Chapter 8 - Siblings

Louisa was saying something to me and I'd lost the plot. "Hm?" I asked her. It was late in rhe evening, dinner was hours gone, and James had been sound asleep for 30 minutes.

She gave me a sly look. "You do realize that Morwenna's baby won't be that much younger than James. They can play together."

"James will be 27 months old when her child is born. Not quite the same age, is it?"

Louisa hung her head. "Give them three years and they'll be running around the house together chasing Buddy."

"I doubt that the dog will enjoy that."

"Thats not what I mean."

"Well what do you mean?"

"They can be friends, is what I'm saying. It's not like..." she stopped and bit her lip.

I should have stopped there, but I did not. "Not like what?"

She looked at the floor. "Nothing."

"Then what are you saying?"

She crossed her arms. "Okay then, Mar-tin." She glared at me.. "It's not like James has that many friends... or a brother or sister, obviously."

"But he goes to play school. He plays with other children there."

She shook her head.

"No?" Now I was getting confused. "What..."

Louisa turned away as if to leave the room, but then she shook her head, turned to me and said, "Martin, you are an only child. I am an only child. Do you have an idea, an actual inkling, of what having a sibling is like? Your own blood?"

I opened my mouth to reply sharply but said nothing.

"Like when Aunt Joan died? Or your dad? Just imagine that when your mum came to visit you had someone else to rely on," she said slowly. "I'm not saying that... well, that you weren't capable of... dealing with those things... because you were, and are, but..."

I looked at her face very closely and saw how her eyes were glistening.

She went on, "Or when my dad and mum... fought all the time," her head hung down and she shifted her feet on the slate, "you know. And so I..."

I touched her chin and lifted her face. "We can't change the past, Louisa."

"Yes, I know," she answered.

I cocked my head. "I have no brother or sister, and neither do you, but I have you and James," I told her but then I saw one tear trickle down her cheek. "However, ahem, I can appreciate that a family - a functional one could be... uhm... useful. Especially in such cases as you suggest." I wiped a tear from her face.

She took my hand and kissed it. "So, where does that leave us?"

I looked at her beautiful face, her firm lips, and long lashes, her still attractive curves, the long pony tail draped gracefully over one shoulder, long and graceful limbs, and I knew that I from the first time I saw her, I'd fallen in love with her. Was it chemical, scent based, body language, or the sound of her voice? Her womanly curves attracting me as someone to mate with? Clearly she was beautiful to my eyes to activate the centers of my brain which registered sexual interest and attraction. Plus there are all the other things.

The discussions, arguments, togetherness, being apart, happiness, sadness, being lost in a wood, making love for the first time, having a child, getting married.

"What are you thinking of?" she asked.

God, I'd be lost without her. But she wants another baby. From the moment she knew my medical secretary was expecting it was obvious to me that it only reinforced Louisa's, shall we say, maternal interests? Our recent sequences of lovemaking predated Morwenna's discovery, so it was only natural, I suppose, that the question would confront the both of us. Should we have another child?

I suppose that she was right. If I had a sibling then things might have been very different for me. Could James Henry benefit from a sister or brother?

I interlaced my fingers with hers and she smiled. I loved Louisa so how could I not try to please her?