A Witch Like No Other (50 page)

“
Oh love,
I’
m so sorry,” she said
gently, as Baby Julian sobbed into her shoulder. “I
didn
’
t
mean to scare you, I-”

“
Here Miriam,
I’
ll take him,” Ted said
gently, reaching for the baby. Miriam shook her head, saying “He
hardly knows you, Ted-”

“
Miriam,
it’
s ok. I promise,” Ted said,
as she looked down at the baby. “Let me take him down to
Dreamer.”

“
Hey, little
man,” Ted said softly, holding him in one arm. “You ok?”

“
I want Mummy,”
wept Julian, his green eyes full of anguish as he looked at the
stairs. “I no like Minnyam
and
Dorwa anymore.”

“
Yes, and I
cry-” The baby burst into tears again. “I want Mummy!”

Miriam realised she was cutting her palms her fists were
clenched so tight. Taking a deep breath, she said “Ted,
I
’
m
sorry I shouted at her. But… she really-”

“
Never mind,”
Ted said reassuringly. “Um… dinner’
s cancelled.”

“
I kind of
realised.”

“
Come
downstairs,” Ted said, already walking down. “You too,
‘
Dora.”

“
I’
m not
coming.”

“
Now,” called
Ted, and Pandora sighed and got up.

“
Suddenly you
like
me again?” she said,
under the voices of Ted and Dreamer, and Baby
Julian
’
s giggles as Dreamer tickled him lovingly.

“
Really.”

“
Yeah. And I
don’
t forget when you helped
us get back home.”

Pandora walked in the living room slowly, Marlon and
Miriam
’
s smiles fading as she sat as far away from everyone as
possible.

Dreamer didn
’
t look with her eyes, instead feeling
everyone
’
s energy. Laying on her back, she lifted Baby Julian high
in the air, looking up into his delighted face as he squealed
excitedly.

“
Mummy Mummy, I
fly!”
he said happily,
flailing his tiny arms and legs. “Look, Marlon! I fly, see? I
fly!”

Marlon smiled and nodded, Dreamer saying
“Should I call Mama and Papa, Ted?”

“
Uh…”

“
Let’
s begin,
then.”

“
This is what
I’
d like to call a family
meeting,” Ted said nervously, and Agnes scolded “Dreamer, sit
up.”

“
Well,
it’
s not exactly a
meeting
meeting, but… it
’
s to do with the kids,
and I um… Paul?” said Ted, swallowing. “Stop looking at me like
that.”

“
Paul,” said
Agnes, swatting her husband on the arm. “Stop that.”

Paul was annoyed. “I
’
m giving my full
undivided attention to the boy, Agnes. Would you rather I make
objects fly around the room?”

“
Go on Ted,”
said Agnes, ignoring Paul’
s
question. “Continue.”

“
Well,
everyone’
s been reunited and
such, and… well, we have to make some decisions about what happens
next.”

“
Well said,”
said Paul, agreeing totally. Agnes nodded too, ditto
Miriam.

“
Dreamer and I
had a talk,” Ted said, looking at her. “She isn’t
moving out of her home for my
benefit. I… I don
’
t mind that.”

“
So um… well,
really and truly I uh…”

Dreamer smiled at him. She
’
d never seen Ted so
nervous.

“
Look, Marlon
and Pandora- we’
re going back
home. Baby Julian isn
’
t used to you yet- isn
’
t used to so many people
in his home.”

Ted waited for the blow, but none came. Pandora and Marlon
didn
’
t
react to their father
’
s declaration, not for a few seconds
anyway.

“
Can we like…
arrange something?” Pandora asked tonelessly. “I mean, I want to
stay with my mother.”

“
Yeah,” said
Marlon, looking at Dreamer pleadingly. “Mum?”

“
How about they
come on weekends, Dreamer?” Paul said, looking at his child.
“Ever
y other weekend
isn
’
t
a bad idea.”

“
And they can
visit on their days off,” Agnes added, and Dreamer looked at Ted
before saying “That sounds fine, Mama.”

“
What about
Julian?” demanded Marlon, hurt. “How come he can stay?”

“
Julian
isn’
t Ted
’
s son,” Paul reminded
him, and Marlon closed his mouth. Then he asked “What about you and
Mum, Dad?”

“
Don’
t worry about that,”
Dreamer said, a small smile on her face.
“Everything
’
s ok between me and your father.”

“
Promise?”
asked Pandora dubiously, and Dreamer said “I promise.”

“
Well then,
that’
s living arrangements
sorted. Marlon, Pandora- it
’
s your day off tomorrow.
We
’
ll
go in the morning.”

“
You
don’
t even have your car,”
Pandora pointed out, and Dreamer said “Miriam can drop you back
home if it
’
s all right with her.”

“
Tomorrow?”
Miriam said, surprised. “Dreamer, I cant stay the
night-”

“
Why
not?”

“
Well,
I…”

Miriam felt she
’
d outstayed her welcome. She
didn
’
t
want to be around Pandora, anyway.

“
Come on
Mir
iam,” coaxed Dreamer.
“I
’
ll
make you hot chocolate.”

“
No,
I’
d rather-”

“
Hot chocolate
with a muffin.”

“
Dreamer-”

“
Hot chocolate
with a muffin and cookies.”

“
Cook-cook!”
said Baby Julian happily, and Paul said “No, son.”

“
Peas?”

“
No.”

“
Papa,” started
Dreamer, then she remembered Miriam. “Miriam, stay.”

“
I
cant.”

“
Ok, hot
chocolate with a muffin, cookies and a slice of apple
pie.”

“
No
, I really have to get
going. I
’
ve got work tomorrow and-”

“
That’
s even better,
because Ted does too. You can drop him and the kids off on the
way.”

“
It’
s up to
you.”

“
She’
s staying,” Paul
said, rising to his feet with Agnes. “Right Miriam?”

“
Yes,” she sighed, and Dreamer smiled.

“
Papa scares
you, doesn’
t he?”

“
He scares
everybody,” muttered Marlon, and Paul smiled at him.

“
That’
s right, my boy. I
scare
everybody.”

“
It’
s not Halloween,
Paul,” Agnes said, amused as he laughed. “Come,
let
’
s
go home.”

“
Goodbye
Papa.”

“
We’
ll come by at the end
of the week,” Agnes said, kissing her as well.

“
Hmm… this baby
boy adores me,” Paul stated, reaching down and scooping him up.
“Don’
t you adore your
grandpop, son?”

Baby Julian giggled, throwing his arms around
Paul
’
s
neck.

“
I’
ll take that as a yes,”
smiled Paul, and everyone laughed.

Marlon
’
s mobile rang. Answering quickly, he said
“Marlon.”

“
Hey,” said
Alice gently, and Marlon smiled. “Is everything ok?”

“
No,” he
confessed, going into the kitchen. Pandora followed. “I saw my best
mate snogging my little sister, that’
s newsflash one. The woman who helped wrecked my family is
here- the mystery lady. Miriam.”

“
Miss Hughes?
No way! Pandora didn’
t tell me
that-”

“
Yeah, well
Pandora and her got into an argument upstairs-”

“
I caught a bit
of it. She was real angry.”

“
So was
Miriam,” Marlon answered. “You know, I’
ve never heard her lose it before, especially with
Pandora-”

“
What?”

“
Marlon, we
need to talk about… what you saw today.”

“
What, are you
going to tell me I was hallucinating?” sneered Marlon. “Because
seriously Pandora, you’
ll need
to think of something else.”

“
Why are you
being like this? I don’
t have
a problem with you and Alice, and I didn
’
t have much of a problem
with you and Janice-”

“
I
wouldn’
t have cared if you
did!”

“
What’
s wrong with me
going out with James?” said Pandora, hurt. “Marlon,
you
’
re
overreacting. You
’
re acting like-”

“
Like what,
‘
Dora? Like I just witnessed
one of the four people I love so much it hurts kiss one of the
other four? Like it came as a massive blow because I see James as
my brother, meaning I thought he saw you as a sister? Like I feel
like all of it is really wrong?”

“
But
it’
s not wrong,” Pandora said,
then she took a step backwards as Marlon stepped forwards, face
murderous. Everybody was still talking happily in the living room-
Dreamer, as usual, was the centre of attention. Nobody noticed that
the kitchen door was closed.

“
How the hell
is it right?” spat Marlon, then he realised Alice was still on the
line. “Um… can I call you back
after I talk to my sister?”

“
Sure,” Alice
sa
id gently. “Marlon,
she
’
s
right: James-”

Marlon hung up angrily, saying “She
’
ll always side with
you.”

“
Good, seeing
as I knew her first,” Pandora answered, her usual flat drawl
returning. “Marlon, me and James-”

“
I
don’
t want to have this
conversation, Pandora.” Marlon slipped his phone in his pocket and
turned away. “We
’
ll talk later.”

Pandora glared at him. “Don
’
t pull your big brother
act on me.”

“
I am your big
brother,” snapped Marlon, turning back round.
“You’
d better remember that
from now on.”

“
Ok, look: how
about I tell you to get stuffed?” Pandora said, heat rising.
“I’
m seeing James whether you
like it or not.”

“
Then we have
nothing to say to each other from now on,” Marlon answered, making
her stop short.

“
What?”

“
You heard me,
‘
Dora.”

“
Marlon,
please- you cant do this to me.” She was a little shocked, but she
hardly showed it. “I need you just like I need Mum and
Dad-”