CHAPTER THREE
A/N: Trigger warning: Divorce, broken home.
After the previous evening, Lofty was a little withdrawn when he came in to work. He was still slightly annoyed with Dom for pushing him into the unnerving experience the previous evening. He avoided Dom as much as he could while remaining professional but couldn't help being impressed by the doctor's kind handling of a small boy who had sustained a severe injury in the playground at his school. The child had been crying because it was his dream to become a world-class footballer, and what if his leg had to be cut right off? Dom had looked straight at the little boy.
"If you do absolutely everything we tell you while you're here, you'll soon be playing football with your friends again. You'll have to have a plaster cast on your leg, but I shall make sure that everybody in the department signs it for you before you go home. Now, who is your favourite footballer?"
The boy looked at Dom indignantly as if it was sacrilege to even ask him.
"Gareth Bale!"
"Then you do what myself and Nurse Chiltern here tell you and you'll be as good as Gareth Bale when you are older."
Ben had nodded solemnly.
Ben had managed to get a good night's sleep and was hoping to put the events of the party behind him. He kept himself motivated by thinking of where he could take Kerry on his next day off. The cinema was out; Gabriel and Naomi had already taken Kerry to the film he'd been hoping to take her for when his pay came through at the end of the month.
Dylan had come up with a promising suggestion.
"Why don't you bring her over to the boat? How is she with dogs?"
"She loves them."
"Bring her over, then. We can teach her some basic cooking – don't worry, I'll not let her near the oven – but first we'll go for a good long walk with Dervla. We can all watch a DVD together after lunch… no, I've a better idea. We'll play a board game. Monopoly or Game of Life."
Dylan had realised that Naomi and Gabriel would probably have already bought Kerry most of the current DVD's.
"I think she'd really love that!"
"I liked it at Dr Keogh's. Wasn't Dervla funny?" Kerry giggled.
"She was a naughty dog to eat that dice."
"She'll not die will she?" Kerry's face was anxious.
"No, darling, she might have a little gut ache but that's all."
"I wish Mum wasn't coming to get me" Kerry sighed. Ben held her close.
"So do I, love. But we'll have our day again next week."
"You took her on a houseboat on the canal, and let her play with a dog? If she catches anything unpleasant, Ben, it's down to you. Next time, find somewhere better to take her."
Naomi was outraged. Seeing that Kerry was occupied with her new I Pad – another present from Gabriel – she had taken the opportunity to quiz Lofty.
"Let me remind you that Dylan's a doctor. He knows all about hygiene."
"One of your new boyfriends, is he?"
Lofty heard the venom in Naomi's voice and could hardly blame her. He knew what he'd put her through on that harrowing evening when he'd sat her down and told her as kindly as he could that he wanted to give her her freedom. Because he'd known for some time that he was gay. She'd accused him of sleeping around then and he finally managed to convince her that he'd not been unfaithful as such, but that he couldn't deny what was in him.
"Did you know when you – when you fathered Kerry, Ben?"
No, he hadn't known then. Nine years ago he'd thought he was straight, thought that all he'd ever want from life was his wife and the baby that was coming. He thought he'd finally turned his back on who he used to be, the awkward teenager with feelings for other boys. The young man who kept his feelings buried inside him, thinking they were wrong. Then he'd met Naomi and gradually he'd come to believe that he was in love with her. He was then, he could have sworn it. But then the feelings started coming back and once again he'd forced himself to pretend he was straight. Until he knew he had to speak out.
Now he answered Naomi's question wearily.
"No, he's not. And I don't have boyfriends plural. At the moment I'm not seeing anybody. But if I did I'd want the one partner. Would you expect me to believe you play the field?"
"No, but-"
"-Then please afford me the same courtesy. I don't know what stupid gossip you share at work, Naomi, but gay doesn't always equal sleeping around, okay?"
Naomi yawned slightly.
"If you say so."
"Kerry, your dad's going now." Naomi nudged her daughter.
Kerry ran to Ben who hugged her close to him and then said civilly but a little coldly:
"Good night, Naomi."
She just nodded, then took Kerry's hand and turned to where Gabriel waited in the car.
The tension with Naomi had left Ben restless but at last he drifted into sleep.
He was in a garden, with a fine lawn and rose bushes, and he was not alone. He was embracing a young man whose face he couldn't see clearly. The young man's voice was cultured, and slightly mocking.
"You didn't like the party last night, did you, Lowwy?"
He heard himself replying and wondered why he had a faint Gallic accent.
"It's not my kind of thing, Alex."
"But you came anyway. Because I was there. And you can't resist me, can you, Laurent, my darling?"
"Alex, please. Why do you enjoy baiting me like this?"
"Because it's so easy to do it to you. You're such an innocent, Lowwy."
He pulled the man round to face him. And found himself face to face with Dominic Copeland.
He awoke in total shock.