Glad you missed the last bus? Chapter 4
Some years later Ruth was stood in the kitchen of their house. It was spacious, painted a creamy colour with black surfaces and dark wood cupboards. He had chosen this room, and it was so quintessentially him. She was stirring a pasta dish she had quickly whipped up after arriving home 10 minutes earlier. She went to the fridge, which was covered in pictures from holidays and outings, happy smiling pictures. She pulled out some ingredients and made her way back to the stove to make sure the pan wasn't bubbling over. She heard a key fumbling at the door and a flurry of footsteps down the hall.
"Mum, Mum, look at what I won." Her beautiful daughter Alice was holding up a bright red ribbon. Ruth took it in her hand and saw the big gold number on it.
"1st place. Wow. Isn't someone a talented girl?" She pulled her into her and kissed her forehead. Alice was 11 years old and had just started riding lessons on the outskirts of London. Today had been her first competition; she had talked of nothing else since she had entered. Her horse, a school owned Hackney called Magic she had been informed, was her new pride and joy. She spent hours at the stables after school, grooming and tending to its every need.
"Mum, you should have seen Magic; he looked beautiful and did everything I told him."
"Wow. Well done hunny, now go and wash up, you can tell me everything over dinner."
"Bit over excited isn't she!" Harry said as he entered the kitchen, laden with all things equestrian.
"She's got a right to be, 1st place in her 1st competition!" Ruth said happily as she stuck the badge to the fridge next to a photo of Alice riding Magic. Harry kissed her lightly on the lips before dumping everything on the table.
"Ah-ah" Ruth tutted. "Dinners almost ready, put it all away" He sighed and picked up the riding crop, with a cheeky smile he patted it against her bottom before slipping his arms around her. "Now Harry". He groaned but followed her orders.
Over dinner Alice relayed how she had pulled each reign, and patted each foot, ad won the whole competition. Both Ruth and Harry listened intently to their daughter's story, glad of something more normal than their days allowed. Once she had told of her win she moved on to school work she had been set.
"Miss. Darlington asked us to write a story about our lives today."
"Did she? What did you write about?" Harry asked, slightly worried their daughter would write something she shouldn't.
"Oh don't worry daddy I lied all about you, it was quiet fun really, it was like writing a book telling the story of people who don't really exist."
"I wish I still found it at fun" He muttered with a slight chuckle.
"Sammy read my story and said you sounded very interesting, she wanted to know everything about you, I think she's a bit weird really. But she asked me how you met and I didn't know what to say. I just told her you met on the bus."
Both Ruth and Harry emitted a slight giggle at that. "Well, do you want to know the real story?" Harry asked.
"Oh yes, Please tell me." Harry looked over to Ruth and took her hand in his. Lacing his fingers in between hers.
"Well, it all started when your mum came to work for me, she was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen. She walked in to a meeting I was holding very late as I remember and dropped her files all over the floor. She was very clumsy back then."
"What happened then?"
"She worked for me for quiet a few years…"
"Didn't you fall in love straight away?" Alice asked with a look of slight disappointment on her face.
"Oh yes I fell for her straight away, I just didn't think she felt the same."
"But you did?"
"Yes, you could call it love at first sight, if you believe in that."
"So when did you start going out with each other?"
"It was 4 years after we first met" Harry continued. "Your mum always over worked her self and this one night she worked so late she missed the last bus home. I was still there to so I gave her a lift home; she's never left me alone since." He pulled her hand up to his mouth and kissed it lightly; she leaned over to him and pushed her lips against his staying there for few seconds. They were still as in love now as they had been back then. He could still stop her heart with one small kiss or send shivers up her spine when he said her name. She still light up his day when he saw her, she could make any problem seem like the easiest thing in the world with just one word. He deepened their kiss, pulling her into him.
"Eeeewe Mum, Dad, that's disgusting stop it"
THE END