come to think of it

"What?" Marnie winced hard. And then she looked blankly at her cousin Jama. Marnie festered her brow as she studied her cousin, who was only a few years younger than her. The lass everyone claimed was Marnie's little sister.

"God? Me and that posh Felix?" Marnie practically squealed. "Really?"

Marnie nursed her bottom lip. She couldn't help to shake with a chuckle which got caught up in a cough. "That would truly be impossible." Still, she didn't have the heart to tell her the truth. "It would only hurt if..if you knew." Yes, she supposed she'd gone behind her sister cousin's back.

"What? Are you going on about now?" Jama frowned, as if no one got one over her. She eyed Marnie for the truth, or it might wreck their little hen party that was really no more than a spot of tea.

"I've been seeing Marco." Marnie couldn't help to tear up, just a little. She'd even hid the fact from Dustin, and she always told her son everything. But she'd never had a real romance ..until now.

"He's back?" Now Jama was defensive when Marnie spoke of Jama's ex.

"He isn't trying to hurt you, you know. Its just.." Well, she'd speculated he was lonely. Truth be told. "We..hit...it off."  Marnie pressed her lips tight. She was very happy.

"He's back?" Jama demanded.

"Not really, he is in Paris." Marnie shrugged. "But when he's here..he's with me."

"Why hasn't Dusty told me?" Jama looked hurt that she didn't know.

"I haven't told him." Marnie crossed her arms as if it were an even score. She had no idea just how close he was with this girl with the baby. Wasn't like he included her in the holidays this year. "I don't think he would care."

"Believe me, your son would care." Jama sounded so certain.

"Look. He's a grownup. I'm a grownup. And we are going to see grownups." Marnie swelled a frown and then bit into a little biscuit before she could think anymore of the consequences. "You, have your lovely little family now..and..Marco isn't a part of your life..anymore."

"I know." Jama fluttered her lashes. "You, really want to keep this a secret? From Dusty?"

"I dunno. I might as well ..have lost him. He's going to see his father soon and all that money. He'll probably say I deprived him, you know." She sighed as if that was the burden that was eating at her, little by little. "Just let me be happy, will you?"

Of course, Jama didn't have an answer for Marnie.