A deadly silence hung over the room all eyes were on Zoe. Alice's failed attempt to tell Zoe the problem had prompted Danny into telling her. Zoe's face had gone completely blank as all the shine and sparkle in her blue eyes disappeared, leaving them dull. She began to shake as it all began to hit her and make a puzzle.
"No! NO! Not Matt! No, that's not right... he was on the phone to me about an hour ago, he had to go! He was gonna say something when..." Zoe stopped and fell to the floor as realisation hit her. "Oh my god." She whispered as she broke down upon the floor. Tears flooded from her eyes.
Everyone was frozen in motion until Danny walked off.
"I refuse to believe it." Danny said softly as he picked up the phone. "Hello... yes I want to enquire about my son." Danny lied hoping it would sound more professional. "He was in the university..." Danny had obviously been cut off. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T SAY!" Danny roared into the phone. He swore in anger and slammed the phone down.
"Can't tell me and then put the phone down!" Danny growled pacing. Alice walked up to him and grabbed his arm.
"Danny stop... that won't help." Alice told him. "Right Zoe, you're his next of kin yeh?"
"Yeh." Zoe replied quietly still rocking back and forth, heart wrenching sobs taking over her body and mind.
"Well they'd have contacted you by now if he was..." Alice couldn't bring herself to say the word.
"Unless he's blown to ten thousand pieces." Zoe cried. She stood up, Alice hugged her softly whispering in her ear. Danny watched them, he saw Zoe nod before walking away.
"She's in bits Danny..." Alice told him sadly. "What about you? I know you two were close."
"We don't know it's true though." Danny told her, he took her hands. "I don't want to think negatively Alice."
"Okay, come on, let's go see Lyndon. He's due to wake up soon." Alice smiled as they walked away hand in hand, a solemn look upon their faces.
X
No this had to be wrong. Zoe had her face in her hands. He was not dead. He was fine. God, she'd spoken to him not that long ago! He was fine! His phone had just ran out of power. Yes, that was right.
No matter how much Zoe told herself this and tried to thump it into her head, her sobbing continued! How the hell had she lived without Matt? She realised in that moment she had to find him and tell him! Unless it was too late.
X
Alice and Danny were sat in the living room. Lyndon was in Danny's arms. Happily smiling in awe at his dad, and playing with his shirt. Fisting it in his tiny hands. Alice was leaning on Danny slightly, she felt herself falling to sleep. She kept her focus on Lyndon to keep herself awake, he was so cute, and he looked more and more like Danny every time she looked at him. He was smiling and laughing as Danny tickled his chest softly.
The family scene was broken by William walking in. Alice had forgiven him for his advances to Zoe, after all people make a mistake. He just misjudged it. Alice knew they were friends now and that was fine.
"Hey, is Zoe about?" William asked he came over and smiled at Lyndon and tickled him under his chin. Lyndon frowned at him, Danny struggled to contain a sputter of laughter and looked down sharply.
"Yeh, but she's upset, you seen the news?" Alice asked.
"No way, Matt wasn't there?" William asked, Alice began to explain as Danny watched Will like a hawk with Lyndon. Both had a frown upon their faces, Danny had a feeling Will was putting it on a bit, but hey! Who was he to decide?
Will walked off and Alice turned to Danny and Lyndon who were both frowning as they watched him walk off. Alice chuckled causing both to turn round with blank looks on their faces.
"Oh good god! Could you two look any more alike?" Alice giggled. "It's like seeing double!"
"Poor lad! Nah, I see both of us in him." Danny said. "If you look at him properly, he has so much of you in him Alice." Danny commented.
"He's perfect." Alice grinned as they both watched him fall asleep. He was an extremely big baby, but then again, Danny was like a giant!
X
Zoe walked into the living room. She had nodded at William and to take her mind off Matt, he was going to take her for a few quiet drinks.
Alice had nodded and agreed that maybe it would help if she had her friends around her. Of course, Zoe had naturally invited her sister but with the pressures of work, family and of course Lyndon, Alice had kindly rejected the offer, as had Danny.
It was three hours later when Zoe arrived the bar to see William standing there. He waved enthusiastically and greeted her with a hug and their usual kiss to the cheek.
Time passed and Zoe was drinking more and more. The taking her out to take her mind off it hadn't worked. She'd grown depressed as she'd had one small drink and continued to drink. William hadn't tried to stop her, he wanted her at least half off her face. She was currently telling him all about how she loved Matt. He smiled to himself... he's dead though!
The time came for them to leave. Zoe was completely out of it and didn't even know who was who.
William grabbed her leaned forward, she laughed hysterically. In her drunken state she thought Will was Matt! He slowly bowed his head towards hers until he felt her lips connect with his. He smiled, they were warm and hot.
Zoe kissed back until she came to her senses. She suddenly realised this wasn't Matt and pulled away. She looked in horror as she saw William smiling.
"NO!" Zoe shouted. "I don't want you, Matt... want... I'm sorry!" She screamed running off. William stood annoyed, why was she hung up on a guy who was most likely to be dead?
X
"It's too hot." Alice whined kicking the plum purple silk covers off her body. She groaned as she looked at the empty bottle of water she had by her bed, throwing it disapprovingly into the bin.
"It's that time of year again." Danny sighed rolling over to face her, he stroked her face tenderly with two of his fingers.
"Hmm... I'm a tough Glasgow lass! Not used to this!" Alice chuckled. "I'll go grab some water, you want another bottle?"
"Can we not just get water dispenser?" Danny laughed before nodding.
"We'd need about six!" Alice continued, slowly climbing out of bed, she glanced at herself in the mirror and shrugged. Most of the members of this household had seen her worse! I mean, there was the times she and Danny had been drunk, a rarity but a rarity everyone enjoyed. She smiled at Danny before ambling off she bumped into Evan who seemed to be having the same idea.
"See if I was an evil stepmother I would scold for not being in bed, but I cannot do this!" Alice smiled.
"Why?" Evan asked, he was obviously tired and not really concentrating.
"Cos you have the same idea as me and Danny!" Alice laughed. "Night Evan."
"Killer this time of year, Night Alice." Evan smiled walking off, closing his door behind him.
Alice fished around in the fish, angling through all the different variety of waters and food they stocked. She found some 'Drench' which she and Danny had bought at KFC but decided they wanted Pepsi after all. She smiled, perfect... the best water too out of what they had left! She grabbed them and shut the fridge door. She heard an almighty slam. She frowned, okay so she was tired, but she did not slam the fridge door. She watched as she saw Zoe rush in obviously distressed.
"Zoe?" Alice exclaimed rushing up to her. Zoe was breaking down; large, drawn out tears fell continuously, she was gasping for breath, her eyes were wide and distressed and her whole manner was one of panic.
"What is it?" Alice asked.
"Tomorrow." Zoe managed to splutter. "Not tonight!"
"Okay, okay, tomorrow." Alice agreed, rubbing her back. "It bad?"
Zoe nodded and Alice hugged her. She felt Zoe cling to her and cry into her shoulder. They stood there for what seemed an eternity. Alice took Zoe to her room, realising she was past drunk, before ambling off back to her and Danny's room.
"Zoe back?" Danny asked peering at her with one eye open.
"Yeh, drunk." Alice sighed. She passed Danny his water. He opened it and drank half the bottle instantly, Alice imitated him, both set them down at the same time.
"Come here." Danny smiled, Alice did as she was told and Danny wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her, lingering slightly before pulling away. "Thank you my darling wife."
"Thank you my dearest husband!" Alice replied grinning. She returned to her side of the bed and held his hand happily. Alice closed her eyes and began to mull over the events of the day and all the thing she had to do. She had the night feed tonight, which would be in about three hours. She had to sort Zoe out. She had Lyndon all day tomorrow as well, Danny had a big surgery to do, Evan was going to try and assist him. Alice smiled, they had such a fantastic relationship.
Alice soon heard Danny's soft breathing, he was most obviously asleep. She smiled, he was still clutching her hand.
"Love you." Alice mumbled before closing her eyes again.