Chapter 10

We walked into the coffeehouse. We were silent all the way until we reached our seats. I sat on the loveseat and he sat beside me. The surroundings brought me back to reality. That I was here and he was really here seated beside me. I wasn't dreaming. His words 'I'm glad you're here' played over and over in my mind.

The server arrived, took our order, and left. We just looked at each other, neither of us knew what to say. He began to laugh. I gave him a strange look and smiled.

"What?" I asked him.

"Nothing," he replied, with a smile on his face.

"What?" I asked again.

"Ya look beautiful, Lizzie," he told me and it took my breath away.

I started to shake my head but stopped myself and said, "Thank you...so do you."

He laughed in response and I felt myself blush. The server arrived with our coffee. Thank God.

Please change the subject. "You asked about Frankie's dad earlier."

His expression changed. His face became serious. "Yah, I did."

"Davey, Frankie's father was very ill," I informed him. Patrick's expression softened. "He passed away shortly after the night ya left."

Patrick looks genuinely surprised by this. He ran fingers through his hair. He cleared his throat and looked clearly uncomfortable. "Sorry fer yer loss."

"I thought Marie would've told you."

"Marie doesn't tell me everything."

"I see," I said simply. It was silent for a moment.

He looked at me with concern. "How's Frankie handling it? Does he know?"

"He knows everything now, Patrick." My voice got a little shaky. "I've told him the truth about the letters..." Patrick raised his eyebrows. "...the truth about you."

"Wow." He looked away. "He must be very angry with me."

"Not at all, Patrick. He liked ya very much." He looked relieved. "In fact he had written a couple more letters to you."

"Really? Well, Frankie's a great boy, Lizzie."

"Don't I know it!" I agree. "The first letter was how I found out he knew you weren't his real da. He thought you would receive the letter." Patrick exhaled as though he was holding his breath. "Anyway, he knows and still he wrote another although he threw it away because I told him we'd not likely see ya again."

He nodded understandingly. "So, how are you handling this, Lizzie?"

"In truth, fine. I mean, the thing between Davey and me was over years ago. He was practically dead to me before he passed away."

"Are ya planning on staying here then?"

I perked up because I could finally say this confidently. "I've no plans on moving. Not fer a long time," I told him. The look of relief showed on his face.

"So, yer a photographer then?" I asked. He replied with a nod. "I saw the picture at Marie's. I loved it."

"Thank you. Ya know, Lizzie, out of all the photographs I've taken, that's my favorite."

I told him, "It reminds me of..."

"Frankie," We said simultaneously. We laughed.

Our eyes locked and I felt like we were the only two people on earth. I could smell the heady scent of his cologne. He said my name, "Lizzie," but nothing else. He took my hand and put his other hand on my face gently stroking my cheek. I felt a rush from his touch. He leaned in toward me. My heart was pounding. I felt as though I'd pass out if he kissed me, but die if he didn't. His bluish-green eyes came closer and closer...

A strange feeling came over me just then. I felt as though we're being watched. We looked up and saw Frankie and his friend, Catriona observing us with grins a mile wide.

"Please don't let us interrupt," Catriona told us.

Lizzie and I walked into the coffeehouse. We didn't say anything to each other until after we were seated. I was reminded of our first meeting here. I recalled how I was taken with her the very first time I set eyes on her. Her eyes had pulled me right in.

The server took our order and left. I looked into her eyes and started to feel as though I was a fish being caught on a hook with no hope of escape. Then I thought maybe I was scaring her with my gaze. I began to laugh nervously.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing," I replied. I looked at her, carefully avoiding her eyes, and wondered how she could've felt threatened by Rhonda. Rhonda is a stoatir, so she is. But she wasn't Lizzie. Lizzie was my dream girl. I had dreamt of her for weeks after I left.

"What?" she asked again.

She wore a blue blouse and a long skirt and boots. Her hair was down. "You look beautiful, Lizzie," I told her wanting to stroke her hair.

The server brought us our coffee. I took a sip of mine.

She looked as though she would dispute my compliment. I felt prepared for this. Instead she said, "Thank you and so do you."

This made me laugh because it seemed such a 'Lizzie' thing to say. I found myself completely enamored with her sweet face.

Lizzie blew on her coffee and sipped it demurely. Our pleasantries passed quickly. She promptly shifted to a serious tone.

"You asked about Frankie's dad earlier."

Uh oh. My mind began to conjure up images of that bawbag trying to weasel his way back into their lives...and that she let him; that she only came here because I left the money.

"Yah, I did," I replied. The question had been nagging at me.

"Davey, Frankie's father was very ill."

Thank you, God. I thought and then felt a little guilty about it, but not much.

"He passed away shortly after the night ya left."

Hello there. My name is Patrick; number one heel. I was shocked. The man didn't deserve to live, surely, after what he'd done but he was still Frankie's da. Dead. Just like that. Wow. Manners, Patrick. "Sorry fer yer loss."

"I thought Marie would've told ya."

I shook my head. "Marie doesn't tell me everything."

"I see," she replied.

I began to think about Frankie. I asked her, "How's Frankie handling it? Does he know?"

"He knows everything now, Patrick. I've told him the truth about the letters..."

Oh flip!

"...the truth about you."

"Wow." Shit. I pictured Frankie's expression of betrayal; his eyebrows furrowed and his mouth twisted into an angry frown. Nobody likes being deceived. "He must be very angry with me."

"Not at all, Patrick. He liked ya very much."

Phew! I wouldn't know how to handle it if he was.

"In fact, he had written a couple more letters to ya."

"Really?" We really did have a connection. "Well, Frankie's a great boy, Lizzie."

"Don't I know it!" Lizzie agreed. "The first letter was how I found out he knew you weren't his real da. He thought you would receive the letter."

It was very surreal to have this all out in the open. My relationship with them had all felt imaginary.

She continued, "Anyway, he knows and still he wrote another although he threw it away because I told him we'd not likely see you again."

I nodded. I recalled that feeling. Didn't care for it. "So, how are you handling this, Lizzie?"

"In truth, fine," she said. I'm happy to see she doesn't look sad or distressed. "I mean, the thing between Davey and me was over years ago. He was practically dead to me before he passed away."

"Are ya planning on staying here then?" I asked her, a little afraid that she'll up and leave again ready to start a new life somewhere else...without me.

She smiled at me reassuringly. "I've no plans on moving. Not fer a long time."

Thank you, God...again.

"So, yer a photographer then?" she asked. I nodded. "I saw the picture at Marie's. I loved it."

I was happy as Larry that she liked the picture. It had taken hours to get it just the way I wanted. "Thank you. Ya know, Lizzie, out of all the photographs I've taken, that's my favorite."

Lizzie says, "It reminded me of…"

"Frankie," We both said. We laughed. I loved the way she laughs and the way her eyes sort of twinkle just now.

Once again, I'm caught. Caught like that fish again. She seemed to be caught too. I said her name but it's more of a sigh. I couldn't resist touching her. I laced my hand in hers and stroked her sweet face with the other. I had to kiss her. I leaned in closer and closer...

Lizzie pulled away quickly and then I noticed what she was looking at. Frankie! Frankie and his friend, er…girl friend. The two were watching us and smiling.

Apparently they liked what they're seeing.

"Please don't let us interrupt," the girl said.

A/N I do realize that you probably understand the meaning of these words already. Ah'm just throwing them in for fun :)

stoatir-very attractive female, bawbag- a useless person, flip- milder version of the 'f 'word(depending on usage)