"Finally! I thought you must have got turned into a zombie or something!" Carla grabbed the orange juice from the bar and offered it to her husband, her eyebrow raised in mock indignation as he leant across to kiss her forehead, before taking his drink, wrapping an arm casually around her waist as he took in the decorations covering every inch of the marquee. He had to hand it to Debbie, she had really gone all out with the Halloween theme.
"Sorry love, I bumped into Steve on the way over and he was updating me on his and Tracey's latest drama, I'll fill you in later. Anyways I thought you were meeting Johnny here?"
He sensed the change in her mood as she looked away, nursing her plastic cup and not responding for a few moments, before sighing and meeting his gaze.
"Yeah I did, before Jenny arrived, and they've gone off somewhere now to 'talk'. He says he isn't leaving because of her but I dunno Peter, I'm not convinced."
"He's a grown man though Carla, if he's made up his mind there's not a lot you can do about it is there?"
"I know that, of course I do, but… I'm being selfish I guess. It's just that I feel like I've missed having him around for so much of my life, it was nice him being here, you know. And now he's going to be gone again, and not just a quick drive away, on the other side of the world."
Peter pulled her in for a hug, which she returned half heartedly, before breaking away and going back to studying her drink.
"He just told me that he took me to the fair when I was little. I don't remember it at all. I wish that I could have some recollection of that, of something. Nearly all my childhood memories are bad ones and it would be nice if I could have some better ones too. I just wonder what else there was that he never told me about."
"He's moving abroad love, not to another planet, you will still be able to talk to him, and go and visit whenever you like. Come on, lets try and have a good night, yeah?"
Carla nodded, downing the last of her wine and placing her cup on the counter, before taking his hand, doing her best to snap out of her mood.
"Right, mission accepted. Are you ready for this haunted house of horrors then? I can always keep hold of your hand if you're scared."
It was Peter's turn to act affronted as he playfully pulled away, before breaking into a broad smile.
"I don't need an excuse to hold your hand love, and anyway you've seen our Tracey in the morning before she's put her slap on, so do you really think anything could be scarier than that?!"
The couple headed outside, feeling the full force of the storm that was currently battering the street and shaking the temporary structures in front of them, the few people who had decided to brave the elements rushed back and forth trying to stay as dry as feasibly possible. Carla huddled closer to Peter. "Well they certainly picked a night for it didn't they? Maybe we should just bin this off and head home?"
"You read my mind love. Did you want to find Johnny first, let him know you've gone?"
"Nah, I think he has enough going on tonight, I'll catch up with him tomorrow."
"Who the hell is that banging on the door? Have they really got nothing better to do"
Carla was still complaining as she got to the bottom of the stairs, wrapping her dressing gown around her more tightly as she swung the door open, taken aback as Ryan pushed his way in out of the rain. He had to shout to be heard over the roaring wind.
"Why the hell aren't you answering your phone?"
She could tell immediately that something was wrong and felt her heart start racing as she turned and followed him upstairs, Peter joining them in the living room. Ryan stopped to catch his breath, his distress evident.
"We turned our phones off so we wouldn't be interrupted. What is it Ry, is it Chelle or?"
He cut her off.
"No it's Johnny, you need to come now Carla, the ground just gave way down in the Halloween event and he was trapped with Jenny down in the water. The paramedics were with him, they were taking him to hospital, but it wasn't looking good."
Carla struggled to digest this information. "Johnny? But I was with him not an hour ago, he was fine.."
Peter moved across the room to where Carla was stood, the colour had drained from her face and he was worried her legs were about to give way. She shrugged him off, her panic taking over, so he tried a different approach.
"Come on love, go and get some clothes on and I'll drive you to the hospital, find out what's going on."
This seemed to jolt her back into reality. She disappeared into the bedroom so he took Ryan to one side, desperate for more information on what they were dealing with.
"When you say it looks bad?"
Ryan shook his head. "I mean she needs to get there quickly mate. I'm sorry, I better get back."
The journey to the hospital seemed to take forever, the rain slowing the traffic to almost a crawl. Carla sat in the passenger seat, not speaking, chewing on her fingernails. Peter could see her agitation but couldn't think of any way to soothe her, so stayed quiet, silently begging for the traffic to clear, and for some miracle which would mean Johnny would be okay after all. As soon as he pulled up outside the main doors Carla jumped out of the car and practically sprinted into the building, leaving him to find a parking space. He hoped that she would be able to hold it together until he could be with her.
When he finally caught sight of her he could tell at once that the little hope he had clung to was in vain. She looked across at him as he rushed to be with her, pulling her close as she tried to talk through heavy sobs.
"I was too late Peter. It was too late. He's gone."
They stood there in the corridor for a while, Carla lost in her grief, Peter's heart breaking for her. Why could nothing every go right for her? Had she not suffered enough in her life? He held her, hoping the comfort he offered could help numb her pain just a little. Eventually she moved away from him, the tears slowing slightly, and allowed him to guide her to a side room where they sat in silence for a while; he wanted to give her time to speak when she was ready.
"The doctor said there was nothing they could have done. That he had inhaled too much water and was dead before he got here. So that's it."
She spoke without emotion, and Peter knew this was her way of trying to put up her walls, to protect herself. He also knew that it didn't work. She looked up at him and carried on.
"Apparently he saved Jenny's life. Helped her get out. He's a hero apparently. Funny how he can be there for everyone except me isn't it."
This had taken a turn Peter hadn't expected, he put his hand gently on her knee as he prompted her to continue.
"I don't know what I mean Peter. Just that once again he's left me, and what if he had a choice. If he could have saved himself, but chose not to. I'm being selfish I know I am. I just feel so angry that he's gone, you know."
Peter moved to wipe away the tears that had once again started to fall.
"He did love you Carla, you must know that. I saw it."
"Yeah, he did. I know that. But it was all too late. I just want that time back, that time growing up. He could have been such a great dad. He was to Kate and Aiden."
He felt her body suddenly stiffen.
"How am I going to tell Kate? She's lost so much. I don't know if I can do it Peter, it'll break her heart again."
She was looking up at him, so lost, so fragile. He would do anything to take away her pain, but felt completely useless. He swore to himself he would find a way to ease her suffering.
"I will help you, you and Kate still have each other, you can help her through this just like she can help you."
"But it isn't the same. I've never really been his daughter, not in the way she was. I wasn't what he wanted, so he left me with my excuse for a mother. And the times where he did step up, where he did try, I can't even remember them. And I don't know how to deal with that. I needed more time... You know he told me he was proud of me today. That I was a good person."
"You are a good person.."
"Yes but whether that's true or not I didn't say it back, I never told him I forgave him for everything. Perhaps I never have done. But I loved him Peter, he was still my dad, and these last few years, having him around; it mattered, you know?"
"I do my love, and he knew it too." Peter pulled her tightly into his embrace as he felt her once again give in to the wave of emotion which overwhelmed her.
"He knew it too."