I just had to smile in return. “Hi sis!” “Guys, the shuttle's here, we've gotta go,” said mum, as a small bus parked at the top of the drive.... “Remember, no loud parties, no street races down the street and, for God's sake, don't burn the house down,” Colin quipped. Linda and I rolled our eyes at each other. “We'll be fine,” we chorused. “And please, mow that bloody lawn,” Colin repeated, as he and mum hurried out. We watched as our parents left on board the airport shuttle-bus, finished. I had him fence in eight acres of mixed-use land with three-strand barbed wire. With all his other commitments it would take about a month.The clover was filled in and the grasses were up. It was time for the beef and the deer to be shipped in.This is how I spent most days.4:00 get up, get dressed and watch the garden for critters until dawn.6:00 have breakfast, feed the dogs, take care of the chickens.7:00 wake up the kids and get them going.8:00 have a cup of coffee and a pastry. Read the. °She may look dainty,° I thought, °but dainty she's not.°We spent the next four days and nights fucking like crazy every chance we got, and hadn't really slowed down since coming home. I'm no stranger to fast romance and adventurous sex; my previous loves had been swift and passionate, for the days or weeks they lasted. Relationships used to start with a bang, followed by a series of shocking, unpleasant revelations, where we both learned the person we were fucking didn't at all match up with. I didn't hear anything behind me and didn't realise that my girlfriendhad come downstairs for a glass of water until I found the lights on inthe living room and my boxer shorts were missing.I knew then that she had been downstairs. She'd obviously seen me as Ihad then gone back to the kitchen and seen her empty glass of water onthe worktop but I had not heard her. Why hadn't she said anything?She knew but how long had she known? Had she just found out tonight orhad she known for a long.