He didn't even get on the plane.
Alice was fuming! Not upset, absolutely bloody raging ! She'd hung up on him before she said something she'd regret. "Sorry Alice, love, I couldn't leave" She swore she could swing for him. What the hell was DAnny playing at? Did his wife and kids really mean that little to him? Fiona is back with Ed, she could ruin Leopard's Den, that's whet he'd come out with. Well Dup and Rosie and Caroline were surely capable of picking up a phone if things got too out of hand.
Alice was exhausted Robert was up twice every night hungry. She sure sharing the night feeds was something she and her darling husband had agreed on.
Was she being too harsh on him, she wondered? Danny did belong at Leopard's Den, he was born to work in the bush with the wild animals Alice knew that. But it was important for her to spend soem time in the UK. She had told Danny it wasn't going to be forever it was just easier with Robert and to be honest she'd nearly lost her brother and that had scared her. All she wanted was some time nearby just till he was fit and well again. Was that so selfish? She hadn't thought so.
Her phone started buzzing again for the third time. She didn't want to speak to him, not when she was this angry.
Charlotte was still at school she was expecting Danny, her dad to be here when she got home. Alice had literally forced her into school she had wanted to stay off and meet him at the airport but Alice had promised he'd be here when she got home. So how would she explain this to her twelve year old? Danny wants to stay with the animals rather than come and stay in the UK for a bit. Danny had chosen Leopard's Den over his family.
Alice could kill that man.
Yes, he'd always been a bit self obsessed, a trait Alice had often picked him up on. But this. Ugh!
Alice paced the living room too agitated to sit still. She stormed into the kitchen looking for something to do. She settled for furiously scrubbing the few dishes that Cahrlotte had chucked in the basin raqther than put in the washing machine. As she released her anger through her cleaning another feeling hit Alice. As the anger faded the tears rose. Did he not love her anymore? Was that it? Had their time apart made him realise he was better off without her? Surely not, each time they'd spoke on the phone he'd told her how much he missed her. He'd begged her to come back hadn't he? Oh God, what if her asking had made him realise?
The tears streamed down her face. She realised how much she wanted, no needed her husband now more than she ever had. And the fact that'd he'd chosen not to come made her heart break.
Again the phone buzzed. This time she answered it.
"Alice?"
"What Danny?" she was still crying.
"I'm sorry-"
"Danny, I don't want to hear it. i know you along with everyone else, think that I'm a total bitch for asking you to leave Leopard's Den and maybe I am. I know you love that place more than anything in the world-"
"No Alice I-" He tried to interupt her, he always hated it when she cried and knowing he was the cause of it killed him.
"LET ME FINISH!" He shut up. "I know all that and I felt so terrible but Danny I needed to be here. And I thought you, of all people, would understand. I nearly lost my brother for God's sake! I've just had a baby, our baby and I'm completely run off my feet between Robert and Rowan, I've probably neglected Charlotte. Was it so hard for you just once, once to be there for me? To support me?"
What he'd done hit him like a tonne of bricks. She was always there for him when he'd been struck off, Sarah's anniversary, Rosie leaving, Peeter's fiasco, the Big 5 job through absolutely everything. And how had he returned it? When she'd been scared about the pregnancy he'd been to busy to listen to her, when she had the scare with the lions he'd been working and now when she needed him he had got the taxi to turn around.
"Alice please, I just... I couldn't..."
"I love you Daniel Trevanion, but" her voice broke, "I can't"
The line went dead.
Reviews appreciated :) should i continue this ?
