Chapter 7

As expected, Susie was thrilled to be on a shopping trip with her new Auntie Isobel. She chattered happily as they wandered through the stores, debating the merits of different shoes before settling on a pair of special ones. When Isobel surprised her with a silk scarf to match, Susie’s eyes shone with joy, and she clutched Isobel’s hand tightly for the rest of the afternoon. If Isobel was honest with herself, she wasn’t sure who was enjoying the day more.

By the time they arrived home, Susie was tired and could barely stay awake long enough to eat dinner. She gave sleepy, contented smiles as both Raymond and Isobel tucked her in, murmuring a soft “Goodnight, Auntie Isobel” before drifting into slumber. Isobel forebore from commenting that Bunny should have been sleeping with her that night, not with Susie.

The pair repaired to the lounge, with coffee in hand, and an awkward silence settled between the two adults. Finally, Isobel broke it.

“Raymond, we need to talk. We’ve been skirting around the edges for weeks, but I think it’s fair to say neither of us really has a clue what’s going on here. Leastways, I don’t.” She exhaled, shaking her head slightly. “A few weeks ago, we were enemies. And now ... now I suddenly find myself as an auntie to that same enemy’s daughter—who, by the way, I’ve come to adore.”

Raymond let out a soft chuckle, nodding. “Yeah. That makes two of us who are completely bewildered.” He sobered. “I owe you an apology, Isobel. I wasn’t exactly fair to you before. I think ... I think I let things from my past colour how I saw you.”

Isobel tilted her head, curiosity flickering in her eyes. “Past?”

He hesitated before gesturing for her to go first. “Maybe it would help if we understood a bit more about where we’ve come from. Why did you decide to study law?”

Isobel sighed, swirling her coffee. “It wasn’t exactly a childhood dream. I grew up in a family where everything was a battle. No one gave me an easy ride, so I learned to fight for everything. School wasn’t much better. I was not a popular kid, not one of the ‘in’ crowd, and I had to push hard to prove myself.” She gave a small, wry smile. “I guess I carried that attitude into my career. Family law seemed like the best place to put my energy—helping people stand their ground. But somewhere along the way, I became known as a bit of a hard-hitter. And lately ... I’ve been wondering if that reputation is really something I want.”

Raymond studied her thoughtfully. “You built a wall to protect yourself.”

She snorted softly. “That obvious, huh?”

“To someone who’s done something similar.” He set down his mug. “My background’s different. I had a good upbringing—strict but loving. When I went into law, I wanted to help people who were caught in the system. That’s where I met Rose. She was studying law too. We fell hard and fast, and with some support from our families got married six months later. My parents loved Rose from the start.”

He paused, his jaw tightening before he forced himself to continue. “Susie was born two years after that. We were very happy. Until...” His voice dropped. “A drunk driver killed her when Susie was four.”

Isobel inhaled sharply. “Raymond ... I had no idea.”

He nodded. “The driver was a woman. That ... that did something to me. I was angry, bitter. I started seeing cases through that lens—men as victims, women as the aggressors. I thought I was fighting for the underdogs, but looking back ... I was fighting ghosts.” He exhaled. “But Susie—she saved me. I had to pull myself together for her. She deserved that much.”

Silence stretched between them. Isobel glanced across the hallway to where Susie slept peacefully, her little face so full of trust. “She’s amazing,” Isobel murmured. “Bright, kind, full of life. You’ve done an incredible job with her.”

Raymond blinked, caught off guard. “I—thank you.”

“I mean it.” Isobel met his gaze. “I used to think I had you figured out. But no bad father raises a girl like that.”

Raymond swallowed hard, emotion tightening his throat. “That means more than I can say. I have to say that you have been an amazing gift to Susie. She needed an older woman to relate to, and this was not really practical with my mother, who lives too far aware to be a constant presence in her life. So I thank you more than I can say for the gift you have become to her.”

“It’s not one-sided. She has been a gift to me, supplying something I did not realise was missing my life.”

She offered a small smile, then hesitated. “Raymond ... something happened last Sunday. I went to a church. It’s funny, I set out for a walk to clear my head, with absolutely nothing like that in my mind. But I felt myself drawn in to one I was passing. And something happened there that I’m still trying to make sense of.”

His eyebrows lifted. “Funny. I was about to say the same thing.”

They exchanged uncertain looks. Finally, Raymond cleared his throat. “Maybe we should go back. See if it still means something.”

“Together?”

He nodded. “Together.”

Later in the evening, Raymond and Isobel sat together at his dining table, laptop open between them, as they searched for more details about the two churches they had visited the previous Sunday.

“It looks like yours is independent—no particular denomination,” Isobel observed, scrolling through the website.

Raymond nodded. “That makes sense. It felt a bit ... self-contained. Friendly, but not necessarily tied to a bigger movement.”

Isobel clicked onto the other site. “And this one ... it seems to be trying to blend traditions. It leans more toward what you might call a ‘mainstream’ denomination, but it doesn’t strictly fit into any one box.”

Raymond glanced at her. “You seemed drawn to it.”

“I was.” She hesitated, then looked at him fully. “Would you be okay if we went there again?”

He considered, then nodded. “Yeah. Let’s do it.”

As they parted for the night, there was a moment of awkwardness. “Can you wait a moment,” he asked, hobbling off to Susie’s room. When he returned, he was carrying Bunny, who he held out to Isobel. “I’m sorry my bravado this morning meant we couldn’t deliver Bunny for the weekend. Please take him,” he said.

Isobel was non-plussed, and for once didn’t know how to respond. “I think...” she began, before Raymond interrupted. “For once, don’t you say something stupid, Scowan. An agreement is an agreement, and Susie needs to learn that agreements must be honoured, even if there is some pain.”

Isobel shook her head, torn two ways. In the end, she acquiesced, though feeling uncomfortable about it, and with a quiet goodbye returned to her home.

The next morning, acting as courier because of Raymond’s ankle, Isobel arrived to pick up him and Susie. She stepped inside briefly while Raymond finished getting ready.

“I have no idea what to wear,” he admitted from his bedroom doorway. “Church used to be all suits and ties, but last Sunday felt ... different.”

“Smart casual will be fine,” Isobel assured him. “That’s what I’m going with.”

Susie, on the other hand, had no such dilemmas. She proudly showcased the new shoes she’d bought with Isobel and wrapped the scarf from her around her neck with great care.

By the time they arrived, they looked a striking trio, albeit the image was spoiled slightly by Raymond having to hobble somewhat. They were greeted warmly at the door, and before they could take their seats, Anita—the choir leader from last week—spotted them and came down the aisle, smiling broadly.