The Love of My Life

Leo questions Emma about Mags, and she lies again, telling him Mags dropped her. Emma realizes that Leo believes she is lying. At the same time, Emma tells herself she cannot tell him the truth without raising more questions. Leo promises to be home by bath time, but he has some errands to run in town. Emma begins to cry, wanting to tell him she loves him but doesn’t.

Leo visits Mags and confirms that Emma fired her. Mags is busy, and she doesn’t want to talk to Leo about the BBC show or anything else. Leo continues to push her by asking question after question. Mags admits being surprised by Emma firing her and even admits to trying to change her mind, but Emma ghosted her. Mags is hesitant to tell Leo why Emma was fired from the BBC show, but after Leo threatens to put some unsavory information in the stock obituary for Mags’ husband, she relents. She tells Leo that Janice approached the show and told them that Emma has a conviction for stalking Janice. Emma then resigned because Mags’ company also represented Janice.

Leo’s brother tells him Emma could have done worse than lie about her agent and a minor criminal record. However, he also mentions that Jeremy has a house at Alnmouth in Northumberland. When Leo gets home, he is uncertain he wants to see Emma but is excited to see Ruby. He finds Emma’s phone and begins scrolling through the messages, unhappy to find messages from Jill telling Emma that her reasons for lying to Leo have not changed, so she should continue to lie. Leo then finds messages hidden under a fake name that he believes are between Emma and Jeremy. Finally, he finds an unsent message from Emma to Jeremy that says Jeremy is the father of Emma’s child. Emma calls down to Leo. Leo leaves without confronting Emma. Leo goes to a nearby pub, the same pub where Emma learned she was pregnant with Ruby. Leo is heartbroken to think that the one person he thought was his only blood relation might be another man’s child.

Emma realizes what Leo has seen. She becomes deeply upset, rereading the message over and over. Emma messages Leo on her phone and watches as the phone shows her he has read the messages. But he doesn’t respond. Jill calls multiple times, but Emma ignores her calls. Jeremy texts. Emma deletes it. Jill calls again, and Emma answers only to tell her she can’t deal with her now, and she hangs up. Leo has gone offline and is no longer getting her messages. She waits, attempting to call him several times. Finally, he informs her he will sleep in the shed/office.

Leo wakes early in the shed/office with a headache. He promises himself that he will remain a part of Ruby’s life no matter what happens next. He reflects on all the times Emma slipped into a depression and went to Northumberland to sort it out. He thought her depression was anchored in her parents’ untimely deaths, but now he wonders if they were a lie so she could be with Jeremy. He opens the door, and John Keats comes to welcome him. Leo asks John Keats if he knows Jeremy, but the dog refuses to answer. Leo knows he can’t be with someone who cheated on him, but he’s not ready to give Emma up. He sends her a message asking for more time and slips away. 

Leo goes to the newsroom and finds Sheila at her desk. She recognizes his state of despair and tells him she knew all along about Jeremy and Emma. She takes him to her home and lets him sleep for the afternoon. Afterward, she tells him he’s welcome to stay, but he must make arrangements to speak to Emma. He agrees, texting Emma to “meet me at the house at 9:30 on Monday morning” (174). As Leo and Sheila share a glass of wine, he thinks of how everyone at work believes Sheila is a former spy, but her life seems a bit lonely and unexciting for such a past.

Emma takes Ruby to the nursery. One of the teachers makes her feel ashamed for buying a new class plant because Ruby overwatered the real one. The teacher comments that parents “can’t ever admit to being wrong” (176). Emma cries. While walking home, someone calls Emma’s name from a car.

Leo arrives home to see Emma and becomes worried when she does not arrive by noon. Leo begins calling Emma’s colleagues and friends, but no one knows where she is. After he picks up Ruby and puts her down for a nap, he finds Emma’s purse and phone on their bed. In the purse, he finds an envelope of paperwork that includes a birth certificate in the name of Emily Ruth Peel and a document granting a name change.

Leo goes to the police, but they will not search for Emma until she’s been gone for 48 hours. Leo’s brother and his wife come over to keep Leo company with their two undisciplined kids. Olly suggests Leo call Jeremy. While Jeremy doesn’t know where Emma is, he invites Leo to come to speak with him. Leo reluctantly agrees, resenting how Jeremy acts like this is just two friendly acquaintances getting together.

Leo confronts Jeremy about being Ruby’s father. Jeremy denies it. Leo claims both Jill and Sheila admitted to such, so Jeremy suggests that Leo call Sheila. Leo calls Sheila, and she confirms that Emma was not referring to Ruby in her unsent message but refuses to tell Leo the whole story. She says it would be better coming from Jeremy. Leo is relieved that Emma is his and explains his misunderstanding to Jeremy. Leo then tells Jeremy that Emma is missing and wants to know if Jeremy has any idea where she might have gone. Jeremy says he has tried many times to help Emma. He then agrees to tell Leo all he knows about Emma.