“Picnic anyone?” Leo put the basket down on the blanket in the park and 3 pairs of hungry little hands reached out as he opened the lid. “One at a time kids! Brooke, sandwiches first…”

Brooke stopped, chocolate bar in hand and sighed, opting for a cheese sandwich instead. “Can you pass the chips mom?” She paused. “Mom!!”

Phoebe snapped out of her daze. “Er, sure…” She absently handed the bag over and went back to staring into space.

Piper noticed her sister’s mood. She had been like this for the last 3 days, ever since she had told her that Cole was back. As much as she didn’t like the guy, she could see what it was doing to Phoebe, and as much as she loved her sister, she didn’t want her to see him again and she defiantly didn’t want events to cast a shadow over family life.

Which is why they were now in the park on a beautiful sunny day with enough food to feed an army. Or 3 hungry kids.

“Phoebe, try and cheer up. We’re here today to have fun.” Piper whispered to her and gave her a meaningful look. Phoebe just continued to stare, not really listening to her sister’s words.

“Wyatt!! Uncle Leeeeeeeoooooo, he spilled my drink!”

“Did not. You’re just clumsy!”

Leo was frowning at his wife and sister in law from the other side of the blanket. But he wasn’t allowed the luxury of trying to guess their conversation when an impending argument between Wyatt and Brooke started to erupt.

“Kids, behave. I’m sure it was no one’s fault.”

Brooke glared at her cousin. “Was too.” But she said that under her breath so she wouldn’t be heard. She hated not having the last word.

“So, when’s Paige joining us?” Leo tried to change the topic, for the adults and the kids. Meg bounced up and down in her seated position at the mention of her aunt.

Piper smiled at her husband, sensing what he was doing. He offered a weak smile back. “In about 20 minutes, she was meeting Craig first.”

“Oh, Craaaaaaaig?” Wyatt said fluttering his eye lashes. Brooke smirked.

“Oi, cheeky!” Leo had an equally amused grin on his face.

Piper rolled her eyes at her son. “Yes, Craig.”

“Red dress!” Meg interjected. 4 heads turned to look at her. She had a gleeful grin on her face and clapped her hands happily.

“Mommy? Are you ok?” Brooke crawled across the grass up to her mom and snuggled into her for a hug.

Phoebe smiled and kissed her hair. “Yeah, I just need to take a walk.”

* * *

“Your Mommy’s not OK is she?” Wyatt caught the ball in both hands and looked at it thoughtfully for a second before throwing it back.

Brooke shrugged. “I dunno.”

“I don’t think she is. She’s been ages on her walk. She’s not said anything proper for ages.”

“She has” Brooke defended, but didn’t have any evidence to back herself up.

“What do you think’s wrong?”

Brooke didn’t reply. She stopped their game and put the ball down on the ground. She looked at her cousin and waited for him to continue. Wyatt blinked. It wasn’t often Brooke looked to him for advice. He wasn’t used to being in charge. Or having her attention when he wasn’t covered in maple syrup with pink flowers in his hair.

Eurgh, sticky.

“I dunno either. Maybe we should get Meg to tell us.”

“You know it doesn’t work with the grown ups.”

“Not normally, but aunt Phoebe’s not being normal.”

* * *

Phoebe sat on the park bench next to the path, swinging her legs above the gravel and watched the crowds of people having fun. A couple of kids were riding bikes, there was a man walking his dog and a young couple hugging under a tree. She sighed. If only her life could be this idyllic. She hadn’t got very far on her walk. To be truthful, she was too exhausted to walk. She just needed some space.

She loved her family, she really did. Brooke was the most important thing to her in the world. She hated keeping so much from her little girl, but she had no idea where to start with the truth.

The beginning was always a good place, she had been told. But she didn’t know where the beginning was anymore. Her life had become so twisted and complicated she couldn’t even distinguish between what was real and what she had imagined.

How do you tell your 7 year old daughter that the daddy she loved so much, the daddy she misses like mad and still pines for, was not really her daddy at all? Brooke was strong, she knew that, her baby was a fighter. She didn’t let her grief show but even though it happened 3 years go, Phoebe knew the pain was still there. She felt that pain every time she remembered.

“Phoebe…Phoebe!”

Phoebe awoke from her daze to see Cole sitting next to her, calling her name. He grabbed her arm and pulled her into the undergrowth.

“Cole. You can’t be here, Piper and Leo are just he other side of those trees, they can’t see you, not yet.”

“I thought you told Piper about me?”

“I did. But she’s angry. I don’t want her to do anything to you.”

“I know. I understand. Now come here.” She smiled at him and relaxed as his strong arms embraced her.

* * *

“Shhhhh!” Wyatt turned around and snapped at Brooke as she tripped over a branch. It made a loud cracking sound and he stopped. “So much for sneaking up” he said, and carried on.

Brooke ran up to his side. “What are we doing Wy Wy?”

Wyatt scowled, “don’t call me that!”

“Sorry!” But Brooke wasn’t sorry at all. She was bored. And when she was bored, winding Wyatt up was the most fun thing to do. And it was so easily done.

“We’re trying to spy on your Mom. You do want to know what’s wrong right?”

Brooke nodded. “Yeah…”

“Be quiet then!”

The crept further into the trees, just out of sight from Piper and Leo. They could hear Meg protest profusely at not being allowed to join in their little mission. Wyatt wished his little sister wasn’t so, well, little. He also wished that his cousin hadn’t imagined their expedition to be so fun. Then maybe they’d have a bit of peace.

They both stopped at a large tree trunk and stood still, watching Phoebe and Cole about 10 metres away.

“Wyatt? Who’s mommy hugging?”

“I don’t know. Maybe we should go and find out.”