Sorry for the delay – new job and life catching up with me!!
Note to say: don't own Ashes to Ashes or anything to do with it.
Please leave a comment, which I will endeavour to reply to!
*~*~*~*~*
Alex burned with pride as her daughter paraded around the living room in her newly purchased school uniform, the occasion of her first day at school apparently posing a very exciting prospect for the four year old. Her mother's heart fluttered. She couldn't believe it- to her, Molly would always be the tiny defenceless infant she had been when she first held her in her arms, and yet now she was off to school. Blinking away a tear, the police officer caught sight of the time,
"Right, come on then sweetheart, we'd best be off, don't want to be late, do you?" she asked motivationally, forcing a smile for her daughter's sake and fighting off a wave of emotion. She was just reaching for her daughter's coat when Molly's face crumpled into a flood of tears. Alex sighed.
"Oh Molls, come here," she cooed, pulling the little girl towards her and hugging her tightly, "Hey, come on, it'll be alright. You'll have fun, meet lots of nice people and, hey, Evan will be here to pick up...you'd like that, wouldn't you?" she asked persuasively, looking deeply into her young daughter's eyes. Molly sniffled, nodding slowly.
"Good girl," Alex smiled back, encouragingly, tapping her affectionately on the nose before straightening up and reaching for the immaculate little pink backpack that was lying expectantly on the sofa.
*~*~*~*~*
She felt her daughter's grasp of her hand tighten as they approached the school gates and listened as the steady thumping of her shiny new school shoes upon the ground slowly became more hesitant the nearer they got. She sighed. This was going to be a big step for both of them. Indeed, it was only the thought that she would, herself, have to hurry off to work after having dropped her daughter off that stopped Alex from standing outside the gates all day, counting down the seconds till she could bring her home again.
*~*~*~*~*
Her anxiety was eased slightly by the numerous tasks that had to be performed upon her arrival at work, so that she was barely able to spare more than a few anxious minutes' thought for her daughter here and there throughout the day until, at three o'clock on the dot, Evan White appeared at the door to pick her up before the pair of them adjourned to the school gates.
The thrill of relief and excitement was overwhelming as Alex caught sight of her daughter bounding up the school path towards her, a broad grin spread across her face. No tears, as Alex had feared. Indeed, it transpired that Molly had had a whale of a time, having met a lot of exciting new people and made a number of friends. She chatted on excitedly as the trio made their way home, an explosion of names and descriptions spilling from her voice, leaving Alex's mind reeling.
Suddenly, Evan pulled up, apparently having caught sight of something, or someone, over the road, and was now staring in rapt interest.
"Evan?" Alex asked in surprise as she caught sight of his amazed expression. "What's up?"
"What?" her god-father muttered, suddenly catching himself, having been lost in thought. "No, sorry, I, er, I think I've just seen someone...a blast from the past...Look, you don't mind if I stay and have a word do you? I won't be long."
"No," Alex replied, smiling, "we'll be fine, won't we sweetheart? You can tell Evan all about it when he gets home," and, smiling affectionately at him, she turned and continued to walk, hand in hand with her daughter, who was still regaling her with tales, down the pavement.
Watching them go, the solicitor turned back to peer across the road and again caught sight of the man by whom his attention had been captured a few moments before. Glancing swiftly up and down the road, he hurriedly crossed to the opposite pavement, calling as he went.
"I say, Mr. Hunt, isn't it?"
The man looked up, taken aback at hearing his name, and a flash of recognition lit his face. Glancing around, his eye was suddenly caught by Evan's former companions as they made their way down the path, and a pained expression spread across his face.
"Mr. White," he replied, cold though not impolite, "this is an unexpected pleasure."
"Yes, well, I was just helping Alex collect her daughter from school- it's her first day," he said, an affectionate smile spreading across his face. Gene nodded, uncertain of what to say.
"Er, look, I er, I just wanted to say thanks, you know, for the card you sent on the anniversary of her parents'...well, you know, it meant a lot to know someone remembered."
Gene nodded again, looking down nervously at his feet. I'm not likely to forget, he thought to himself.
"Oh, well, y'know, it was a difficult time..." he muttered.
Evan nodded, looking thoughtful. "Yeah, can't believe it'll be 20 years next year, imagine that..."
Then a smile spread across his face. "Hey, whatever happened to your DI of the time?"
Gene was stunned, staring at White in disbelief. What could he possibly tell him? Eventually, however, he gathered himself.
"Oh, I er, I think she prefers to spend time with her family these days," he muttered, glancing pointedly in the direction Alex and her daughter had walked off in just moments before.
"Quite," Evan nodded, "right, well, I'd best be off- cooking dinner. It was, er, interesting to see you again."
"Yeah," Gene muttered, a little embarrassed, "you an all."
*~*~*~*~*
I'd love to know what you think!
