The Past wont go away: Story of my life – Day 10
If we can't find a way out of these problems,
Then maybe we don't need them
Amber woke early as usual. She had slept in Archie's sister Lizzie's old room last night. As she swung out of bed her feet hit a box; curious she opened up the flaps of cardboard. Inside seemed to be a collection of Lizzie's old stuff, school reports, letters from friends and then tucked down the side was a load of pictures.
Amber recognised the little boy in the picture to be Archie at once; Sapphire resembled him a lot. Amber turned over the back of the picture and read 'At the beach, Jamie, Lizzie and Archie 1972' Amber then took the next picture underneath. It was a more recent picture, well in the fact it had been taken in the last 10 years.
Amber recognised the young girl holding up a pint in her hand to be Lexie, and Amber assumed that it must be Archie's sister next to her. She turned it over. 'Lexie's 18th birthday down the Ghillies Rest 1995' It made Amber realise that Lexie wasn't going to go away, she had been part of this family for a long time and that wasn't going to change. Amber didn't even know Lizzie, she hadn't seen her, Lizzie hadn't come to the wedding, and Amber hadn't even seen her niece Martha. Amber felt, as if Lexie was more part of this family then she was herself.
Amber sighed and put Lizzie's pictures back into the box. Amber walked along the corrider and past Archie's bedroom. She peered in and was surprised to see Lexie asleep on the bed, but Archie was no where to be found, Amber took in deep breaths. She wasn't sure what this was, she didn't know why Lexie was in her husband's bed but her husband wasn't with her. That was the main thing.
She continued on to her children's bedroom at the far end of the corrider and walked into the room. Sapphire and Owen were playing happily on the floor.
"Sapphire, its time to get dressed now" Amber said taking Sapphires hand and taking her away from the toy.
"No. Play!" Sapphire replied sitting back down and pointing to the toy car Owen was happily playing with.
"Sapphire please I haven't got time to argue" Amber pleaded with her
"Nooo" Sapphire wined
"Sapphire now!" Amber yelled at the child yanking her up by her arm. Sapphire started crying and whimpering.
Archie hearing the commotion started walking towards the room, to be met by Lexie coming out of his bedroom. "Morning Lex" Archie said as she joined him walking towards the room.
"Right I've had enough!" Amber shouted hitting Sapphire round the legs hard.
Archie and Lexie stood shocked at the door. Sapphire screamed out in pain, and then her crying eyes made Archie's hearts feel pain, anger at his wife. This was the last straw.
"Daddy!" Sapphire wailed as Amber turned round to see Archie and Lexie standing there.
Archie stepped forward picking up Sapphire and standing away from Amber. Sapphire nested herself in the safety of Archie as he kissed her forehead.
"She wasn't doing as she was told Archie!" Amber tried to defend herself.
"You hit her," Archie said sternly
"She deserved it" Amber shouted back
"She is two years old Amber!" Archie argued. "You're an unfit mother!" Archie finally shouted out.
I used to think that you were the one, now I'm sick of thinking anything at all
Amber looked shocked at Archie; she didn't quite believe what he had just said. "What did you say?" She asked again
Archie paused then repeated "You're an unfit mother"
Tears started to well up in Amber's eyes as the anger inside her boiled up.
"The eating habits, the drinking everything I've had enough of it Amber!" Archie yelled getting upset himself.
Lexie felt uneasy still standing by the doorway, but she felt she had to be there, she knew this wasn't going to end well, it wasn't just a little tiff between them. It sounded like the end of their relationship, part of her wanted it to be, part of her felt she had to stand their and be their for Archie as a friend only.
"Oh and you think you can do a better job?" Amber shouted back
Archie didn't say anything. He remained silent, hugging his daughter in his arms.
"I suppose you'd get LEXIE to help you?" Amber yelled turning to face Lexie then back to Archie. Lexie looked worried, she didn't like how she was getting pulled into this.
"What do you mean by that?" Archie questioned
Somehow I can't put you in the past
"I think you know what I mean Archie! It's obvious! The past just wont go away will it?" Amber replied
"Amber, we are just good friends" Archie lied, he knew in his heart, him and Lexie were never just 'good friends' it was something more than that, that maybe neither of them wanted to admit.
"Archie I may have problems, but stupid is not one of them! A man and a woman can not just be good friends without at least the thought of something more crossing their minds" Amber explained
Lexie looked down at her feet, she wasn't sure to leave or not. For once in her life she was quite scared about where this situation was going. This wasn't just Archie's girlfriend this time. It was his wife, his life, and his children.
"Amber I have not been unfaithful!" Archie shouted back
"Not yet!" Amber replied
"Amber, Lexie has offered me comfort, as a friend. I've had to deal with a lot, all your problems! I just don't know if I can carry it on!" Archie argued
It can't come quickly enough, and now you've spent your life waiting for this moment
"Well then, if that's how you feel, you have the kids and I'll get out your life forever!" Amber shouted walking towards the door.
"Amber you can not just walk out!" Archie shouted
"Watch me!" Amber shouted back, stopping infront of Lexie "Happy now Princess?"
"Amber you cant just leave your family like this" Lexie spoke up
"Well Archie made it pretty clear I'm an unfit mother, I cant look after my children, so he can have them, see how he gets on!" Amber answered "I'm sorry we can't all have a perfect family like you, with a husband that loves you and a child that adores you!"
"I never said my family was perfect" Lexie replied, her voice weary.
"Oh please, you come here all happy families, faulting yourself infront of Archie!" Amber shouted
"Amber leave it" Archie replied
"What do you know?" Lexie questioned tears in her eyes.
"Is everything alright?" Molly asked coming in-between the two women.
Lexie turned and walked quickly back in the direction of her bedroom. Amber turned in the other direction heading for hers and Archies bedroom.
"Was it something I said?" Molly questioned looking confused at Archie.
"Mother, can you look after the children" Archie replied quickly handing Sapphire to Molly. He stepped out in the hall.
He started walking in the direction of his bedroom, in attempt to save his marriage, but he found himself turning in the other direction, towards Lexie's bedroom.
"Lex?" Archie asked as he entered her bedroom. Lexie had her suitcase open and was fanatically piling her clothes into them. Ami was sitting on the bed watching her mum.
"What are you doing?" Archie asked still standing at the door.
"This was a bad idea Arch" Lexie replied still carrying her clothes from the wardrobe to the suitcase. "I'm just gonnae go home"
"Lex, Lex please don't" Archie answered stopping her and holding her arms to face him. The tears were running down her face, Archie couldn't understand what had upset her so much.
I'll stand by you, wont let nobody hurt you
"Come here" Archie spoke, pulling her close to him as her cries muffled in his T-shirt. He wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back. "I'm sorry about Amber"
"No…it's just what she said about me having a happy family…" Lexie hesitated
Archie pondered the thought, and remembered what she had said last night.
"Things aren't always as they seem?" he questioned
"I had a friend once, who I thought had the perfect life, turned out her husband was beating her up" Lexie stated
"Max he hasn't…" Archie replied shocked
"No no, Max hasn't laid a finger on me or Ami ever… I just meant, that even if someone looks like they live a perfect life, they may not" Lexie replied quietly
"Lex, please don't leave" Archie said again
"To tell you the truth Arch, I don't want to leave" Lexie stated
Archie was confused; he didn't get what Lexie was trying to tell him.
"Lex, I have to go see Amber, but you promise me you wont leave, I'll come back ok" Archie replied
I've had it easy now you see, when I'm down your always there, standing by to comfort me
Lexie nodded back in reply to Archie. Archie smiled at her then leaned forward, Lexie did as well. Then Arch gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I'll be back soon"
-
Tears are in your eyes, come on and come to me now, don't be ashamed to cry, let me see you through, cos I've seen the dark side too
Archie entered Lexie's room a while later. His eyes were red, she could tell he had been crying.
"Oh Arch" Lexie sighed coming forward to hug him this time.
"She's gone" Archie replied
"What about Owen and Sapphire?" Lexie asked
"She doesn't want them, she's left them with me" Archie answered
"Arch, we're all here for you ok, your family" Lexie replied
