We're Home – Part 19

You can clutch the past so tightly to your chest that it leaves your arms too full to embrace the present. Jan Glidewell

" Ewwwww. I sit on that lounge!"
Half an hour later Paul's deep voice startled Archie and Lexie out of their own little world.
Lexie glanced at Archie and then turned slowly to see Paul standing in the doorway taking in his brother and sister-in-law on the lounge chair, Lexie blushed, but then gave an embarrassed smile. Archie didn't even do that, frankly right now he didn't care who walked in on them, except maybe Mel.
Paul raised an eyebrow impeccably, " Want me to go back out and pretend I didn't see a thing?"
" No" Archie muttered, " Don't worry about it."
Paul nodded, a knowing smile escaping his lips. He had noticed the tension within Archie and Lexie's relationships these past few days, and felt vicariously guilty that he may have had something to do with it.
Archie sighed and propped himself up on one arm, " Where's Katrina?"
Lexie didn't flinch; she was past caring and wondering about her husband's extramarital thoughts, well at least for now.
" Back at the cottage" Paul answered, sitting precariously across from them. Not wanting to make himself comfortable, in a still slightly uncomfortable situation.
" You didn't stay here last night did you" Archie said, making it more of a statement then an inquiry
Paul raised his eyebrows once more, " No, why?"
" Probably a good thing" Lexie concluded, " There was a bit of a domestic going on."
Paul nodded perceptively " Ah, I see"
" What's the time?" Lexie yawned. She had barely slept a wink all night, lying awake and wondering about how Archie was. She had almost opened the door and walked downstairs so many times, but in the end pride and willpower had kept her locked up in her own private gaol. Finally, exhaustion and emotional fatigue had compiled themselves into a knockout drug that had lulled her into a restless yet deep sleep until she'd come down to find him this morning.
" It's just gone 8:30" Paul responded with a quick look at his watch
Lexie cringed and buried her head back under the blanket that only last night she had thrown at Archie.
" Anything specific you needed Paul?" Archie asked
" Oh yeah" Paul answered, grabbing the notebook he had come in to find and heading back towards the door, " Just needed this, gotta go meet Katrina down at the estate office..So I'll ah-…leave you to it."
Archie sighed and slipped under the blanket to find Lexie hibernating
" Why does everyone in this household have such good timing?" He whispered
" Dunno" Lexie's voice mumbled from the depths, " But Glasgow has it's advantages that for sure."
Archie grinned and snuggled in closer to her
" We'll be back there by the end of this week" He reassured, thinking about all that had happened in the short time that they had been here, and all that was still to come….He still had an awful lot to organise come to think of it, in a very short time. But there was something else that needed to be properly taken care of before he even got started on his surprise…

We're Home – Part 20

Archie walked down to the estate office in search of Paul, Lexie was on her way to pick up Melanie, and probably wouldn't be back for a while.
Something Lexie had said to him had struck a chord, she was right. Why was he questioning her about Paul, when Paul was the one showing interest in her? Archie had never seen Lexie actually converse with Paul, or look at him in a more then sisterly way. He was accusing the wrong person.
Katrina was just leaving as Archie approached the door, they exchanged brief nods of acknowledgement, before she left and he entered.
Paul turned to glance at him " Oh hi Arch"
Archie raised his eyebrows and commented " Creative accounting?"
" Pardon?" Paul asked confused
Archie shook his head, " Don't worry."
He closed the door behind him and walked closer to Paul, " Can I have a word?"
" Sure" Paul answered, distractedly rearranging papers on the desk
" Do you know what happened to the last man who made a move on my wife?" Archie inquired bluntly
Paul raised his eyes slowly to take in his brother's icy cool stare
" Archie, I don't know what you're talking about" Paul pleaded
" Oh trust me you don't want to say that." Archie announced, "I recommend you just sit down and listen to what I have to say."
Not quite sure what to do Paul obeyed his younger brother for once. Archie sat down across from him; he had never looked so calm and yet livid at the same time.
" My family means more to me then you can possibly imagine. I don't know what ever gave you the idea that you can ogle my wife and betray my trust at the same time. I will not tolerate any man trying on anything with Lexie, I don't care whether its all in 'good fun' or whether it's real emotion- you will not, I repeat WILL NOT ever act in more then a brotherly way to her, or your life will not be worth living."
" Archie! I wouldn't…." Paul tried to exonerate
But Archie wasn't listening, both men stood up and while Archie was the younger and smaller of the two he painted a picture of force that Paul decided was better not to reckon with.
Archie walked to the door and opened it with a glance back at Paul
" Don't underestimate what I will do for my wife or daughter Paul, it would be a grave mistake to do so."
Paul nodded dumbly, taken aback at his brother's bold assertions. Archie gave one last deadly glare before closing the door behind him and leaving Paul to think about what he had just been told.

" Hello Sweetheart" Archie declared reaching over and kissing Melanie on her soft dark hair, " How was your night over at Nancy's?"
" Good" Melanie answered, " But I missed you and Mummy"
" Awwww" Lexie blessed with a smile, and then prompted " Tell Daddy some of the things that you did while you were there"
Melanie's eyes grew wide and her exaggeration comical as she began to explain in detail about how Nancy had her own Cubby House out in the backyard that had curtains and tables and chairs, that they had been able to play restaurants in- and it had been just like their own restaurant back in Glasgow and she had got to be the chef. And then launching into the details of the roast dinner they had had because Nancy's grandfather had come over for dinner, and how Nancy had two brothers which they had a HUGE pillow fight with……..
Lexie grinned at her husband's expression of feigned amazement and likewise interest in Mel's minute-by-minute narrative, he caught her eye and she noticed a smile reflected in his eyes that definitely wasn't false.
Archie loved his family more then he loved his own life, she knew that, and she must admit she adored him for it, as did Mel who was now snuggled up in his lap still jabbering on as he stroked her hair in the same way as he did Lexie's.
" I'm going to go find Molly," Lexie mouthed, he smiled and nodded, watching her walk away for a minute before tuning back into the end of Melanie's delightfully descriptive story.

" I don't know why I let it all get to me so much" Lexie confessed to her mother-in-law, " It's been years"
" It's just insecurity" Molly reassured, " You love Archie, you don't want to loose him to anyone or anything."

Please, please don't stop loving me
For I couldn't live with you gone
Please, please don't stop loving me
For I couldn't make it alone

" She really gets me going, it's like the memories won't go away- even though I know its different now" Lexie continued
" Maybe you need to confront it"
" With Archie? I kind of did this morning."

You bring me the sunshine when none is in sight
And when I 'm in darkness you bring me the light
You opened my eyes, when I couldn't see
So please, oh please don't stop loving me

" No, with Katrina" Molly corrected
" Katrina?" Lexie squealed
" Well she's the person who puts you back where you started from isn't she? You're fine with Archie any other time. He could tell you he doesn't feel anything for her till he was blue in the face and they'd still be that nagging doubt in your mind wouldn't there?"
" I suppose so" Lexie admitted
" Take the bull by the horns my darling, or in this case by the curls. I'm sure it will do you both good."

You're my inspiration, my purpose in life
When things go all wrong you make them all right
I would be useless- if you ever leave
So please, oh please don't stop loving me

" Right" Lexie whispered, wondering just how she was going to do this…..

We're Home – Part 21

Kindness is in our power, even when fondness is not. Samuel Johnson

The most important trip you may take in life is meeting people halfway. Henry Boye

Katrina's expression was clearly shock at seeing Lexie on her doorstep; however the visitor was more prepared
" Hi Katrina, May I come in?" Lexie's thick Glaswegian accent pierced through Katrina's surprise
" Um yeah, sure, sure- come in" Katrina hovered around the door, waiting till Lexie was through into the lounge room before closing it behind her
" Can I get you anything?" Katrina asked hesitantly
" Um" Lexie now looked about as nervous as Katrina, " I wouldn't mind a cup of tea if it's no bother"
" Sure" Katrina answered, setting to work in the kitchen, while Lexie sat down on the lounge

A short time later nearly all the reservations of the first 10 minutes had been lost and the two women were talking about old times
" And then Golly walked in with that tape measure, oh my gosh I thought I was going to die from laughter!" Lexie giggled contagiously, while holding her side
Katrina laughed with her " And when Lizzie went into labour with Martha, I thought I was going to faint from the pain before she did"
" I know" Lexie agreed, " I didn't know what to do. I'm glad her cabbie did!"
" Then when you went into labour, Lexie the look of panic on your face and the fact that you were so early it nearly scared me to death."
Lexie looked at her sympathetically " You did well"
Katrina rolled her eyes, " It was you that did all the work"
" I won't argue with that," Lexie grinned
" Lexie, I'm sorry about everything in the past, about all the things to do with Archie- I know it must have been hard on you" Katrina blurted out all of a sudden. Lexie glanced at her, compassionate and at the same time suspicious
" Yeah it was, it still is."
Katrina looked down, " When I saw you in labour all of a sudden I wanted everything to be okay for you all. I never told anyone that- but I actually wanted you and the baby to be okay, and for you and Archie to be happy."
Lexie's brow creased as she took in what the woman next to her was saying
" You didn't want us to be happy before that?"
Katrina swallowed " Well, you know how it is"
Lexie shook her hair out of her face and fixed Katrina with an intense stare that went right through her
" Yeah I do. But I still helped you two get together."
Katrina sighed, " Would you like something stronger to drink?" she asked, attempting to change the subject
" No thanks" Lexie replied, " I better not"
Katrina nodded and fiddled detachedly with the table cloth
" So" Lexie mused, deciding to try and lighten up the atmosphere a bit " You and Paul?"
Katrina blushed, "Yeah"
" How's it going?" Lexie prompted, trying to find something to talk about
" Good. I really like him, I think we have more in common then Archie and I did"
" Is it serious?" Lexie inquired, while thinking to herself that it sounded remarkably like she was talking about a disease. Although, in a way that was what love was- a bad case of the flu, that felt slightly better but had no medicine to cure it.
" I think it might be, but I'm not the greatest judge of things like that" Katrina mused, and then smiled, "I hope it is"
Lexie nodded, " Me too"
" Why did you come down here to see me Lexie?" Katrina asked self-consciously
Lexie shrugged, "My Granny always said to remember that everyone you meet is afraid of something, loves something and has lost something. I realised that I'd stopped thinking of you as a person, and that was one of the reasons I was having problems with you being around."
Katrina nodded, " I did the same to you"
" Did you?"
" Yes"
Lexie waited for her to continue
" I felt like second best when I heard that Archie had proposed to you. He would never have proposed to me- we could barely even communicate that we liked each other, organise a date- let alone commit to each other in marriage. I guess I resented that…. okay I know that I resented it A LOT"
" I always felt like second best," Lexie murmured
" Did you?" Katrina asked slightly shocked, "Why?"
" You know why" Lexie quipped
Katrina nodded, "Yes, I suppose I do"
" Why didn't I know that Archie had a brother years ago?" Katrina asked Lexie with only a hint of sarcasm, "I would have made things so much easier."
" Do you think?" Lexie regarded her incredulously
" True, probably wouldn't have made that much difference." Katrina ratonalised gazing at Lexie over the top of her wineglass "What's Archie like as a husband? I could never imagine it."
Lexie clicked her tongue and thought about her answer before giving one,
" He's good, he's Archie. He has he's faults, but so does everyone. I love him a lot."
Katrina sighed and put down the glass, " I don't know why I ask these things. I already know the answer."
Lexie nodded, " I know. Let's talk about other things for a while- just have a girly chat. Like old times yeh?"
A smile tugged at Katrina's mouth until finally she agreed "Yeh"