Chapter 12

She could hardly believe it. They were walking back to Lizzie's flat for tea; all three of them; Lizzie, Frankie, and Patrick. Patrick made conversation with Frankie while they walked as though not a day had passed. They entered the building. Patrick paused before walking up the steps.

"Lizzie?" Patrick turned to her. "Would ya mind giving Frankie and me some private time before we go up?"

She smiled at him and tousled Frankie's hair. The two watched as she made her way up the steps and entered the flat.

Patrick sat on the bottom step. "So...Frankie..." He didn't know quite where to start.

Frankie walked along the entryway and traced the design on the tiles with his finger.

"This whole thing with me and yer ma must be a little weird for ya."

Frankie shook his head no.

"Maybe there's some questions ya have. I'd like ta answer them for ya."

Frankie looked down and thought for a moment. He took out his notebook and wrote, "Are you leaving?"

"Am I leaving? Well, Frankie, I'm not a sailor. I'm not sure if ya knew that or not."

Frankie shook his head as he looked up at the tall man, who was still very much a stranger.

"Actually I'm a photographer." Patrick smiled as Frankie's eyes lit up.

Frankie loved to look at pictures, loved to study faces, backgrounds, and details. His eyes focused intently on Patrick.

"So what that means, Frankie is sometimes I have ta travel but then I come back."

The boy's face showed relief. He scribbled words on paper again.

"What kinds of pictures do I take? For many years, believe it or not, I've taken pictures of sea animals." Patrick paused for a moment as he noticed Frankie's grin grow wider. "I've always enjoyed doing that. Lately I think I want to take some pictures with people and interesting backgrounds. I can show you one day if ya'd like."

Frankie nodded excitedly. Then it was quiet for a moment.

"Let's talk man ta man, Frankie," Patrick told him pointing to himself and Frankie. Frankie nodded. He'd never had a man to man talk with anyone. "Yer ma told me all that the two of you been through and she loves ya very much. So after what we've been through with me pretending to be yer dad and all, I feel it's only right I get yer permission to ask yer ma ta go out with me."

Frankie felt very important with this man he looked up to asking for his permission.

Patrick continued, "I'd also like to spend time with you as well; separate time. I've lots of ideas about things we can do."

Frankie mouthed the word, "OK." Frankie's eager acceptance had touched Patrick.

Now it was Patrick who pulled Frankie into his embrace. Frankie couldn't be happier.

Frankie hugged him back then pulled away. He scribbled on the notebook again. Do you like pizza?

Patrick smiled at him. He really did care for this boy. "I love pizza. I'll race ya." Patrick and Frankie raced their way up the stairs and into the flat for tea.

Lizzie met Patrick and Frankie at the door. "Everything alright?" she asked the two.

"Perfect Lizzie, everything's perfect."

The next day

There was a knock at the door. Nell opened the door to find Patrick standing there wearing a black sweater and jeans. He was holding a bouquet of red roses and wearing a smile. Frankie met him at the door. Nell invited him in.

"Lizzie, your date is here!" the older woman shouted to Lizzie as she directed Patrick to have a seat. "He brought flowers too, the wee devil!" she said as she winked at Patrick.

Nell had been completely charmed by him the night before. Lizzie had never seen her mother laugh so much.

Lizzie carefully finished applying her mascara and went out to meet him. Her mother had taken the flowers from him and put them in a vase. Lizzie's fingers admired and arranged the blooms. She buried her nose in them, inhaling the sweet fragrance of the roses.

"I've never seen anything so beautiful, Patrick. Thank you." Lizzie threw her arms around him.

"Have ya looked in the mirror?" Patrick asked.

Lizzie found herself puzzled by this. "How do ya do that?"

"What?" he asked.

"Make me feel like I'm the most beautiful woman in the world."

"To me, ya are, Lizzie. Ya ready?"

Nell had observed the whole scene. Her grin spread from ear to ear. She watched as her daughter gave Frankie a hug and kiss and waved to Patrick and Lizzie as they left.

It was getting close to sunset. They brought their takeout from the chip shop up to that very special place they had all sat together. Up on the hilltop there was the view of the docks, cranes, and the ocean. The colors of the sky at that moment took her breath away. Patrick set out a blanket for their picnic. Lizzie recalled when the three of them sat in this very same spot. It had been awkward but...there was something special about the stranger...

Silently she watched him setting up their plates and drinks. He reminded her of a handsome knight. She truly felt as though she'd been rescued. Patrick caught Lizzie's stare and smiled. Just the sight of his smile made her knees weak so Lizzie took her place on the blanket beside him. Patrick handed her a plate and drink.

Lizzie had no appetite…for food anyway. She craved his touch. She forced herself to eat some fish.

Patrick wore a thoughtful look as he ate.

"Patrick?" Lizzie asked, her eyes meeting his. "This was a great idea." She gave him a shy smile.

"Thank you, Lizzie. Just thought it seemed appropriate."

"Appropriate? Why?" she asked curiously.

"Well, when you, Frankie, and I were here, I knew then that this was going to be 'our spot'."

She couldn't help it. One eyebrow shot up and she asked him, "Really? An then yer arse fell off?" She watched amusedly enjoying the deep sound of his laughter. "How did ya figure that one out, then? Ya didn't even know me."

"I just knew," Patrick replied turning his eyes away.

They finished their dinner and he gathered Lizzie in his arms watching all the different colors of the sunset. Lizzie decided that she enjoyed the feel of his arms around her. The scent of his cologne was intoxicating. She would've liked to stay there forever...with him.

Patrick had an idea. "Let's go for a walk."

"Can't we just stay here?" she asked not wanting to lose the closeness of his body.

He pulled away from her and stood up. He offered his hands to help her up.

"C'mon, Lizzie. It's a beautiful evening for a walk on the beach."

They made their way down the hill to the sandy beach. Leaving their shoes behind, Patrick held Lizzie as they walked.

He told her about Annabel and his life growing up with Marie. He told of how his parents had died when he and Marie were teenagers and how their grandmother raised them. He also told her how he'd never spoken of these things to anyone else.

The moon was full and bright in the sky. The stars shone brightly and seemed to form patterns across the sky.

Suddenly, Patrick pointed upwards and gasped. Lizzie looked and caught the tail end of a shooting star. She'd never seen one before and was quite taken with it.

At that moment Patrick pulled her into him for a kiss but hesitated. He simply rested his forehead on hers. He looked distraught.

"What's wrong, Patrick?" she asked him.

"I'm scared." He closed his eyes. "I'm scared of falling in love with you, Lizzie," he sighed.

Lizzie closed her eyes too. She understood perfectly. Patrick had spent over 20 years being scared.

She opened her eyes and looked into his. She put Patrick's face in her hands. "I'm scared too, Patrick." she said, her voice just above a whisper.

He stroked her hair and looked deeply into her eyes. Kiss me, please, she thought. Oh God, Patrick please just...then he slowly lowered his lips onto hers. She could feel herself shaking from the nerves. He pressed her closer into him running his hands up and down her back sending shivers down her body. Before long, his lips parted and she was enveloped into this amazing kiss. Fireworks appeared in her mind. Feelings awakened in her body; feelings that she thought were long dead from Davey's abuse. She felt that she'd been born again; born again only for this man, her Patrick.

A/N: NOT finished yet, one chapter left.