She walks toward us, opening her arms, and I’m shocked when she comes straight to me and takes me in her arms.

“Mallory, it’s so wonderful to finally meet you.”

Her mothering embrace seeps into me, and for half a second I feel like I could burst into tears. All of my emotions are on the surface, and it’s as if I’ve been thrown back into my childhood and I need someone to hold me.

Her arms are strong, but her hold is gentle. After a moment, I embrace her back. It’s a little like the first time I met Oz. Like I’ve been waiting my whole life to get to this moment.

“Mom, this is Mallory. Mallory, this is my mother, Vivien Osbourne.”

She pulls back and extends her arms while still holding on to me. She looks me up and down, and I swear I see something like a tear in her eyes.

“Well, aren’t you beautiful,” she says, making my stomach warm.

“Thank you, Mrs. Osbourne.”

“Vivien,” she corrects me, and then leans in a little to whisper. “Or Mom.” She gives me a wink and then one last squeeze on my arms before she releases me and gives Oz a kiss on the cheek.

“Shall we?” Oz motions to the table.

We all sit down, Vivien taking a seat on the bench, and Oz and I across from her. He takes my hand right away and suddenly I feel completely relaxed.

There’s a spread of food before us; each of us has a salad, then there’s a small tray of sandwiches and a plate of fruit and cheeses. Vivien goes about serving me a plate of food, and then makes Oz one before filling her own.

I take a drink of my tea and brace myself for the questions.

“Mallory,” Vivien says, “I know everything there is to know about you, except why in God’s good name you’d choose to stay with my son.”

The laugh bursts from my lips before I can hold it back, and Oz stiffens beside me. Vivien rolls her eyes at her son.

“Excuse me?” I say, trying to buy some time.

She eats one of the small sandwiches and gives Oz a wink. When she’s finished chewing, she waves a hand around the garden.

“He built this three years ago. At the time, I knew about you, but I didn’t realize his obsession. Then as time went on, I began to understand, and I tried to get more and more out of him about you. Could see what you meant to him. It started to change him. I had hoped that one day you would see this place and fall in love with it.” She takes a drink of her tea, and then continues. “I think any mother would worry about her son if they were given this situation, but I knew a long time ago that Miles was different. When he made his mind up about something that was that. There was never any changing it. And I knew the day he told me about you, that you were it for him. I hoped that when you knew the truth that you would stay. And here you are.” She gestures to where I’m sitting. “So I guess I want to know why.”

“It’s a fair question.” I begin to answer and sit up a little. “I think anyone who would look at Oz’s—”

“Oz?” she asks, smiling and looking at the two of us.

“A nickname,” Miles answers, and I continue.

“Yes.” I laugh, trying to hide my blush. “I think, on paper, what he’s done without my knowledge could be seen as strange, but when I met him and began to see what I meant to him, how could I turn him away? So many women go their entire lives without feeling a fraction of the attention and devotion Miles has shown me.”

A somber look crosses her eyes and she nods in agreement.

“I’m sure our relationship sounds crazy, and it may very well be. But to have a man so consumed with my happiness and with giving me the best in all aspects of my life, why would I not give in to him? Sure, at first I was upset, because I felt deceived, but as I’ve grown to care for Miles—” I turn, looking into his deep blue eyes “—as I’ve grown to love him, I know that it came from the best and brightest part of his heart. He’s given me something I’ve never had before.”

Oz lets go of my hand and reaches up, grabbing my face with both of his. He places his warm lips on mine, and with them he’s telling me everything he feels. I know Oz loves me. I’ve known it since the beginning. But speaking it out loud locks something into place for us. A final commitment to each other.

He doesn’t deepen the kiss, pulls back a little and rests his forehead against mine.

After a moment, he moves away and grabs on to my hand again. Vivien sits with a gigantic smile on her face, and I let out a laugh, a little embarrassed at the intimate moment in front of his mother. This is all surreal, but it warms everything inside me, like this is the beginning of the family I’ve always wanted.

I rest my hand on my lower belly, thinking of how true that thought might be. This could very well be the beginning of my family. And instead of scaring me, the idea makes my heart grow with love. To have a baby with Oz, to have Vivien as a mother...it’s almost too good to be true.

We spend the next hour talking about me, which is embarrassing, but Vivien goes easy on me, asking about my job with Osbourne Corporation and school. When I mention Paige, she gets a soft look in her eyes, and then she glances over at Oz.

“I met Paige a few years ago when Miles found her. She didn’t like me at first, and I understood why. The two of them share a father, but he was very different in their lives.”

Vivien looks away to the small waterfall and lets out a sigh.

“Paige’s story is not mine to tell. But I can tell you about Alexander Owens.”