CHAPTER 3: CHARLOTTES TIME

Nick was in the kitchen preparing breakfast. Alex was in the bathroom and Charlotte was still sleeping.

Nick put table on and wanted to go to call Alex and wake Charlotte up when he heard song from radio – it was "S.O.S" from Tesss favourite band ABBA:

Where are those happy days, they seem so hard to find
I tried to reach for you, but you have closed your mind
Whatever happened to our love?
I wish I understood
It used to be so nice, it used to be so good

So when you're near me, darling can't you hear me
S. O. S.
The love you gave me, nothing else can save me
S. O. S.
When you're gone
How can I even try to go on?
When you're gone
Though I try how can I carry on?

You seem so far away though you are standing near
You made me feel alive, but something died I fear
I really tried to make it out
I wish I understood
What happened to our love, it used to be so good

So when you're near me, darling can't you hear me
S. O. S.
The love you gave me, nothing else can save me
S. O. S.
When you're gone
How can I even try to go on?
When you're gone
Though I try how can I carry on?

So when you're near me, darling can't you hear me
S. O. S.
And the love you gave me, nothing else can save me
S. O. S.
When you're gone
How can I even try to go on?
When you're gone
Though I try how can I carry on?
When you're gone
How can I even try to go on?
When you're gone
Though I try how can I carry on?

He thought of Tess; she was big ABBA fan and had all their records. This song reminded him sooo much of their story. He still loved herand knew that he always will, but was soooo frightened of getting rejected again.

Nick was so lost in his thought that he didnt even noticed Alex and BOM coming in the kitchen.

Alex put Charlotte on her chair and looked at his brothers face thinking 'Tess – trance again' and he snapped his fingers in front of Nicks face.

Nick gave him a blank look.

NICK: "Oh. When did two of you came?", he went toward fridge and took marmalade from it. He came back with plate full of pancakes, milk and marmalade. Charlotte happily exclaimed:

CHARLOTTE: "Pancakeeeeees! Yeeeeaaaah! Uncle Nick, you are the best!", she ran toward Nick and hugged him tightly. Nick smiled and hugged her back.

Alex poured some milk to cups as Charlotte came back to her seat. She took knife and started to put marmalade on her pancake.

CHARLOTTE: "I adore pancakes! I could eat tons of them!"

NICK: "You do that and you will turn to big pancake!"

Charlotte giggled:

CHARLOTTE: "Not true."

NICK: "Yup, it is. I knew a boy who was eating sooo many pommes frites and one day he wakened up as a large potato!"

CHARLOTTE: "Than how come my Aunt Tessie did not turned into pancake already? Thats her favourite foo, too and we always try to convince Mum that we should eat it more often! And Aunt Tessie is still human! It is just her hair – it is yellow, probably from all those eggs in pancakes! But, I think that her hair is beautifull! Dont ya, Uncle Nick?"

Alex almost choked in his cup of milk and Charlotte contined to chat:

CHARLOTTE: "Perhaps you can prepare uspancaks when her and Mummy come back! I am telling you, Uncle Nick, she will love you even more!"

Alex started to hiccough from laugh, still trying not to burst to laugh.

Charlotte looked quizzically to Nick.

CHARLOTTE: "Uncle Nick, can I ask you something?"

NICK: "Yeah, sure."

CHARLOTTE: "Do you like my Aunt Tess?"

Alex closed his eyes , breathing deeply, trying to hold laugh. Nicks hand with fark stopped in the air as he looked to Charlotte totally astonished. Child was holding her agye to him and he had to say something.

NICK: "Sure I do. She is my friend."

Charlotte rolled her eyes:

CHARLOTTE: "NO! I mean do you like her? Do you love her? Do you love her like my Mum and my dad love each other?"

Alex leaned his cheek on his hand, gazing to Nicks facewith innocent look on his face.

CHARLOTTE: "Do you love her so much that you can not eat…"

ALEX: "Yeah, you already stopped to eat that pancake."

Nick shooted him a look.

CHARLOTTE: "Precisely! Do you love her in a way that your heart wants to jump out of your chest when you see her, in a way that you are ready to take stars from the sky for her, in a way that you can not stop thinking about her, can not sleep and so on?"

ALEX: "Yeah, do you?", he looked innocently to Nick and than gentle patted Charlottes back "Nice vocabulary, BOm! I am impressed!"

CHARLOTTE: "Thanx, dad!", she grinned "So, Uncle Nick?"

Nick continued to put marmalade on his pancake. Charlotte smile faded away because Nick was not replying. Alex nudged him lightly.

ALEX: "Answer to BOM, mate", he said , smiling.

Nick gave him a look:

NICK: "You are enjoying this, arent ya?"

Alex nodded with grin and took another bgite of pancake.

NICK: "BOM, where this all came from?"

Charlotte looked to her plate. Alex stopped smiling.

ALEX: "Sweety? What is it?"

CHARLOTTE: "Its that secret I mentioned…The thing is…", she looked to Nick "I know she loves you, Uncle Nick. I heard her talking to my Mummy about you and few days ago, she cried because of you…", Charlotte rubbed her eyes as they waterened "And, I do not like to see my Aunt Tessie sad…", childs voice trailed off in tears.

Alex got up from his chair and took BOM in his arms.

ALEX: "Come on, darling, lets wash your face", he took her upstairs to the bathroom, leaving Nick dazzled and stunned.

He slowly got up from the chair and headed on verandah. He sat down on the chair, trying to catch up on things that Charlotte said minutes ago.

Yes. He is still in love with Tess. Yes, he loved her in the way that he can not sleep, can not eat, can not stop thinking about her, his heart wanted to jump out of his chest every time he sees her, he would take stars from the sky for her…

He rubbed his face and felt pain inside his heart – she was crying because of him? Those two blue eyes that he loves sooooo much cried because of him?

Alex came and sat beside him. Nick put hand on forehead.

NICK: "Alex…what have I done?", his eyes filled with tears.

ALEX: "You gotta admit it to yourself, mate; you still love her!"

Nick looked at him. After long silence, he quietly said:

NICK: "I do. I love her, Alex. Probably more than ever, but…"

ALEX: "But, what?"

NICK: "What if she rejects me?"

ALEX: "There is only one way to find out", he got up from the chair and went back inside the house, leaving Nick alone with his thoughts…