Real Love, Racing, and Remember me?
By: Carrie-Anne
Chapter One---Nightmares and Dreams...the secret is out of the bag...
I gave me away You're coming home, you're coming home I gave me away And now you're coming home You're coming home You're coming home, you're coming home I gave me away
I could have knocked off the evening
But I lone lily landed my waltz in her hands
In a way I felt you were leaving me
I was sure I wouldn't find you at home
And you let me down
You could have knocked off the evening
But you lone lily let him push under your bone
You let me down
It's no use deceiving
Neither of us wanna be alone
I could have knocked off the evening
But I was lone lily looking for someone to hold
In a way I lost all I believed in
And I never found myself so low
And you let me down
You could've called if you'd needed
But you lone lily got yourself locked in instead
And you let me down
It's one thing being cheated
But you took him all the way through your bed
And I'm trying to forgive
You're coming home
And I'm trying to forget
You're coming home
And I'm trying to move on
You're coming home
And you haven't called yet
And I'm trying to forgive
You're coming home
I'm just trying to forget
You're coming home
I'm trying to move on
You're coming home
But you haven't called
You're coming home
I could have knocked off the evening
But I lone lily loomed her into my bone
You let me down
There's no use deceiving
Neither of us wanna be alone
Damien Rice's "Lone lily"
For an end of May evening, Lizzie returned the mats to their storage area after her yoga session with a few 'pregnant' ladies from the village. And now she set up her massage chair and table out for her last night appointment at 8 o'clock. Lizzie sighed and then smiled with approval of having the room ready as Archie warmed to the idea of her having her 'relaxation sessions' as soon as he noticed the profits, even though they were small, starting to roll in. Lizzie wandered out of the kitchen with her basket of lavender and green tea oils as she heard the door bell chime and decided to greet her appointment at the door. She stopped at the mirror in the hall, fixed her hair back into another loose ponytail before opening the big door wide, "Welcome...I'll be your---?" as the basket of oils fell right out of her hands, tumbling down to the floor with a 'crash'.
"Hello Liz," as familiar voice to Lizzie's ears sang out, but it didn't surprise her, instead it annoyed her, as her words crashed out from her gaping mouth, "David?"
"I'm here for a massage, lovey..." David said, while rubbing the back of his neck with his hand and then through his dark sandy blond hair, as his wiry mouth when into a slow grin which didn't fool Lizzie at all...
"I'm sorry...I'm closing, David." Lizzie made up an excuse but David knew she was lying and called her bluff.
"I'm your eight o'clock...you've already booked me in...You did get my letter and my check months ago?" David let out a smile again as Lizzie gazed in the direction of the library, "Yes" as Lizzie's mind stated, 'Oh, right, that thing that had a stamp on it and squiggles saying where it was from...mail forwarding service sent me your 6 month old letter and that check---I'm giving it back to you because you can't keep trying to buy us back into your life, David, it doesn't work that way.'
"Oh good, look, where's---?"
"Martha is visiting my mother, David." Lizzie picked up the oils and placed them back into her basket before heading towards the library as David followed her.
"Oh, well, I was hoping to see her," David asked fondly as Lizzie replied, "Undress wrap this around you and we'll get this over with..."
"Lizzie pet, I haven't seen you in such a long time..."
"I wonder why that is...oh, no bother, right, you were tied up for the past three and half years...god forbid you show up in person, until now---oh wait, you did that when Martha was three and then I woke up one morning with a Dear Jane letter from you!"
"Lizzie..."
"Get undressed..." Lizzie commanded as David remarked with a chuckle that didn't give Lizzie a warm and fuzzy feeling, "Well, been a long time since we were both..."
"Don't say that, David, you have some nerve showing up here---leave your skivvies on under the tatty towel," Lizzie shook her head and pushed David behind a four fold, standing tall, clothing changer with bamboo print on it. Moments later David came out with a towel wrapped around his waist and hopped up onto the table and laid down on his stomach. Lizzie cringed at the thought of rubbing oil on him, aside from having her fingers brush his skin...but she did it...as rough and unfeeling as possible.
"I really have missed you and this place," David replied as Lizzie thumped her hands down on the back of his legs.
"I don't understand why."
"It's simple..."
"You're lucky right now that I'm not kicking your sorry excuse for a..."
"Kick me out, Lizzie, not like you? I know you're a bit upset, but---?"
"Upset? Really? Thought I would, kick up me heels an' do the Irish jig when I'd see you at the doorstep? Thought I'd be thrilled to welcome you back or something of the sort? Well, guess again, you clockwork crock pot! When this is through, you're to leave." Lizzie basically started to 'punch' David's back with her hands as David moved himself so he was now sitting up...
"Lizzie, I'm really sorry."
"You vanished in thin air David, you know, poof of smoke like a genie in a bottle..."
"I could grant you a few wishes if you like...Archie's still upset with me too I s'pose."
"You wanna grant me a wish? One where you'll disappear."
"Lizzie..."
"As for Archie, what was wrong with you? You used him and also made a pass at my sister in law, David! Of course he's still angry, not just upset... did you tell him about---?"
"No, I promised you I wouldn't do it, boy I've missed you."
"Good, take a picture, it'll last longer and miss me from afar, like you have---?" Lizzie was about to walk away from the massage table when David reached out for her and stopped her on her feet.
"Lizzie, I had life stuff to work out, and I was a real jerk back then. I've changed; you know I lost my job way back. I had business dealings to sort out and investments—I was in Australia and Japan—you know this, you got the letters, the photos, the cards and the gifts—you just acknowledged it---it's not like you couldn't have written back---when my letters were returned—?"
"You decided to try to come find us? That's real rich!"
"It's the truth that's why it took me so long...because I had to work and figure out how to get back here, I couldn't keep track of you and Martha in person, only letters and gifts—I got receipts telling me you got them too but one could not be totally sure you did get them---I wanted to know you were at least all right!"
"You're not going to win me back at all so don't try to explain to me why you took off on me or Martha?" Lizzie recalled the last time she saw David as he came back for three months while Martha was only three years old. Lizzie was about to force David to lie back down when the library door opened up and a six months expectant Lexie walked right in.
"Oh sorry, I heard loud voices, thought something was a matter...what the---?" Lexie glanced at David in mock horror and then at Lizzie and then replied, "I'm calling the police, if you don't leave. I'm getting Archie...ARCHIE!"
"What's a matter?" Archie came running into the room after hearing his wife's distress call and his feet skidded to a halt as his stare hardened and set right on his ex-childhood mate and Jamie's best friend, "You..."
"Archie, Lexie, how do you both do?" David smiled and sat there on the table pretty much 'exposed' and Lizzie stood between her little brother and the childhood playmate...she could sense the tension between the men and didn't like it at all.
"I told you to leave and to never come back, how long ago?" Archie reminded David of the fact that he made him go.
"It was years ago but I came back to see Lizzie and Martha this time around, not you or Lexie there...see you two have been well, rather busy?" David's eyes fell onto Lexie's swollen front side as Archie backed right up as if he were trying to protect her and the baby.
"Why on blithering Earth would you want to see my sister? Get lost, get out and...?" Archie growled and stated again, "You're not wanted here David!"
"Archie, he's here because..." Lizzie's mouth went dry and she became speechless. David decided to speak for her.
"To see Lizzie and Martha as I told you before...our business."
Archie's face stiffened again as his cheeks grew flaming red color and he was going to rip right into David, "Not in my house, under my roof you do, and you have no business being here or with Lizzie. Get out! You're to leave."
"Archie, no," Lizzie disagreed and Archie glared at her, "He's gotten to you? Why is that? I'm picking your brain Lizzie...explain this now...why is David here?"
"Because...I'm in the middle of giving a massage to a client and you're interrupting. David will be leaving afterwards," Lizzie grumbled and stuck up for David which continued to baffle poor Archie even more.
"Not good enough...you let him charm you, Lizzie---like he tried to charm us all here last time! You blatantly fell for it, didn't you? Don't deny it since SUCKER is stamped right on your forehead!" Archie shook his head and argued before Lizzie informed him, "Just go, Archie. Go Lexie, I don't need the added stress that you both bring right now..."
Lexie frowned as she retorted and looked at Lizzie and David smugly, "Lizzie, David is added stress!"
"That's it! I've had it with you---get out now!" yelled Archie as he put up his dukes and felt the sudden urge to lunge at David with his right fist out...wanting to knock his socks off again like he had years ago, only David this time ducked and hopped off the table as he stood behind Lizzie and she screamed out, "Stop it!"
Archie went to throw another punch at David as Lizzie intervened, "Just quit it, Archie!"
David took his own swing and nailed Archie right in the face, knocking him down to the floor, "Defending your big sister's honor?"
"Archie! What do you know about honor you slime bucket?" Lexie stated smugly as she went to Archie's aide while he sat on the floor and rubbed his throbbing chin with his hand.
"Stop killing each other..." Lizzie pleaded as Archie gazed up at her...
"Why? Why do you ask this of me? I'm just looking out for my family?" Archie muttered out his 'brotherly duty' which David was right about.
"Because Archie, David is---Martha's father..." As Lizzie dropped the 'soap box' bomb onto her brother while in a daze, Archie glared at her and then David.
"You...you..." Archie couldn't get the words out fast enough and Lexie spoke for him...as her mouth dropped wide open.
"Oh my god, you impregnated her? But I thought..."
Archie then asked, making sure he heard it right, "He's what? Wanna run that by me just one more time, would you? I thought Martha's father was Stephan, a married man, whom lived in the south of France and you met him at a trade fair---he shacked up with some Italian and moved to Spain, was it or back to Tuscany?"
Lizzie gave Archie a very guilty look, "I only told you and father that because I didn't want you judging David or me. I told mother Archie everything when I was---?"
"You told our mother who Martha's father is and not me, your brother? Lizzie, why lie to me!" Archie was appalled at his sister's behavior and David spoke right up...
"You see MacDonald, maybe you need a bird and bees lesson, Lizzie, well, I impregnated her, or not quite seven years ago so that means, well, I still scored the 'Royal MacDonald' in other ways, didn't I? I just neglected to tell you this when I came for your wedding, which you had already had---?"
Archie stood up, ignored David's instigations and explanations, as he backed away from Lexie, glanced at Lizzie and avoided eye contact with his old childhood chum turned foe. He then staggered out of the room while ignoring his sister's call out, "Archie!"
Lizzie ran out behind Archie, "Say something!"
"Say something!" Lizzie frantically hollered out again...as Archie continued to climb the stairs.
Archie stood on the top step, turned around and faced a tizzied Lizzie, "What do you want me to say? You lied to me Lizzie!"
"Look, it's a long story...I had to talk to someone about it all so I only confessed to Mummy in my old room years ago---it was hours before I had given birth to Martha!" Lizzie climbed the steps to face the music and her brother.
"You told me a long fable or was it a big fib? You left out the fact that David is actually---oh never mind!"
"I know...I know. I was cross with him. I didn't know how you or father would take it as David being Martha's father, since back then he was married---nothing was brought up until now--- so I didn't go into specifics as to whom her father really was...I came home to have Martha because weeks prior to her birth David went back to Sarah. He left me in a lurch and pregnant. I knew he was married—you told me! It was him whom I did meet at a trade fair while doing PR work, but in Florence, Italy and not the south of France, I made Stephan up! Archie! At that time Arch, you weren't even thinking about who my baby's father was...you were so busy thinking about Katrina, remember?"
"Not fair and not the same, Lizzie, you must really think I'm dense! I don't need to hear anymore details. David should leave if he's not gone, within minutes, I'll gather Golly and Duncan with shot guns and also ring the police...you better pack your bags too. Martha can stay, but I want you to go."
"Archie, you're not serious! You can't toss me out, this is my home too!"
"You get rid of him. I don't want to see the both of you here ever again..."
"Archie! Archie! What happened to you being my little brother and me still having you? Archie, no! Don't go!" Lizzie felt herself falling and falling...dropping down into the darkened abyss as if she was flying down from the front foyer steps and about to crash into the main floor...Lizzie didn't know what to do until...
She bolted straight up in bed in a cold sweat. The desolate room was just as dark and foggy as her memory played tricks on her about what really happened the day David showed up at the house again and separated Lizzie and Archie as friends and siblings...
"Lizzie?" Graeme called out as his arms reached out for her after being cuddled to her side, "You all right?"
"I'm—mm" Lizzie stammered out while returning her head to her pillow while encased in Graeme's embrace, "Fine really."
"You don't sound it..." Graeme replied groggily and still half asleep. Lizzie glanced over to the clock as it beamed, '5:00am' in big bright yellow digital letters. "It's about what happened the other day? With Archie?"
Lizzie became teary eyed as she lie there in on the unfold up couch and gazed up at the ceiling before concluding, "Yes,"
"Just talk about it with him in the morning..."
"How can I? He's all bent out of shape about David being in the village. Not like I invited him here on purpose, but Arch sees it this way. I'm always screwing stuff up and never sticking through with something worthwhile---he thinks I'm a flake...my little brother thinks I'm a flake and that I can never keep myself together..." Lizzie trailed on just as she turned to listen to Graeme snoring as he was back to sleep within seconds, "Nice to know you were listening..."
Lizzie sat up, stretched and yawned, pulled the covers back from her body and climbed out of bed. As her feet slipped into her slippers and she wandered towards the kitchenette of Molly's former apartment and now Lizzie and Martha's new home. 'First thing's first...cup of coffee,' Lizzie began to make a pot of coffee, assuming Molly would be up and running soon to check on her and things before opening up the shop room down below the flat.
Lizzie couldn't keep thinking about the predicament she was in the middle of at that very moment. She also assumed David Fraser would come be bopping around to see her and Martha---if she wasn't thinking about him, he'd pop up, if she was thinking about him, he'd pop up again—always wanting something---always wanting to spend time with her and Martha. And she'd refuse after the awful scene he created at the house, as her mind chimed in, 'Oh, Arch, I'm really sorry about it all.' She finished prepping the glass French press, adding the coffee grinds, pouring in the water from a piping hot kettle, Lizzie journeyed down the long hall and propped open the small 'guest' bedroom where Martha slept soundly. Meanwhile, the apartment door opened and Molly tip-toed in, whispering, "Lizzie? You up dear?"
Chapter Two---Fence mending and building
Lizzie inhaled and exhaled before finally feeling a hand on her shoulder and hearing "Couldn't sleep a wink, dear? I don't blame you at all. I crept in to check on all of you. I've been up since the crack of dawn you know because Golly got up to tend to the wolves."
"---and how's living in that big cabin now?" Lizzie smiled and whispered to her mother as Lizzie's eyes wandered down to the sparkling diamond ring on her mother's left hand and then hers---the both mother and daughter were finally to be wed and amazed at the turn of events the past weeks had brought them both—Molly closer to marrying Golly and Lizzie to finally finding the 'right' man.
Molly then replied quietly, "Good sweetheart, probably one shouldn't be living together before marriage, but we only have a week to go."
"You sound like father and his old fashioned ways," Lizzie laughed as Molly replied, "I miss your father, you know, How are you settling in? I'm sorry my junk isn't out of here sooner but I'm picking up the last box today. I'm just so excited for you and Graeme—know I should have waited a few more hours—and for Graeme to wake up, but I wanted to see how you both were. Think you both might have a May-June-ish wedding next year too?"
"Maybe, but marrying Graeme right now is on the last list of my worries. Mummy, I don't know what to do. I'm really confused and David has impeccable timing showing up here like this---he's been coming around the past couple days while I'm working at the shop." Lizzie then paused as she thought about David once again and then forced him out of her mind and concluded, "I'm not trying to toss you out of your flat, Mummy, I'm just grateful you gave Martha and me a place to stay—I just wish David would just stay away until I worked all out with Archie."
Molly placed her head on Lizzie's shoulder while they watched Martha sleep, "You know Archie, he'll cool off. He will be nipping at your heels within hours, telling you how sorry he is, for forcing you out days ago, and wanting you and Martha to move back into the house."
"It's been a few days since we've had any kind of a discussion Arch and me and I left on my own, Mummy. I'm not going to let him grovel at my feet because, well, Archie always has had a flair for the dramatics just like the time Gerald and I came for a visit and he wanted to drop the estate at our feet and take off for London. Then I lied to him and father about who Martha's father really is---?"
"That was a long time ago, Lizzie, and you shouldn't judge your little brother that way. As for David, well, your father knew it was him..." Molly waited for Lizzie to reply, but she was stunned, "How did---?"
"I told him after you left, after you had Martha, that David was responsible as much as you were. He didn't breathe another word about you not being married—infact he assumed you did make a good choice to make Martha full on Scottish—opposed to French or even Italian---he was actually quite pleased that you were with David, not pleased about the married part, you know, but with David being Jamie's best friend. Hector always had a good thing to say about that boy. And to tell you the truth, he was kind of saddened at that fact that you and David weren't together for the birth or even married. Then again, Lizzie, your father loved Martha so much, it didn't seem to really matter who her father was in the long run—he just accepted it."
"Oh, well, at least he knew, but what do I do about Archie? David was like my first suitor, I suppose, but now he's this ex-boyfriend nightmare! Mummy, you believe you and Golly will be happy after you marry?" Lizzie posed a question about her mother and Golly's betrothal and trying to change the subject of David and her.
"Yes, of course, dear and very much so, but it isn't just being happy Lizzie, it's seeing my family happy too. I know this is troubling you, but David always had a solid competitive streak for something he wanted..." Molly channeled the conversation back to Lizzie and David...
Lizzie let out a husky chuckle, "Competitive isn't the word for it, Mummy, and he can't have me or Martha back. Mummy, he saw her four years ago, showed up at my flat all ready to commit to us and then vanished, well sort of, he kept sending letters, cards and gifts---material things---but they don't hold up when he should have really been there for us...I won't have him break her poor wee heart again or let alone mine—I'm not going to let him back in."
"Oh Lizzie, nothing broken that a little love can't fix, I say."
"I don't love him and I never did." Lizzie lied...
"How can you say that you didn't love him when you created something so precious sleeping in this room?" Molly questioned as Lizzie sighed again, "Perhaps you're right. I did love him at one time..."
"It'll all work out, you'll see." Molly winked as she passed a yawning and stretching Graeme whom had serious blonde bed head and was dressed in blue plaid pajamas. He traveled down the hall to hug Lizzie and kiss her cheek, "I thought I heard voices and I smelled coffee. Morning Molly—nice to see you bright and early an' ever so chipper at this dawning hour,"
"Morning Graeme, well, I have a shop to open and run...Lizzie just don't fret my pet." Molly gave Lizzie's arm a loving rub and kissed her cheek before toddling off.
Lexie spend the morning waddling around the kitchen tending to the soon two year old twins, Jayne and Wayne, as the silence started to get to her. Lexie couldn't stand the change or the peace and quiet of the house as Archie and she had wanted it for so long, achieved it and now, just days later, she wanted the whole family to move back in.
"Morning," Archie crawled into the kitchen before placing his lips on Lexie's and stealing a piece of toast.
"Morning," Lexie replied sullenly.
"Cheer up it's not that bad is it? Finally having the kingdom to our wee selves?"
"Archie, I miss them all. I miss Martha and Nigel eating eggs and getting ready for school—shoving books in their packs, Paul sitting at the kitchen table reading the newspaper, Susan running off to work with a travel mug of coffee and me making sure she took her lunch with her...Molly's morning chats about the twins and Golly coming into the kitchen with Duncan sitting at the table playing with some gadget or boyish toy. Lizzie...Archie I miss making her 'vegan' breakfast on Ewan's days off!" Lexie pouted with her swollen front side making its presence known as the baby kicked and Archie rubbed her stomach when he noticed Lexie's face well up with a bit of pain.
"There's my footie player," Archie beamed while allowing Lexie to voice what she missed most about the whole family living under the one big roof, while bending down to chat with the unborn and continue to massage Lexie's stomach, Lexie replied back, heaving a breath, "No your ballerina and she's a live one, didn't you hear a word of what I just said? Don't you miss them at all?"
"Yes, she is," Archie laughed as Archie and Lexie had their ultrasound last week and were expecting another little girl in the house—or says the nurse who recorded the fetal images and movements at Lexie's last doctor's appointment.
"Lex, you know I miss them too, but it's good for us all, living in our own houses."
"Even Lizzie and Martha?" Lexie eyed her husband as Archie remarked, "I don't want to talk about them right now."
"Archie this is plain daft, you've been avoiding her for two days—how long must this go on?"
"She hasn't exactly come round to chat it up with me..."
"Archie, she didn't do anything wrong, you just kicked her..."
"Lexie, Lizzie left on her own accord with Martha and she lied to me! She kept from me that David---my brother's best friend---my--urgh!"
"Lizzie moved into Molly's flat above the shop, Archie. It's small, cramped, and unfurnished!"
"Lexie she made her own choices."
"You're being cheap, pig-headed, and only thinking of yerself, oh poor wee Arch! It happened years ago, Lizzie met a man...?"
"A married man, David had just 'eloped' with Sarah way back then—I told Lizzie this when she was home with Gerald so long ago...doesn't matter if David and Sarah were separated—Lizzie allowed their 'torrid love affair' to happen anyway—they had been into each other when they were 'love struck' teenagers---I never thought David was good for Lizzie and I still don't!"
"Arch, you're blaming just her? That's so wrong and you know it---it takes two to tango! Lizzie's a grown woman, made some bad choices, but she wanted a baby and she got one---you love Martha!"
"Yes, I love my niece, but does it have to be his baby, Lex? I never wanted David to come back here or see him again after what he did to you or tried to do to me and now I'm stuck with him! All of these years and Lizzie kept that secret from me, the secret of who Martha's father really was!"
"I know David's the scum of the earth...but oh well, right, when haven't you kept a secret from her?" Lexie judged her husband as Archie sighed, "You want me to talk to her, you think I won't."
"It doesn't matter what I think does it? She's your sister, Arch, you love her..."
"She doesn't think I'm worthy of running this house, never has, never will. She always had it out for me ever since I became 'surprise' Laird. Apparently, I'm her little brother and she just wanted to take me for a joy-ride!"
"Archie, Lizzie has never been anything but good to you, just like you've always taken such great care of her and Martha since they moved back up here," Lexie soothed a wounded Archie while the twins continued to eat pancakes with sugar and lemon and drink from their sippy cups at the small kiddy crayon table with crayon seats in the corner of the room.
Archie grumbled, while agreeing with Lexie, "I know, I know."
"Go talk to her, Arch, she needs it."
"I'm not sure," Archie walked over to pat Jayne and Wayne's heads while they ate breakfast and both said, "Morning Daddy!"
"Morning munchkins, what's that you're having? Yum...good huh?" Archie opened his mouth while Jayne fed him a piece of pancake. Wayne decided to do the same thing as Archie chewed up the bits and swallowed while flashing his children a huge toothy grin and then returning his attention to Lexie.
"You are sure. Just go do it or I won't be allowing you in bed with me tonight or any other night until you do," Lexie then wandered away and into the food pantry as Archie added, "Lex," but shrugged it off in his mind, 'I'll duke that out with her later,' before he grabbed the dogs' leashes for a morning walk, blew out a breath, kissed the twins' brows and scrambled out of the house.
Older chests
reveal themselves Papa went to other lands Like time, there's always time
Like a crack in a wall
Starting small, and grow in time
And we all seem to need the help
Of someone else
To mend that shelf
Too many books
Read me your favorite line
And he found someone who understands
The ticking, and the western man's need to cry
He came back the other day, yeah you know
Some things in life may change
And some things
They stay the same
On my mind
So pass me by, I'll be fine
Just give me time
Damien Rice
Archie had hard time thinking about what exactly to say to Lizzie. He listened to Lexie deeply, empathetically, as he missed everyone living together too...he missed especially, Lizzie, her quirky jokes, her plans which always backfired, him always picking up the pieces. Although ever since she had moved home, there wasn't much to 'fix' when Lizzie did something out of the ordinary and Martha---his goddaughter, the always everlasting joy and apple of his eye—he missed placing her 'Mrs. Bear' on the serving tray and sending it down the main hall steps while Lizzie laughed on about it. Days ago, just minutes after Archie getting angry with Lizzie about David and trying to force her out, he had changed his mind and didn't want her to go...
"Where are you going?" Archie asked quickly as he noticed Lizzie's bags were packed, and so were Martha's...
"I'm leaving, what does it look like I'm doing? I'm getting all of my things and going where I'm wanted, Martha and me! I'll be out of your hair shortly!" Lizzie chanted as she tossed her luggage into the back of a Molly's car and shut the trunk down. Archie stared at her...
"Where's David?"
"I sent him away. I told him you'd be calling police and would be using all means necessary to remove him from the premises...never mind, Arch! You spoke your mind, I'm out of here."
"Lizzie,
I'm so sorry...don't go." "Archie, I didn't mean to keep anything from you..."
"You kept David from me! You kept a secret about Martha from me! I'm her godfather and her only Uncle, you know! I should have known these things about you and David years ago---carrying on like---I don't want to think about how you two carried on!"
"There you go again...it doesn't concern you! You've been on me for a year now to move out...kicking me out of here is a sad way to go. I'll send for the rest of my things!"
"Lizzie, don't leave! Where's mother when I need her? She'd keep you from going..." Archie cried out, wishing Molly really was there to talk Lizzie out of leaving, "Where are you going?"
"Mummy will tell you! And Archie she knows and sees its best that I move on!" as Lizzie with both suitcases and Martha's bear climbed into Molly's car while putting off. Archie, with his head down, kicked some stones on the driveway with his foot and grumbled again about how difficult his sister really was.
"Archie?" Molly knocked on the driver's side window of the SUV while he dazed out in space, before rolling the window down.
"Mother,"
"You came to talk to her."
"Who's her?" Archie played dumb until Molly poked him in the shoulder to get him to admit with his eyes and a shoulder shrug that he came to see Lizzie.
"Lizzie!" Molly shouted aloud as she stood on the sidewalk of the busy main street while opening Archie's door, latching her hand onto his arm and pulling him out of the SUV.
"I might have but she despises me, doesn't she?"
"Non-sense! Lizzie's your sister and always will be—she loves you and misses you---she thinks you hate her!"
"Does she now?"
"Archie, I told her you don't! You come up and talk to her, Archie. You're a good boy..."
"Mother," Archie followed Molly into the shop while they climbed the steps to the entrance of the flat and Molly gave her son a playful nudge towards the door, "Go on, and talk to her, darling."
Lizzie had already got Martha up and going for an activity at the wildlife centre since Paul had agreed to take her for the past couple hours. They would be back soon, Lizzie thought as she sat at the table looking at the newspaper and drinking her warm coffee. Just as her head went up, assuming Graeme was coming back from his mid-morning jog and instead she stared at her uninvited guest.
"Lizzie," Archie spoke evenly as he waited for her to reply and she did, while cocking her head to the side to look at him, "Archie?"
"Look, avoiding each other for days on end isn't going to solve anything."
"Right you came to tell me you're sorry."
"I already told you I'm sorry and you didn't have to leave the house the way you did days ago. I want you to feel welcome back at the house..."
"Archie, mother moved in with Golly. She gave Martha and me-our own space, not in some one bedroom flat in a dumpy part of London---instead we're in a nice place and home. "
"I know, but I want you to feel like the house is still yours."
"Coffee?" Lizzie offered Archie a cup while standing up from the kitchen table and wandering into the kitchenette to pour him some. Archie nodded his head, 'yes' at the gesture before parking himself at the kitchen table too. Lizzie then set the cup down in front of Archie.
"Okay, now ask it...since thinking smoke is pouring out of yer ears," Lizzie kidded, knowing what weighed heavy on Archie's mind, how Lizzie wound up with David years ago—and how he didn't see any of it coming! Archie quizzically glanced at her, "Ask what?"
"Ask me where David's at? Ask me if he packed his bags and left town after the scene at the house...he didn't Archie, he's still here."
"Here as in flat here or---?" Archie surveyed the room and messed up sleeper sofa that looked like two bodies slept on it and his mind jumped the gun, thinking David...
"Archie...Graeme stayed here last night with me on the sleeper sofa, not David. I'm engaged to Graeme remember?"
"Right, right...where is David exactly?"
"At mother's, I guess, under a rock, like the slithering slug he is..."
"Oh right, his mother still lives here after he lied an' said he sold up the place---?"
"Archie, I need to pay the piper for my own mistakes. Martha's not a mistake, but getting involved with David was all along---getting involved with a married man was wrong---but I had assumed he was divorcing Sarah as he kept telling me so over and over again! I just remembered us as kids, Jamie, you, David and I...I remember being madly in love with him. I remember how nice he was to me when we were teenagers...
"David kept reminding me of everything we had been through before Jamie died. I just it felt good to be close to him when we were in Italy so long ago, Archie. It started out all good, before it turned very bad. He was so sweet to me...took me in, spent time with me from day one of my pregnancy until he bailed out---
"Then years ago, Martha had just turned three, he helped with her birthday party, and wanted to be involved with her life and mine. She grew so attached to him and then months later he vanished in thin air again and I hadn't seen the likes of him until now---cards, gifts, the letters, the phone calls...they never ever helped, however, David kept trying to communicate, Arch, we needed him actually here—not me, but for Martha it would have been nice..."
"That wasn't too long after he came here was it—around the time of my wedding?"
"He talked about seeing you, seeing Mummy, and how she was so much like a mother to him. He said he was sorry about father dying, and for not being there. David even remembered father teaching him and Jamie how to golf. David said his marriage ended for sure, as Sarah left him because they simply couldn't work stuff out—I mean Archie she couldn't have children, David wanted them, I wanted them...it just fell into place and then you know the song and dance, David dumped me and went back to her...all years before his divorce, and losing his job.
"Oh Arch, I had no idea that he'd be looking to you for money—months and months later. He didn't drink a lot when he was with me during the parts of my pregnancy or years later when he came back again...I know he hit on Lexie, after her telling me so and I'm really appalled at it...but listen to me Arch, and you have to believe me. I didn't know how crooked David had become back then. A week ago, I received another routine letter with a huge 'child support' check..."
"I remember you had quite a look on your face about it...it was from him. Wasn't it?"
Lizzie nodded her head as she continued to explain, "The letter spoke of missing me, missing Martha, wanting to help out finally and take on the responsibility aside from moving home. I had absolutely no idea Killwillie had employed him Archie and he was to move back here—assumed his 'here' or 'home' was London and surely not Glenbogle! David's mother got him the job or so the rumor has it---doing financial advising and marketing for his nationwide beef corporation now..."
"Right, Killwillie and his get rich quick schemes...this one about beef business actually worked out...Look, Lizzie we could take David to court. Get him to sign off his parental rights to Martha..." Archie quickly suggested as Lizzie tossed him a look, but a voice answered for her, coming from the front doorway, "That won't be necessary..."
Archie replied while turning to glare at David, "Not you again..."