I moaned to myself as I stretched out in the tub. It's huge. The hotel was huge. I had been in here for a good twenty minutes after I had bathed Cody.

I frowned as I had to get out. I didn't want to, but I had to. My stomach growled. Oliver was taking Cody and his parents downstairs for dinner in the restaurant and I had this room to myself.

I could hear Cody laughing as I dried myself and pulled on a thick cotton dressing gown.

Wait, he isn't laughing. Cody's crying.

I quickly left the bathroom and went to find him. Both Oliver and Cody were in the sitting room, Oliver looking frustrated and Cody sobbing on the couch, shirtless.

I went to him and kneeled on the ground. "Hey sweetheart, what's wrong?" I asked gently.

"Uncle Ollie didn't pack my blue shirt. I want it. The one with Kion on it."

I gave him a stern look. "Uncle Ollie didn't pack your bag, I did. I didn't pack that shirt because the last time you wore it, it was a bit too small. Besides," I took the shirt Oliver had and looked at it. "This one makes you look like a big, strong and handsome four year old!"

Cody rubbed away his tears.

"It does?"

I nodded as I heard Oliver groan in defeat. "Yes. I can already see those muscles coming." I squeezed his arms, making Cody giggle.

"Are you coming?" Cody asked me with big eyes.

Oh no, this is a make or break moment. "I was planning on going to bed."

I watched Cody process what I said as his face slowly fell, his lip dropped and his breathing changed.

"But, but, you... Have to!"

I looked up at Oliver, throwing him a 'he is cracking it' look. I sighed as I stood up. "Fine. I'll get dressed." I turned to my boss who looked tired. "That's if you don't mind."

"No. If it stops him from having a tantrum, it's fine." I watched as he turned to Cody, rubbing his forehead.

I went to the room and got dressed, putting on a dress and heels.

I heard a knock at the door and went to open it, poking my head out. "Can Cody stay with you till you come down? He is being difficult." Oliver had asked.

"Sure, send him in."

Cody ran in and jumped on the bed and I closed the door. I heard Oliver leave as I sat next to Cody, brushing my hair.

"Why do you have to be so difficult for your uncle?" I said gently tapping the tip of his nose.

"I stay with you."

I exhaled as I left my hair down and rummaged through my toiletry bag. I didn't pack much, we were leaving tomorrow. I found what make up I wanted and applied it.

I stood up and smoothed my dress over. It was a long red maxi that dropped to my toes and hugged me. The spaghetti thin straps was the reason why I hummed about buying the dress, but now I wasn't too concerned about the straps. It was how deep the plunge of the neck line turned out to be.

It held my breasts perfectly, leaving a nice cleavage but I was a bit worried about that. I'm not one to flash these pups around. I wanted to take a shawl but Oliver said the weather would be hot and he was right. The day had been warm and humid at the zoo.

I guess I'm done. I took Cody's hand and we walked out off the room to the elevator. "Push the G button." I instructed him. It took a few minutes to get to the ground floor, but we started on the 20th floor.

We stepped out with other people, my hand tightly meshed with Cody's. We went to the restaurant and I walked very slowly to find the Black family.

Cody spotted them seconds before me and ran to them. I walked hesitantly to the table. I was second guessing myself with this dress. The neckline wasn't that low, but it was low enough.

I was about four steps away when Oliver saw me. He had a frown on his face, probably from Cody running off, but then he dropped it when he realised it was me.

Oliver and Richard stood up as I stood behind my chair.

"Cody stand up." Richard mumbled to Cody.

Cody looked at his male role models and obeyed. Oliver pulled my chair out and offered me a seat.

"Thank you." It was barely a whisper. I sat down and the boys followed.

"You can sit now Cody." Richard smiled at him.

"Why did I have to stand?" He asked in his innocence.

"Because your a little gentleman." Mrs Black answered.

Cody thought it over and spoke again. "Just like ladies first?"

"Yes."

"Open doors for them?"

"Yes."

I sipped on my water in front of me.

"Like Uncle Ollie keeping Monty warm in front of the fire?"

I chocked on my water and coughed. I saw Oliver glaring at his nephew.

Richard looked surprised but Mrs Black was laughing. "I knew it!" She said in her laugh.

"I spoke to you about that!" Oliver gritted in his teeth.

Cody shrunk in his seat.

"Whats this about a fire?" Richard chuckled.

My cheeks were so red! I wanted to explain it but I couldn't form the words.

"It was snowing!" Cody smiled at his grandfather. "I slept on the couch."

"Enough Cody." Oliver snapped before breathing in. "There was a blizzard and we lost electricity. So we slept in the study in front of the fire. That's it. Stop reading in to it mother!"

"But, Monty, dear, don't you have a fireplace in the unit?" Mrs Black asked me.

"I do." Was all I could manage to say.

"She doesn't use it."

I turned my head and glared at Oliver who seemed to mirror my actions.

"Besides, there was a huge blizzard coming and I told her to sleep in the spare room so she wasn't isolated."

"I still would have been fine." I stated.

"No. With what? No power, no heat. Plus you would have been isolated. The snow was nearly a metre deep at my office windows. Imagine it at your unit."

I looked down in embarrassment.

"Now let's discuss something else." Oliver said, trying to change the conversation.

We ate our dinner with light chatter as I spoke mainly to Mrs Black. She sat next to me and Cody on the other side as I convinced him to eat his greens.

"Cody did you know that cows eat greens." I coaxed him as he pushed his beans around.

"I'm not a cow. I'm a lion."

"Yes! But the only way lions eat their greens is letting the cow eat them first!" It didn't make much sense, but it was worth a shot.

Cody thought about that and decided he liked my theory, because he started shovelling them in to his mouth.

"You are so good with him. He would have thrown that by now at home." Mrs Black smiled at me.

"Oh yes, we've had that incident." I pursed my lips.

"You're so good with kids. Did you grow up in a large family?"

Oh no. Wanting to know about my family. "You could say that."

"Cody was telling me you are getting married."

I looked at her in surprise. Why am I surprised? He was three. They babble about everything. "I was thinking about. A person I was seeing proposed. But I denied it."

"Oh my, I don't hear many women denying a proposal."

I smiled at her. "I went home to think about it, to be honest. I spoke to Cody about it. Then his tantrum. I was going to say yes. But a part of me didn't want that kind of future with that person." I spoke softy at her.

"I understand dear. Did you know, when Richard proposed to me, I said no. I said he had to try and woe me a bit first. Not just shake your shoulders and say 'let's get married'.

I giggled. I could picture the Black men doing that.

"So, where did Cody get that explosive temper from?" I asked casually. I had noticed the worried look on Oliver's face as he kept glancing at me and his mum while talking to his dad.

"Would you believe me if I said Oliver?"

"What?" Both Oliver and I said at the same time. Mine was from our conversation, but Oliver answered thinking he was being called.

Mrs Black waved her hand at her son, dismissing him.

"Seriously?" I asked her.

"Yes. He was the cranky one. Still is."

"Yes." I agreed 100% with that.

"Cody is a lot more like Oliver every month. It's just so hard to deny him though, our only grandchild, and under the circumstances."

I heard a Mrs Blacks voice waver. I placed my hand on his as she gripped it and smiled at me.

"So, dear." Mrs Black continued on. "Where are you from?"

"I couldn't tell you one town. I've travelled a lot in my life. One would think I was a gypsy with the amount of mileage I've done."

"Where your parents in the Army?"

I shook my head. "No. I like that explanation better. No I grew up in foster homes."

"I'm sorry for asking. I didn't know." Mrs Blacks face looked sad.

"It's okay. There are worse places. Like the group homes."

"You've been in them too?"

I nodded as I took a sip of wine. This is horrible, but I swallowed it anyway.

"I would love to open my own home one day for all the lost children that nobody wants." I beamed. "I know what it feels like to be unwanted and unloved. By foster carers I've lived with, some I've never met, even my own mother."

"That's horrible!"

I nodded in agreement. After dessert, Cody asked to go back to his room.

"Okay, come on." I said as I stood up. Everyone also stood and Mrs Black went to Cody.

"You've run poor Monty out. How about Pop and I take you?"

"Oh no, it's okay. I'm happy to take him." I interjected, but Oliver's mum wouldn't hear it.

"Nonsense. We will. We'll spend some time with him before we have to leave tomorrow." Mrs Black looked pleased as I finally agreed.

I saw the look Oliver threw his mother as she beamed.

"Good night Uncle Ollie. Goodnight Monty." Cody yawned as he hugged me.

"Good night sweetheart. You be very good for pop and nan." Cody nodded as I brushed his hair with my fingers.

I watched as the group of three disappeared.

"Would you like a real drink?"

****