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“Hey Doc, you want to do the honours? Please bring Darsh up to speed.” Honestly repeating to a third party what her family was going through sounded outlandish to her own ears. Darsh seemed to share her sentiment.

“I have to say not much surprises me, but this… it could be a storyline from a soap opera.”

“You watch a lot of those, do you?” Emmanuel groused.

“A few. I have to say, it’s better to watch them than live one…” Darsh shot back, unbothered by Manny’s snarkiness. “Listen, we have a lot going on, but I am guessing this is a top priority?”

“Yes. We need to find this twin ASAP.”

“I will work my way through this information and will give you an update tomorrow. Sound good?”

Once Darsh had left, Ivy sat back and examined Manny. Some of the cheer that he had exhibited earlier in the morning had worn off. He was plaintive. Ivy could only imagine the thoughts racing through his mind. The thing was, she knew better than to push. He wasn’t ready to talk it out yet.

“So, what are your plans today? Are you going into the office later?”

“Actually, no. I have already called Maggie and told her I won’t be in today.”

“Hm. Well, that works out. I’m off today too. I’m free until six. Then I was going to go over to Karissa’s for dinner.”

“Then I’d love to spend the day with you, but not here.”

“Why?”

“Because once Frank has a break in his schedule, he is going to beeline it over here to check on why I haven’t made it into the office.”

“Aww, that’s sweet of him.”

“Yeah sweet, is that a nicer word than smothering?”

Ivy couldn’t help but giggle. For all his posturing, she knew Frank being in his corner meant the world to Manny. Hell, if the roles were reversed, Manny would do the same thing. When Frank lost his partner in a car accident, her husband had been there. Even when Frank wanted to hide away from the world. So, her cousin was just repaying the favour.

“You appreciate it.”

“Don’t you dare let that shit slip, but seriously, let’s get going.”

“Where to?”

“It’s a surprise. You feel up to walking. It is only a few blocks.”

“Sure, although I don’t know why walks in the cold have suddenly become a thing.” It didn’t take them long to be ready and out the door. They intertwined their gloved hands as they walked the busy streets. The couple didn’t talk about any of the topics that were lying heavy on them. Instead, they people watched.

At one point, Manny stopped in front of an Italian restaurant. “You know, despite being asked, it never occurred to me that I was Italian.”

Ivy had no idea how to respond to that. Hell, how could she? There was no way to imagine what it felt like to suddenly be something that you had denied being your whole life. At the risk of saying the wrong thing, she just squeezed his hand. Manny smiled down at her. Thankfully, he understood the gesture. She was there and, more importantly, by his side.

It took her a while to figure out where he was taking her. When the city announced they were building an aquarium, Manny had been one of its biggest supporters. Come to think of it, Manny had taken her to aquariums all over the world. Dubai, Singapore, too many to count throughout the U.S. They had one of those memberships that granted them easy entrance. In no time, they were strolling the halls of ceiling-to-floor tanks.

“Did I ever tell you why I love coming to aquariums so much?”

“No,” she answered and then waited for him to keep talking.

Manny stopped, and they faced the watery scene before them. Fishes of all sizes and types occupied the large tank. The vast array of colours where fascinating.

“When I was a kid. I mean, I must have been four or five. I’m not sure why I even remember this so clearly.” Manny’s smile disappeared then. “I was obsessed with all aquatic life. My dad promised to take us to Vancouver, to the aquarium. I was so excited.” He pursed his lips, as his features became soured at the memory. “Then at the last moment, he cancelled. He said he had meetings. We would go another time. My Mom took me anyway. She said it would be our thing… and it was.” His smile was distant. “When we returned home, she had that freshwater tank built in the house. I’ve always been able to count on my Mom. Always. What the hell, Doc?” She understood what he was asking. She just didn’t have an answer.

As he spoke, Ivy’s heart broke for him. When he turned haunted eyes towards her. Tears welled in her eyes. What she saw there was heartbreaking. The primary concern in her mind was exonerating Manny of Jasmine Journee’s baby’s paternity. So, she neglected to consider the effects of his sudden unknown parents. He was gutted. All she could do at that moment was offer him the comfort of her embrace.

The last forty-eight hours had been a lot for Ivy. All she wanted to do was tell everyone and anyone who would listen that Manny hadn’t fathered a child with another woman. That he was, in fact, set up. However, she had given her husband her word. He needed to know that he could count on her. Ever since she delivered the news, she had seen a shift in his demeanour. Manny was a live wire. Ivy wasn’t sure what would eventually set him off… she was just certain something would cause him to erupt.

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