Loss and Longing

“What was that look about?” Stevie whispered to her mother as she poured the drinks.

“How old is he for goodness sake?” Nina whispered back.

“What?” Stevie said, turning to face her, “what’s that got to do with anything?” She had never even thought about the differences in their ages. Not for one second did she consider it would be an issue. It certainly was for her.

 “I just thought he was about your age. It was a shock, that’s all.

Stevie rolled her eyes “I don’t see why, he’s only seven years older than me.”

“Oh” Nina said, clearly surprised “he looks older than that.”

“Even if he was, it wouldn’t matter” Stevie said looking hard at her mother.

Nina looked away, a blush suffusing her face, “no” she said “of course not. I’m sorry.”

“Okay” Stevie said “just make him feel welcome, please.”

“I will” Nina assured her, “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it” Stevie said, still feeling and sounding a little upset, and picking up the drinks she walked back into the living room.

And Stevie knew Grant must have sensed the tension when as she handed him his drink he asked “everything okay?”

She smiled, but was sure it looked as forced as it felt, “yes” she said.

“Sure?” he said, frowning.

“Just a misunderstanding. I’ll explain later.”

“Okay” he said and as Stevie’s brother asked Grant if he wanted to play a game on the games console, Stevie relaxed a little. At least her brother seemed to like him. And going by the awe evident in her sister’s eyes, she knew she had nothing to worry about there either.

So that only left her mother and as she watched Grant interact with her siblings she looked at him with new eyes and saw something of what her mother did. For the first time she realised he did look older than his thirty one years. She guessed losing his parents probably had something to do with that. She knew from her own experience how quickly she’d had to grow up when her own father died. Her heart hurt for him and what he’d been through.