After Forever Ends (52 page)

Alexander didn’t approve of anything he was hearing. “Wait!” I could see him squeezing the steering wheel, “Stop where you’re at, Lucy! Lemme see if I’ve got this right! First, you’re chasing around with some cocky rugger bugger who’s never going to go pro no matter how much he believes he has a chance. He’s too arrogant to realise that and get a real job and too bloody stupid to see who he’s got in love with him. But you’re in love with him anyway he breaks your heart? OK, that makes no sense at all to me at all. You should have curbed him straight away. But then you go from that bloke who can’t be true to you to running around Europe with some old man who can’t be true, either? I almost get the lad from Blackpool, but why on earth would you be interested in a man old enough to be your dad?”

“Well, he wasn’t that old!” Lucy objected.

“How old was he?”

“Forty-five.”

“Forty-five! Bloody hell, Luce, how old are you now? Twenty-five in December!” Alexander shook his head, “He was after one thing, he was, and it did not include your honour!”

Lucy laughed, “You would know! I remember you at Bennington!”

“Hey!” Alex objected, “That was a long time ago and I was a scoundrel if one ever walked through those gates! But any girl I’ve ever been with has been my age and was completely aware of what I was about and what I was after! There were never any secrets or surprise with me! Those girls were after the same, too, or it never would have happened! That’s the rule!”

“Well, he didn’t exactly take advantage of me. He told me what he was about and after.”

“He was about a mid-life crisis! Forty five and running about with a twenty-four year old girl! I’m thirty…that would be like me dating a ten year old!”

“If you were going to date ten year olds you might have dated me,” She joked.

Alexander snorted.

“Settle down,” I told him, “Lucy’s an adult. She can date who she likes.”

He made another noise out his nose that said she couldn’t if he had anything to say about it. He glanced at me sideways.

We got to the wood just as Oliver was arriving with the children. He released the three older ones from their seats and hauled the baby out still inside his. “Hello, Love!” He called to me as he closed the car door. “Lucy! Great glowing golden goblets, I hardly recognize you!”

I watched the winds wrap themselves around and embraced my sister as she climbed out of the car. She paused and closed her eyes for a second with a serene smile on her lips, returning their welcome.

My sister was beautiful. I’d never noticed it before. I’d always known she was an pretty little girl, but I’d never seen her as a woman before that moment. It took my breath away. Lucy Cotton was all grown up.

I thought about the night I had arrived at the wood with Oliver. I remembered how wonderful I had thought it was. It was the first place I had ever felt like I was home. I remembered the night Oliver and I were married I stood outside without my jacket and let the cold winds wrap themselves around me. I was so alive, so happy and at peace. My sister looked how I had felt then. She looked like she had come home after a long, long journey and could finally rest.

“Hello, Oliver!” Lucy gave him a quick peck and a sideways hug around the neck, “You look handsome as always! May I hold my nephew?” I watched my sister unbuckle Gryffin from his car seat and take him into her arms. He gave her a huge, toothless smile and she melted immediately, “Oh, he’s absolutely unbelievable! I love babies! I want one now!” She stomped her foot and looked around the yard, “And who are you little lambs ignoring?” She demanded, “Come over here now, you three!”

“We don’t talk to strangers!” Nigel shouted as he dodged Carolena’s out-stretched arm.

“Oh, aye!” Alexander called back at him, “This is no stranger, mind you! This is Lucy Cotton! She’s Auntie Sil’s younger sister and one of my oldest friends! You’ll come and say hello properly or I’ll burn your behind!”

Nigel walked right up to Lucy with Carolena at his side. His dark eyes narrowed as he looked her up and down. Finally, he unscrewed his little face and smiled, “Hello, Lucy Cotton,” He said in his best big boy’s voice and stuck out his hand, “It’s a pleasure to meet you! I’m Nigel Dickinson!” He took her hand and shook it. “Welcome to our home!”

Oliver and I sniggered. Alex grinned and nodded at him. Satisfied, Nigel stuck the toe of his shoe into the dirt and shoved his hands deep into his trouser pockets.

“Thank you, Nigel! I’ve met you, you just don’t remember,” Lucy beamed at the boy, “You’re as fetching as your dad! You’ve gotten very tall! The last time I saw you, you were this big,” She held a hand down toward the ground to show him, “And little Carolena, how much you’ve grown, too! Oh, I’ve missed so much!” She squatted down and hugged her niece. “You have hair just like your mummy, you do! You’re so pretty!”

“Thank you, Auntie Lucy. It’s love-ally to see you.” She sounded like a shrunken Ana, “Have you come for tea?”

“No, Miss,” Lucy shook her head, “I’ve come to stay and be your real Auntie for a bit!”

“Do you like dogs?”

“Oh, yes!”

“And worms?”

“Not so much, I’m afraid!”

“Good.” Carolena grinned. “You can sleep in my room.”

“This is Natalie,” Oliver had picked Nattie up out of the dirt and was dusting off her knees. “Nattie, this is Miss Lucy Cotton. Say hello!”

Natalie opened and closed her little fingers, smiled, and hid her face in Oliver’s shoulder.

Tears sprang into Lucy’s eyes, “Oh, she’s beautiful!” What have I been doing running all over creation and not visiting all of you? Look at how much I’ve missed!” She sniffed and held Gryffin close, “You’re my family and I’ve been so far away! I’m a fool is what I am!”

“Oh, settle down, Lucy,” Alexander rubbed her back, “You’ve always been a fool, but you’re here now. That’s what counts!”

She laughed and took a swing at him with her free arm. She hit him hard in the chest. He made a loud noise in response and the two of them giggled as they embraced. Alexander kissed her head and smiled.

It was wonderful having my sister at the house. We made supper together, which was quite an experience since Lucy was more of a takeout girl than a cook.

“What’s this?” She asked.

“It’s a hand mixer.”

“Oh. What do I do with it?”

“You use it to mash the potatoes. Er...Lucy?”

“Yes?”

“You need to add the prongs on to it.”

“Oh!” Her face went red, “Sorry! I don’t cook much. Well, honestly,” She blew her hair back out of her face, “I don’t cook at all!” She began to giggle, “As you can no doubt tell!”

I squeezed her shoulder, “You’re all right! Take the prongs and try it again!”

She was much better after dinner helping me to drop the children two by two into the tub. “Let me get Caro,” I told my sister, “She’s got thick hair and it’s a trick to rinse it. Natalie loves getting her hair washed, though. She’ll fall asleep in the tub if you rub her head long enough.”

“Really? Oh, Miss Natalie, you and I have so much in common! Do you like to have your hair brushed, too?” Nattie nodded. “Me, too. Maybe when we’re all done in here we can do that, eh? I’d love to brush your hair for you.”

Nattie smiled shyly and nodded again as she smashed bubbles on to her chin.

When we were done with the girls, Lucy and I wrestled Nigel into the tub. We were both soaked from the struggle to scrub him spotless. He ran back and forth between us as we captured him and polished him dry. She held him down while I forced him into his pyjama bottoms,

“Lemme go!” He squealed.

“You’re not charging around with your willy hanging out!” Lucy yanked the shirt over his head as I forced on the bottoms, “There! Like it or not, you’re dressed!”

Nigel leapt to his feet and stuck his tongue out at her.

“Oh!” She pretended to be offended, “I’ll get you for that!”

He bolted for the door and she chased him out into the front room. Alexander caught him three steps into the room and lifted him into the air, “It’s time for bed, Bud! Come on now, say your good nights! Pass around your farewell kisses!”

Nigel oddly did not argue. He simply gave everyone a wave and stayed in his father’s arms. They followed Oliver and Carolena up the stairs. Lucy and I put Gryffin, who was already sleeping, and Nattie down in the nursery.

“Good night, Nattie Muffin,” I kissed her little head, “I love you.”

“Wuf you, Silly,” She mumbled. Her eyes were nearly closed, “Wuf you, Yucy,” She held her hand out for my sister, who took it in hers, “Night,” Nattie whispered and I watched her face go slack.

“Isn’t she the most precious thing ever?” Lucy whispered, kissing her on the side of the head, “Good night, Miss.”

“She is the sweetest child,” I answered as we tip toed out of the room, “I can’t believe she spawned from Alexander.”

That night, Oliver and I watched Lucy and Alexander sit closer together than they needed to on the sofa. They snuck sideways glances at all evening and kept making each other laugh. There was a lot of accidental hand touching and whispering. They even split the last bottle of soda sharing the bottle, which was something I’d seen them do before, but it seemed somehow intimate where the other times it had been friendly. Oliver and I pretended not to notice and said nothing about it.

At about midnight everyone was getting tired.

“I hate to think of it,” Ollie stood and stretched to his full height, which allowed him to press his fingers to the ceiling, “But I have to go to work tomorrow, so it’s up the wooden gwelly for me.”

Alex rolled his eyes, “Sadly, Ladies, so do I,” He leaned back against the couch and then tossed his weight forward so that he rolled on to his feet, “As much as I hate to admit it, I’m off to bed.” He looked down at my sister, “Lucy, are you sure that you wouldn’t be more comfortable sleeping upstairs? I’m more than happy to let you have my room.”

“Oh no!” Lucy held her hand up, “I’m fine on the sofa. You have to work tomorrow, you need your bed.”

“If you change your mind, it’s no problem,” He gave her a long look and smiled, “It’s so good to see you, Munchkin! We’ve got loads of catching up to do, yeah?. Until then, sleep well,” He leaned over and kissed her cheek, then turned to me and kissed mine, “Night, Sil.”

“Good night,” Oliver kissed my sister as well, “See you at breakfast.”

“At breakfast!” Lucy smiled at Oliver as he left the room,

“Goodnight, Alexander,” She called after Alex as he finally headed up the stairs.

After they’d gone, I gathered up the extra pillows and blankets for Lucy. “I wish I had another bed for you,” I told my sister as she settled on to the sofa.

“Oh, this is fine. I sleep on the couch a lot at my flat.” She patted her pillow and sank back into it, “I love it here, Silvia. It’s so cosy.”

“What's cosy are you and Alexander.”

Her face went red as a beet. “I was flirting with him,” She admitted, “Was it obvious?”

“I think,” I tucked the blanket around her feet like I used to when she was a little girl, “That he enjoyed it very much. He hasn’t had much to do with women since his divorce.”

“Oh, Sil, he’s hotter than ever!” She whispered excitedly, “The last time I saw him he was with that bitch, Melissa, and she kept giving me looks, so I hardly spoke to him at all. I was right upset about it, if I never told you. I wanted to tell her that he was mine! Funny, huh? That would have done great, me telling his bitch of a wife to back off my man!” Lucy laughed, “Today when I got off that train,” She sat up and grinned at me, “I thought he was Oliver and I was ashamed because he gave me butterflies in my tummy. He looked so absolutely gorgeous! I thought, ‘Oh, my God, Lucy Cotton! You can’t go falling in love with your sister’s husband! Get a grip now!’ When it was Alexander I thought I’d die.”

“You’ve been admiring him since you were what? Ten?”

“About that. I wanted so badly to have him be my boyfriend at Bennington.” She lay back with the back of her hand against her forehead, “Remember how he’d humour me? Taking me here and there. Do you remember the Christmas ball when he told Meredith to go rest her feet because he was going to dance with me for a while?” She giggled, “I couldn’t breathe being so close to him. I just held my breath the whole time. Oh, I loved him madly! But I understand he’s got a lot going on in his life now. I’ve no intention of coming in and making trouble.”

“Lucy,” I told her honestly, “There isn’t a whole lot going on in Alexander’s life. You’re remembering the lad who used to strut around Bennington like he had a key to the girl’s dormitory. He’s changed. He doesn’t even date anymore. His ex-wife cut him deep and he’s never been the same Alex since. He gave her all he had and she took every bit and then abandoned him with two children and not much left inside.”

“It’s awful what she did, Silvia. I hate her for that. I don’t care if she was a loony. Alexander might not always have been the nicest bloke, but he deserved to marry someone who loved him.” She paused, “It’s all he ever really wanted, you know? It was his only real requirement.”

“What?”

“That someone would love him for who he is. Someone who wouldn’t constantly compare him with Oliver. It’s why he stayed with Meredith for so long, you know? She saw him, not Ollie’s twin brother. I know he loves Oliver, but wouldn’t it drive you batshit to be held shoulder to shoulder with someone all your life? He would be downright awful sometimes just to set himself apart. I think he did it just to test whoever was around him to see if they loved him anyway. But nobody ever understood that, did they? I think maybe his mum, but nobody else.”

Lucy did, obviously. It had never struck me how well she knew Alexander. They had always had a friendship apart from Oliver and me, although all I had ever seen was Alexander playing the big brother role and Lucy being a love sick little girl. Still, I had never considered all the private conversations they must have had and all the intimate observations she had been able to make. Lucy had literally spent years watching Alexander from afar, hanging on to every word he said. Somewhere along the line she’d gotten his number. Lucy was no dummy.