Going Home

Part 107

Before following Josh out Grace took a deep breath and tried to steel herself for the embarrassing scene to come. As she reached the kitchen Josh handed her a glass of wine and kissing her on the head led the way outside.

Margaret and Robert looked up and smiled as they walked out. But they were not the knowing sort of smile Grace had been dreading and she was thankful. However it didn’t stop the blush creeping up her neck and suffusing her face.

Taking a drink as he watched Grace’s face colour, Josh tried to help and turning to his mother he asked “good walk?”

Looking up at Josh Margaret nodded “yes thanks Josh, it was actually easier going than the way we went earlier.”

“Sounds good” Josh said. Then turning to his father he said “you want to try some fishing before dinner?”

Putting down the paper Robert said “good idea Josh” and getting up, he and Josh headed off down the bank with their fishing rods.

Looking out over the water as the men left Grace could kiss Josh for making things as easy for her as he could. But she still couldn’t bring herself to look at Margaret and as she couldn’t think of a thing to say they sat in silence for a while.

Sensing her unease Margaret decided having something to do may help Grace relax and looking over at her with a smile she said “how about we get dinner started then we’ll be ready when they finish their fishing.

Finally managing to look at her Grace nodded and managed a small smile. Josh was right they obviously weren’t going to say anything and taking a deep breath she relaxed a little. Then thankful to have something to do she got to her feet and followed Margaret into the kitchen.

Learning To Trust Again

Wiping away the tears that had started flowing again Rebecca said ‘but he lied Mum. How can I trust him?’

‘I know sweetie. But what you have to decide is whether accepting that a good man can make mistakes, the same as we all can, is worse than hurting like this. There are no guarantees with other people. We are all human and therefore fallible. We will always be let down and disappointed by the people we love in one way or another just the same as we will do that to them, even though we do our best not to. But when we pick the right people, those times are few and the mistakes are small and we forgive them and hope they forgive us. I can tell Jake is a good man and yes he made a mistake but from what I can see he’s trying to fix that. Talk to him honey, if you still feel it’s something you can’t tolerate, that he is someone you can’t trust, then at least you can move on without regret, and without doubts.’

‘I’ll think about it’ Rebecca said.

‘Good’ Bridget replied ‘now let’s go and see if your dad has managed to keep Todd in bed.’

Rebecca gave her mother a small smile, knowing she was trying to lighten the mood. ‘I wouldn’t count on it.’

‘I know’ Bridget said grinning and putting her arm through Rebecca’s, they walked back to the hospital.

Learning To Trust Again

Moving out of her mother’s embrace Rebecca wiped her eyes. Without looking at the older woman she said ‘I told you mum, he lied to me. He didn’t tell me what happened to Todd until it may have been too late. It could have cost Todd his life.’

Bridget was silent for a minute. Then her voice soft and caring she said ‘I know that, but is that all?’

‘Isn’t that enough?’ Rebecca almost yelled.

Her mother sighed. ‘I’m not going to tell you how to feel Rebecca. I know how you feel about deceit and why, but after seeing him here today, I can’t believe there was anything malicious in his actions. He must have had a reason for doing that.’ And when Rebecca didn’t reply she added ‘everyone makes mistakes honey.’

‘I know Mum’ Rebecca finally said turning to face her mother, her arms crossed in a defensive gesture she added ‘but I promised myself I wouldn’t let anyone do that to me again. I didn’t tell you half the lies Mark told me. I can’t be with someone who would treat me like that.’

‘Did Jake say why he lied?’ her mother asked.

Turning away again Rebecca said ‘does it matter. A lie is a lie.’

‘I know but I’m interested to know why. What did he say?’

‘He said it was because Todd asked him to’ Rebecca said with her arms crossed and still not looking at her mother.

Moving to stand behind her, Bridget put her hands on her daughter’s shoulders ‘I know I don’t know Jake very well’ she said ‘but one thing I am absolutely sure of is, he is nothing like Mark. That much I could tell within the first five minutes of meeting him. I never liked Mark, but I do like Jake.’

Surprised by her statement that she’d never liked Mark, Rebecca turned to look at her mother ‘you never said anything.’

‘How could I say anything?’ Bridget asked. ‘None of us liked him but we couldn’t tell you that. We wanted you to be happy. You loved him and wouldn’t hear a word against him.’

‘Sorry’ Rebecca said, turning away again, her head bowed.

‘You have nothing to apologise for’ Bridget said, anger reverberating through her words, ‘none of what happened was your fault. It is not a crime to believe in the person you love. He was to blame for not being worth of the trust and faith you placed in him and it is his loss. I have no doubt that one day he will get what he deserves. However that is the past. What I am sure of now is that Jake is not like that.

Rebecca nodded ‘I know he’s not like Mark but…’

‘And’ Bridget said, interrupting her daughter ‘apart from that, Jake doesn’t seem the type of man to do anything just because he was asked to, no matter who did the asking or why. If it didn’t sit well with his principles, I feel sure he wouldn’t do it. Personally I think there is something else going on. Something he hasn’t told you so far. But you won’t know what it is unless you ask him. No matter what Todd said, unless Jake himself had a reason to keep quiet about what happened at the party, I’m certain Jake would have said something.’

Rebecca didn’t speak. Her eyes were fixed on the trees on the far side of the park.

‘But what is most important honey’ her mother continued ‘is what I saw in Todd’s room earlier today. No matter what Jake has done, you love him and I’d say he feels the same way. When you wouldn’t look at him he looked like his heart was breaking, much the same way you looked when you finally turned around to find he had gone.’

Loss and Longing

As Stevie settled in her bed later that night and turned out the light, she couldn’t suppress the giggle that was bubbling up inside her. She still couldn’t quite believe what was happening to her. As she went back over what had happened at Grant’s, savouring the sweet sensations he had evoked, she jumped as her phone on the bedside table, beeped. She picked it up and grinned as she saw who it was from. It read “in bed, wish you were here.”

“Same here” she typed back.

“Mmmm” he sent “I’d be better able to imagine that now, if we’d actually made it as far as a bed earlier.”

She chuckled and typed “something to look forward to.”

“Tomorrow?” he sent.

“I think I’m busy” she teased.

“Cancel it” he sent.

“Can’t” she typed, grinning to herself. She had no intention of not going.

“Don’t make me beg” he sent back, “it’s not a pretty sight.”

 She laughed, “Haha, I’ll see what I can do.”

“Is that a yes?”

“It’s a maybe” she sent.

“What can I do to make it a yes?”

“Tell me something I don’t know about you.”

“Hmm, okay. I’m a sucker for baby animals.”

“Laughing, really?”

“Don’t laugh” he typed “I got banned once from one of those mobile farms for pushing the little kids out of the way.”

Stevie laughed and typed “so you were a naughty little boy.”

“I was twenty eight” he sent back.

Stevie couldn’t stop laughing. She sent back “I can’t see to type.”

“So now I’ve made you laugh, are you coming around tomorrow night?”

She could almost feel the smile in his words.

“Okay” she sent “but I’ll be late, after dinner. I have to do some stuff with my sister first.”

“I’ll be waiting” he said.

Stevie laughed to herself, “night” she typed.

“Sweet dreams” he sent back and she put her phone back on the bed side table and closed her eyes. Sleep didn’t happen for some time though.

Learning To Trust Again

‘Jake’ Todd replied, his voice hard as he looked back at her. Searching her eyes he said ‘I thought you weren’t seeing him anymore?’

‘I’m not’ she said, looking away, an edge to her voice.

‘Where’s Jemma?’ Todd asked after a second as more memories of the night before returned.

‘I have no idea Todd’ Rebecca said ‘Jake didn’t mention her.’

‘Can you give me a phone?’

Picking up his phone off the bedside table Rebecca said ‘yours came in with you. But you had no Id.’

Taking his phone Todd dialed Jemma’s number as he said ‘no I don’t take it when I’m going to a club,’ he frowned as he got no answer to his call. Dialing again he said to his sister ‘it’s too easy to lose it in those places I just carry some cash.’

‘Don’t you get asked for proof of age?’ Rebecca asked.

Todd gave her half a smile ‘not since I was sixteen’ he said.

Rebecca smiled.

Todd still couldn’t get an answer from Jemma and he frowned again.

Seeing his concern Rebecca said ‘don’t worry about it for now. You need to concentrate on healing. I’m sure she’ll call.’

Nodding Todd said ‘okay’ but he was already dialing again.

‘Are you okay honey?’ Bridget asked Rebecca as they walked around a local park later that day, getting some fresh air after sitting in Todd’s hospital room for so long. They had left Brian to occupy Todd, who now showed every sign of wanting to jump out of bed and leave the hospital, the pain of moving due to his broken ribs, the only thing preventing that from happening.

‘I’m fine. Why?’ Rebecca asked with some surprise.

‘It was just when Jake was here earlier, you seemed sad.’ But when Rebecca didn’t reply and wouldn’t look at her mother Bridget asked ‘what happened?’

The concern in her mother’s voice was more than Rebecca could cope with and she bowed her head as the tears she’d been fighting all day started to flow.

Wrapping her arms around her daughter Bridget held her. ‘Can you tell me about it? It might help.’