What's happened so far: Martin has managed to set up Duke and Gloria, getting Gloria off his back so he can convince Hester he never cheated. The two made up and at Christmas, the Cranes and the Winslows have gone to the Winslow family log cabin. Where Martin has just proposed.....

"Yes Marty, of course I will!" Hester said happily, throwing her arms around her boyfriend - no, fiancé! That would take a while to get used to.

"I'm so glad," Martin said. "Hester, I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"Same here," she replied.

A song the two liked came on the radio. Martin turned to his fiancée.

"Would you like to dance, Ms Winslow?" he asked.

"I'd love to, Mr Crane," she giggled.

The two danced the night away, their first as an engaged couple.

The next day the weather was better, so the rest of the family arrived. They were thrilled to hear the news. Martin and Hester were glad that their parents got on well during the stay at the cabin. Martin's friend Pete had gotten engaged once, but his parents didn't like the girl and Pete had always been complaining about them at work.

-----

The next two months saw Martin and Hester plan their wedding. They decided to get married on June 18th 1951, one year exactly after they'd met. They booked the church of St Bartholomew's as it was where Hester's family had attended in the past. It was also where Dave and Rose Winslow had married themselves.

One evening, the couple were making their guest list at Hester's house.

"Are you going to invite your Aunt Louise?" Martin asked. Louise was Dave's sister. She was a very grumpy individual who never laughed. Martin didn't really like her that much.

"She'll be offended if we don't," Hester replied. "What about your friends?"

"Oh, Duke or Artie will be my best man, I haven't decided yet. Thanks for letting Vivian be a bridesmaid."

"That's OK."

There was a knock at the door. "I'll get it," Hester said and went to do so. She opened the door and peered out.

Then she saw a shadow leave, a familiar shadow.

-----

"Hester, no, we can't be over!"

"Sorry, dear, we are. We're not right for each other. It's over, deal with it."

"No, I'm not letting you go!" He grabbed her and stopped her from getting to the door.

"Let me go!" Hester wailed.

"No, you belong with me, can't you see it?"

"No, get lost!" Hester shouted.

"Hester!" Hester felt a hand touch her breasts, and feeling them.

"No, no, no!"

Hester woke up with a sudden. It had all come back. The time Robert attacked her. She'd fought him off and escaped, but it was still very traumatising. She still dreamt about it, like she had now.

She turned to Martin, who was still asleep.

I can't tell him all this, she thought. I became a doctor to help people, but I can't help myself over this! I think I've gotten over this, then it keeps coming back! Some doctor I am.

She turned and went back into an uneasy sleep.

-----

"I'll have a large steak, please, no pepper," Hester told the waiter. It was one month before the wedding and Martin had taken her out to dinner.

"A large one?" Martin asked his fiancée. "Are you sure? You've put on some weight recently, you won't fit in your dress."

"I'm, er, just hungry right now," Hester said. "I'll cut down soon."

"All right," Martin said, a bit uneasily. Hester looked at him and wondered if he'd guessed the truth. She was comfort eating.

Her dreams about Robert had continued, and she'd seen him almost every time she'd visited the Cranes. She was sure he'd smirked at her every time, although she wasn't sure whether it was just her mind talking or not.

Why am I doing this? she thought to herself. I'm a psychiatrist. I tell people what to do with these problems all the time. Why can't I follow my own advice?

The steak arrived and Hester ate it all. This just made her feel worse.

-----

"I'll see you tomorrow," Martin told Hester as she opened her front door. "Walt's bringing over his new girlfriend Zora tomorrow, and he wants me out of the house, so we'll to the movies or something."

"All right, bye," she said, kissing him as he left.

Hester had just sat down when the telephone rang. It was Elizabeth.

"Hello Hester," she said. "It's me. Look, I know you're the doctor of the family, so I need your advice. Royston wants to try role playing."

Hester sighed. What should she tell her sister this time? This had been going on for weeks. Hester thought that Royston and Elizabeth were going through a bad patch.

"Just give it a try, sis," she suggested.

-----

"You're listening to KACL 780AM, with Dr Franklin Creen!" the radio announced. "If you have a problem, talk to me."

"Hello Dr Creen," the caller said. "My name is George, and I keep having nightmares about spiders."

"George," Dr Creen said, "you need to confront your fears. It's the only way to overcome them....."

Hester listened with interest to the rest of the response. The Dr Creen show has been on for the past 3 weeks, and before Hester had thought it was a load of nonsense. She thought you needed more than 3 minutes to discuss a problem. Several of her patients had been seeing her for months. But listening to it made her realise, she had to confront Robert.

I knew it all the time, I just had to have another shrink tell me what I knew, she thought.

Hester switched off the radio and got into her car.

-----

Lorraine Crane was in the front garden when she saw Hester's car pull up next door.

"Hester, hi!" she called. Hester waved back - and knocked on Robert's door. Lorraine watched with interest.

Robert answered the door.

"Ah, Dr Hester Winslow, how nice to see you."

"Same here," she replied, half sarcastically. "Listen Robert, we need to talk."

"Come in."

"No thanks, I'm fine here. Listen, why did you do it?"

"What?"

"You know very well what!"

"Because...because I love you!" Robert spluttered. "I didn't want to share you, and when you broke up with me I wondered...why? So I followed you to make you love me."

"It was the wrong way to show it," Hester said bluntly.

"I know, and...I'm sorry," Robert said quietly. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm really sorry."

Hester felt a bit better but said: "OK, apology accepted. Now accept I don't love you. I'm engaged to Marty and love him dearly. I never want to see you again, but I wish to depart on good terms. Agreed?"

"Yes."

"Goodbye Robert," said Hester as she held his hand. He whispered back, "Goodbye, Hester."

Robert went inside and closed the door. Hester walked down the path and past the Crane household - and burst into tears. Lorraine held her future daughter-in-law in her arms.

"There, there, you did great."

"I know," said Hester. "I'm finally free of Robert!" She smiled as Lorraine wiped up her tears. She'd finally laid those demons to rest.

-----

The day of the wedding eventually arrived. Martin had noticed Hester was much more cheerful, and once she'd told him the whole story, he'd been very supportive. The experience left Hester feeling she'd progressed as a psychiatrist, but unfortunately, all that comfort eating meant she'd gained a lot of weight and couldn't shed it all by the wedding. She looked a few months pregnant.

Hester and her mum were in their house getting ready. Dave Winslow entered.

"Hester, you look fabulous!" he told his daughter.

"Thanks Dad," she said, smiling.

There was a slam of the front door and someone came running up the stairs. The family turned around to see it was Elizabeth. She was crying.

"Liz, what's wrong?" Rose asked.

"It's my marriage," Elizabeth sobbed. "It's over....."