LIFE AFTER GLENBOGLE PART 3 Lexie pulled away from Archie giggling "I knew it" she said pointing her finger at Archie "Archie Macdonald you and DIY don't mix very well, now look we have a shattered tile, now what am I to do with you?" she said with a mischievous glint in her eye as she bent to pick up the tile, "honestly this is just like the gaping hole in the ceiling you created in Jamie's old room!" Archie made a grab for her and pulled her close "well if I remember rightly" he said smiling suggestively "that event had an ending I particularly enjoyed and you did too, shall I just say Curtains!" "Now Archie its the middle of the day we have loads to do, not least replace the fallen tile before anymore......." before she could continue Archie was kissing her forcefully, "oh Archie" she murmured as they fell back onto the old sofa, which was so far the only piece of furniture in the kitchen. Suddenly they were interrupted by a loud knocking at the door and the gruff sound of a throat being cleared "excuse me, Mr and Mrs Macdonald?" Archie looked up to see a face peering through the open top half of the stable door "yes" he said. "I've come to deliver and install your aga." responded a flustered looking man in green overalls. Lexie jumped up pulling down her top, hoping she didn't look too dishevelled. She and Archie had both forgotten about the delivery. Before she went over to the door, she turned, looked at Archie, smiled and whispered "later!" blowing him a kiss. He smiled back and whispered "oh yes!" Lexie let the man into the kitchen who introduced himself as Mr Hurst, together the three of them discussed the installation of the aga, particularly where they wanted it positioned, everything appeared to be straightforward. "Right then lad will you give us a hand bringing it in" Mr Hurst asked Archie, "sure, no problem" replied Archie as he followed him out of the kitchen, he paused and turned to Lexie "you sure the stable door for the kitchen was a good idea? I felt like a teenager being sprung earlier!" Lexie swiped at him with a tea towel, laughed and said "go on away with you, focus on the job in hand and give Mr Hurst some help!" Still smiling to herself, Lexie turned to the boxes Molly had sent, then remembered the tile and thought she'd better get on with finding a replacement and fixing it to the wall. She could see Archie would be helping Mr Hurst for a while, although she wondered if hindering might be more accurate, poor old Archie she thought. Meanwhile outside Archie was attempting to help Mr Hurst, it was proving a little tricky as Mr Hurst was not very good at explaining what he wanted Archie to do, eventually they got the aga to the kitchen door. Archie had his back to the door "what are you doing lad?" "slight problem the aga won't fit through the door! Nothing for it the door will have to come off its hinges so we can ease it through" Mr Hurst started muttering under his breath. Archie went off to get his tool box, he stopped in his tracks "Lex what are you doing?" "fixing a wall tile, what does it look like?!" she asked quizzically "but do you know what you are doing I mean, you've got to line it up check with a spirit level, use enough tiling adhesive and grout" Lexie looked at him "ok, ok, sorry" "what is happening with the aga anyway?" Lexie asked "won't fit through the door, its going to have to come off, told you that door would be trouble" he smiled, he then added in a whisper "I think Mr Hurst is not best pleased there was a lot of muttering, reminded me of father!" "well I'm finished here, sounds like we all need a cup of tea" Lexie responded Lexie made tea for the three of them and Mr Hurst was much more chatty after, telling them tales of his lifetime of experiences as an aga fitter. After a couple of hours the aga was installed and leaving a multitude of instructions., he went on his way. Lexie looked admiringly at the gleaming blue aga, with its black hoods and stainless steel rails, she then looked round the kitchen, more or less finished now with the sofa and its belfast sink. She imagined a welsh dresser, a large farmhouse table and chairs, maybe a cat asleep on the sofa, the wind flapping the curtains at the window and then she saw herself in there nursing a baby, she almost felt she had to pinch herself at the thought that this dream could easily become a reality. If only she could shake off her doubts about having children, she knew they were ridiculous, she wasn't her mother and she knew in her heart of hearts that any child she and Archie had would grow up surrounded by love in a happy fun filled home. Archie watched his wife and could see a distant look in her eyes, but a smile on her lips, he wondered what she was thinking, she looked so happy and contented. He then began to think about how he had left her for so long to go to Nepal, sometimes he wondered how he could and have done it. He knew why he'd done it, he didn't regret that , what he regretted was going for so long and leaving Lexie so bereft. He knew he couldn't begin to imagine how hard it must have been for her, he had left her with a burden of feelings, a little confused and in the knowledge that he didn't want to live at Glenbogle anymore, not to mention the emotional and physical distance between them. He snapped out of it, why ponder on the past when the future had such possibilities and they was so very happy and so in love. Suddenly Lexie was aware Archie was speaking "Right then Lex, I guess we better go and check the outbuilding for the industrial kitchen for this meeting tomorrow before we go back to the cottage. He took her by the hand and led her outside.