not in their bedroom or the pool so the final option was the study. He opened the door and leaned against it in relief when he saw his wife sitting by the window, looking outside.

"Nadine. Nadine?" She didn't flinch, her focus remained glued to whatever she was looking at through the window. Dominic clicked the door shut quietly, then stalked closer to her. Leaning over her shoulder he pushed her arm with force. "Nadine!"

She twitched, prying her gaze from the glass and turning to him. She sighed. "Sorry. I didn't notice you come in."

"What's wrong?"

She shook her head, "I am sorry. Something happened today that really got me edgy."

"What? What's wrong?"

Nadine looked up at him, as if seeing him for the first time. She palmed his cheek, her eyes searching around his face trying to make sure he was there. "I don't know, maybe I am being paranoid. Someone called me at work, sometime in the morning but I couldn't hear anything. It could have been a wrong number, maybe I am overreacting."

Dominic looked outside the window; his wife's unease sucking him into paranoia. Nadine rarely got spooked; to see her so spaced out did not give him much confidence. "Did you try the number again? Call back or something?"

Nadine spun away from the window, "no. Absolutely not. I have been jumpy lately. I think it was a wrong number and I just read too much into the silence. Saying it out now to another person is making me see just how crazy I am being."

"Sure?"

"Yes. I am sure." She kissed him. "Your mom and sisters, are they here?"

"Yah." He looked back at the closed door. "We should probably freshen up before it is time for dinner. You still up for this?"

She jumped to her feet, pulling him up and grinning at him. "Of course."