Chapter 6

Emma was generally easy to cooperate with on Sunday mornings because they normally spent the afternoon with Elizabeth's parents. Today, the two were joining Will at the Children's Fair downtown, and Emma had been the most cooperative Elizabeth had seen her in months. There was something about Will that caused her daughter to gravitate towards him. It was endearing, and Elizabeth laughed at Emma's eagerness while quietly suppressing her own.

The day was uncharacteristically warm, and Will was right on time. Not surprisingly, Emma was the first one seated in his car. The two adults clamored in, and the three of them left the driveway to head towards Hove Park. As he drove, Will answered all of Emma's questions about what would be at the park and if there were ponies and how many kids would be there and if they would see Thomas the Train.

"I'm not sure, to be honest with you, Emma. I do know they'll have lots of games and rides, and I think they told me you can have your face painted," he said.

"Can I have mine like a tiger?"

Elizabeth turned to look at her daughter. "I'm sure that's a reasonable request. We'll see when we get there, shall we?"

"Yes!"

It wasn't long before the trio arrived. Will was successful securing the girls' free admission by claiming Elizabeth as an assistant. To make it more believable, she was given the task of carrying his camera bag. Emma was ready to begin her romp around the Festival and was sorely disappointed when Elizabeth told her they had to wait until it officially opened. Will soothed her anxiety by taking pictures of her near the football pitch. Soon the park was swamped with hoards of families as the fair officially began.

Emma insisted that they all hold hands as they walked. She, much to the amusement of Will, grabbed his hand and ordered him to do the same to Elizabeth. Swinging each other's hands as they roamed the park, the three stopped at almost every ride, booth, and vendor. And while Emma and Elizabeth busied themselves with the various activities, Will took pictures of their surroundings, making sure to include as much action and smiles as he could. Every once in a while he'd include a shot of Elizabeth and Emma together, enjoying themselves and completely oblivious to what he was doing, but occasionally he'd catch Elizabeth watching him, and then he'd smile at her. Eventually, an hour passed, and Will had to stop walking in order to insert another memory card in his camera.

"How many pictures have you taken?" Elizabeth asked.

"A few hundred, I think. This one," he said, holding up the card he had just removed, "already had another job I'd done last week on it, so I brought this other one. It's empty, so I should be good to go for the rest of the day."

"That's a lot of pictures, Will! How many do you have to turn in to get paid?"

"As many that are good. I'll sort through these and put the best on a few discs to send them. They'll choose what they want to use."

"How many will you send?"

"Probably most of them. The redundant shots will be weeded out. They'll receive at least five hundred or so."

"And you have to go through all of them?!"

He shrugged. "It's my job."

Elizabeth shook her head. "Sounds really boring."

He was about to reply when Emma interrupted.

"Mummy! Can I play at the playground?"

"What about the rest of the fair? We're only halfway through."

"Pleeeease!"

"Alright. Off you go."

Emma ran towards the equipment. Elizabeth turned to Will and said, "If you need to finish your photographs, I'll stay here. I don't want us to hold you up."

"It's not a problem at all. I could use a break actually. Fancy a sit on the grass?"

She smiled. "I'd love to."

The two of them moved closer to the area Emma roamed and sat on their jackets as they watched her play. Casual conversation was shared for a few minutes until they saw Emma trip and fall as she ran to a swing. Will jumped up, but Elizabeth stopped him.

"Is she alright?" he asked, watching Emma cry as she ran towards them.

"She's fine. I've seen worse."

Will sat back down when Emma reached them, holding out her hands, which were scraped and dirty.

"Mummy…" she cried.

"Come here, poppet. Let me see."

Elizabeth's voice was soothing as she took her daughter's hands in her own and examined them.

"It hurts…"

"How are your knees?" she asked, pulling up the girl's pant legs. "Just a little red. That was quite a fall. There's no blood though. Your hands are just dirty. How about we wash them, hm? Nothing a little water can't fix."

Elizabeth took a bottle of water from her bag and carefully poured a small amount over Emma's hands. By then, the tears had dried up, and the sniffles had almost subsided. The girl gingerly rubbed her hands together as the water flowed over them. Then Elizabeth kissed both and asked, "Feel better?"

Emma nodded and ran back to the playground, eager to continue her play as Elizabeth stuffed the water back in her bag.

"Is that it?"

She looked questioningly at Will sitting beside her. "What do you mean?"

"After all the tears and sobs, water and kisses fix everything?"

It was her turn to shrug nonchalantly. "Yeah."

"Amazing."

His bewilderment amused her and she laughed. "It's not hard to fix her scrapes and bruises. She's a tough kid. Always has been."

"I don't think I could do it. I was afraid she'd broken her arm with the way she was carrying on."

"You get used to the minor theatrics."

"What's it like being a mom?"

She watched her daughter as she explained. "Wonderful. I can't imagine what I'd be doing if Emma weren't here. It's a lot of work but completely worth it. She's a nonstop bundle of energy, just like I was when I was her age according to Mother. Of course, she and I are a lot alike, and that probably has something to do with why I'm able to understand all of her quirks. I wish she still had Paul around. Looking back, I feel a bit sorry for him because he essentially had two of me to deal with the moment Emma started walking and talking. And she's creative. I'm not sure where she gets it from, but that child has more ideas than I've ever see–"

"Go out with me."

Elizabeth was caught off guard by this sudden interjection. She turned her head slowly so that she could see his face. His expression was completely serious, but the playful twinkle his eyes usually held could be seen just faintly.

"Beg pardon?"

"Go out with me," he repeated.

"Will…we are out."

A slight smile appeared on his face. "You know what I mean."

Her heart started beating rapidly. "What, you mean a date?"

Will said nothing, and his eyebrows rose expectantly.

Elizabeth sputtered, "What – I mean – I don't know…When?"

"Tomorrow."

A nervous laugh escaped her. "Will, I can't."

His small smile faltered ever so slightly, but remained in place. "So, you don't want to go?"

"No! I mean…yes, I would, but…I've not…been in so long and…I've got to pick up Emma after school."

"I'll take you out before then. School's out at half past two, no?"

"Yes, but –"

"Yes?"

She didn't know why she was trying to find an excuse to not go out with him. Nothing had been said between the two of them about their dance two weeks prior, and her heart was beating furiously with nervous excitement, which made her feel completely ridiculous. Knowing what she wanted to say didn't help her mouth form the words to accept his offer.

"Come on, Liz. You've been staring at me all day. I know you want to say yes."

His words threw her off guard again, and she felt an enormous blush cover her face and neck. "What?"

"Oh, don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about. Every time I looked up, you were staring right at me."

No sane person could refute his accusation, and Elizabeth knew it was entirely true, but she lamely attempted to deny it anyway. "No I wasn't."

He laughed, and Elizabeth got defensive. "I wasn't!" she exclaimed.

He laughed once more. "The question is still in the air. Will you or won't you?"

Realizing she still hadn't given him an answer, Elizabeth decided to throw caution into the wind and accept. "I'll be ready by eleven."

"Ace. I was thinking –"

He was interrupted by Emma's sudden appearance at their sides.

"He's got face paint!" she exclaimed, pointing at a little boy near by who was sporting a clown's face.

Elizabeth grabbed her hand. "Emma, it's not nice to point. Where did he get it done?"

"I don't know," she whined.

"Let's have a look then," Will said, getting up and helping Elizabeth stand.

They began walking, and Emma giggled as she swung between the two adults, both of whom held her hands between them. Elizabeth couldn't help but steal a few glances at Will, who caught her doing so every time. A ridiculous grin never left her face, and for the moment, Elizabeth didn't feel nearly as silly as she thought she would.

The next morning, Elizabeth sat in Will's car as he drove along Marine Drive towards the Undercliff Walk – a place neither had been since Elizabeth's first year at university. They had been asked to leave when Will was caught trying to carve his name into the cliff face. The two wondered whether his crooked 'W' would still be there, although neither expected it to have survived the years of natural erosion.

Will parked, and both of them climbed out of the car, immediately donning sunglasses to guard their eyes against the intense glare of the sun reflecting off the rock and ocean. Elizabeth smiled to herself as she watched the small waves of the low tide roll against the shore line, enjoying the calmness it brought to her. She realized then, that rarely did she ever allow herself a chance to stop and take in her surroundings just to enjoy what was there. Her life felt so rushed, and it was nice to stop worrying whether she had forgotten a chore or errand. It was especially nice to be spending her carefree time with Will.

She turned when she heard her name, searching for Will who was no longer on the other side of his car. He was standing at the back, looking into the boot. As she joined him he pulled a large brown sack into view and from it produced two disposable cups from a local petrol station.

"What are these for?" she asked as he shoved them into her hands.

"I thought we might get thirsty and figured I'd bring a little nostalgia along with us." He grinned as he pulled a bottle of 7-Up out of the sack.

Elizabeth laughed. "What is so nostalgic about…?"

Her words died when Will once again brought another bottle out of hiding.

"Will, you can't be serious! It's not even noon! And we can't drink that here!"

"That's why I brought these," he said, pouring the cheap wine into their cups. "Remember when we would save up for this and mix it with 7-Up to make it last longer?"

"And it completely defeated the purpose of drinking alcohol in the first place?"

"Ah, the joys of being sixteen again."

Elizabeth looked around to make sure no one had noticed what they were up to. "This is going to be terrible."

"Maybe not. It wasn't so bad back then, was it?"

"We drank anything with booze."

"Cheers!" he said, taking a full cup from her and locking up his car. As they walked to the cliff, both of them took a drink. Elizabeth spit hers out immediately.

"This is awful!"

Will laughed as she sputtered. "It's not that terrible."

"Yes it is!" She tried another sip, but couldn't swallow. "This has got to go. I'm sorry. It was a good idea in theory."

Elizabeth hurried over to a rubbish bin and chucked the drink. Will followed suit soon after, and they resumed their trek along the shore line for a long while, making small conversation until Will turned and walked down the stairs leading to the shore that had been exposed by the low tide. She walked behind him until he stopped, and the two stared at the ocean.

Elizabeth glanced at Will as he stooped to pick up a rock and tossed it into the water. The wind coming off the ocean was blowing his hair around his face, and she was suddenly aware of how handsome he was in his sunglasses. Will eventually noticed when she let her gaze linger too long. He grinned once more at her embarrassment.

"How's the view?" he joked.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "The scenery is beautiful, thanks. I'd forgotten how lovely it is."

"I can't believe you haven't been here in ten years."

"Ugh. When you say it like that, you make me feel so old."

"Old? You're not even thirty!"

"I'm twenty-nine. Might as well be thirty!"

"I'm thirty. There's nothing wrong with thirty."

"I know, but…I just don't feel young anymore," she whined.

"What do you mean?"

"I feel so frumpy most of the time."

"Frumpy?! Are you daft? Look at you! You're far from!"

She tsked. "Well, I definitely don't look twenty-two anymore."

"You could."

"Ha! That time has long since passed. I've already settled into the acceptance that I'm not what I once was."

"I think you look very pretty today."

"Thank you," she said softly.

He led them to a concrete support structure a few meters away, and the two sat down to watch the water break against the shore.

Once again, Elizabeth watched the breeze play with Will's hair. Despite the years that had passed, he still looked the same as she had remembered him from the night before he left for London. A surprising pang stabbed her heart, and the relieved feeling of him being with her once again – and this time permanently, it would seem – seeped into her chest, quickly replacing the ache inside.

"It's nice knowing that you're here to stay."

He looked at her curiously with a small smile. "What?"

"It's reassuring that I can see you anytime I'd like."

Will scoffed. "Anytime you like? Do I not have a say in any of this?"

Laughing, Elizabeth clarified, "I just mean that I'm happy that you won't be running off to some faraway place anymore."

"Running off?" His eyes grew solemn though his smile remained.

"You left. Before my wedding."

"But that was because of my contract. I couldn't – "

"I know, Will, but it still hurt. You were my best friend. I mean, you still are. Always have been. That's why I was so disappointed."

"I'm really sorry, Elizabeth."

Nothing was said between the two for a while. Both watched the other in the hopes that the awkward silence would end. Elizabeth could see in his eyes what looked like guilt and something else she couldn't quite identify. She opened her mouth to ask him about his thoughts when his demeanor suddenly changed. His smile returned and he gave her a quick, one armed hug.

"But, you know," he said, his arm returning to his side, "it was probably best that I left. I'd hate for you to have left Paul when you saw how good I looked in a suit."

His comment caught her off guard. It seemed to her that he was implying circumstances might have been changed had he decided not to leave. Did this mean he had been romantically interested in her all those years ago? Their bond had always been close, but was he trying to tell her that there was something else lying dormant during that time? Something that had remained unspoken between them? Could her severe heartbreak that had been caused because of his departure actually be heartbreak and not just disappointment? That idea seemed a little farfetched in her opinion, but the niggling doubt remained at the forefront of her mind. To try and suppress the long-forgotten feelings that now seemed to be raging towards the surface, Elizabeth allowed snarky comments to hide her confusion.

"It takes more than a pretty face to deter me away from someone I love."

Will laughed nervously. "Since when?"

"I've never been lured away by pretty boys."

He raised his eyebrows in disbelief, and Elizabeth sighed. "Okay, maybe I have, but never when I didn't want to be."

"If I didn't know you better, I might think that you were a loose woman."

"And why is that?"

"It sounds like you're insinuating that you went home with your fair share of young men."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "That was a long time ago, and you know that it wasn't that many. It's not as if you were more innocent than I was."

"I never tried to hide it," he shrugged.

"That's because you never had to."

"What are you on about? It's not as if you hid the fact you were shagging."

Her eyebrows shot into the air. "Oh, yes I did! From my parents. Especially Daddy."

"So they're nonethewiser are they?"

"I'm an angel in their eyes, Will. And my dear brother isn't aware of the extent – or number – of my exploits at university, and I'm perfectly content to keep it that way. Can you imagine the torture he would have put me through?"

"Fair enough. I can understand wanting to keep that sort of thing away from him."

She smirked. "Are you speaking from experience? Does he have a little information on you?"

"Ha! He knows too much!"

"And how much of your history is too much?"

"Now, is that a proper conversation for a first date?"

"I think we might have surpassed the first impressions and getting-to-know one another part already."

The conversation lapsed into a comfortable silence until Elizabeth spoke again. "When was your last first date?"

Will scrunched his face in thought. "Well, the last girlfriend of mine was with me while I was in Kenya. She worked on the team as an assistant to the producer, and since there aren't a lot of places in the African Savanna to take a girl on a date, we mostly hung around our camp. Technically, I suppose, our first date was in her tent as we ate dinner one evening."

"What happened?"

"We got back to London, and she was immediately assigned to another international project, and…we just decided we weren't interested in maintaining a long distance relationship."

"Wow. That seems rather easy."

He shrugged. "It sort of was. I don't think it was ever serious to begin with. I mean, we were both in our late twenties – the youngest on the crew by far. And I suppose loneliness brought us together."

Elizabeth nodded knowingly and deadpanned, "She was your fuck buddy."

Will placed a hand over his heart as he slid his glasses to the top of his head and gave a mock gasp. "You make it sound so cheap! I'm wounded."

"And you act so surprised!" she laughed, mirroring his movements, allowing her sunglasses to hold back her hair.

"Hey, it's not as if you've not had your own shagging mate."

"Not since I was in university! I, unlike you, have matured and can go on dates without having a hump."

"Well it's a good thing you're not expecting a shag from me because I find sex on first dates to be a bit crude."

"That's too bad, innit?"

Will laughed. "So, what are you going to tell Emma when she asks what you did today?"

"I suppose I'll just tell her that you and I came here."

"That her mum went on a date?" he asked, timidly taking her hand in his.

Elizabeth couldn't stop the girlish giggle that escaped or the wild fluttering sensation she felt inside. "I don't know. I've never had to explain dates to her before."

"You never told her about your others?"

She shook her head. "I've never had to because they never got past one or two. And she didn't know who they were…Actually, I think I may break her heart if I tell her we went out. I think she fancies marrying you one day."

"Is that so? Well, I'm sorry to disappoint her," he said, brushing a strand of hair from her eyes, "but I think she's a bit too young for me."

Elizabeth couldn't keep her eyes off his mouth. "She'll be devastated for sure."

She leaned forward and kissed him. It was a small, slow kiss. When it ended, he looked into her eyes and smiled a little. At first, he appeared a bit confused, but after a few seconds, Will gave a short laugh, and Elizabeth became flustered. "I've not…I mean, not since Paul – "

He didn't let her finish before he kissed her, this time bringing his hands to her face and moving closer to her body. Elizabeth placed her hands underneath his arms, holding him in place. The intimate feeling was familiar, but at the same time so different. She sank into him, clutching his arms when she deepened their kiss. Her excitement grew when he responded enthusiastically, and she realized then, just how much sexual tension had remained dormant between the two of them. Showing such public displays of affection was so unlike Will, but she couldn't care less at the moment. She almost whimpered when he pulled away.

"I suppose telling Emma you snogged me senseless is out of the question," he said.

"Mmm."

He kissed her again, but Elizabeth suddenly remembered something important and pulled away, glancing at her watch.

"Emma."

"Wha–?"

"It's time for me to leave to pick her up from school. I'm sorry."

"No problem. We wouldn't want her wondering where you are."

He stood, and they walked briskly back to his car. When they were back on Marine Drive, Elizabeth said, "I had a lot of fun this afternoon. Thank you for taking me…I…"

"What?"

Elizabeth held his hand in hers. "I wish we didn't have to end this."

He considered her thought for a moment and replied, "Are you busy tonight?"

"I have to stay at home with Emma."

Will squeezed her hand. "Could you find a babysitter?"

"I don't know…"

"What about your parents?"

"She has to go to school tomorrow. They wouldn't be able to take her because they're too far away."

"Call Andy. I'll call him, if you want."

"He might be available. I don't know if he has to work tomorrow…"

When they stopped at a traffic light, Will kissed her and spoke softly. "If you can find someone to stay with Emma, I can promise you that you'll not regret it."

"Please, Andy." Elizabeth knew she was whining now, but she couldn't control it.

"Why is it so important that I watch her tonight? It's Monday for Christ's sake."

"Because…" she whispered, not wanting her daughter to overhear, "I really want to continue my date with Will."

There was a pause on the other side. "Your what?!?"

"We went out this afternoon, and it went really well, and I'd really like to – "

"Oh my god! Lizzie! This is hilarious."

"Look, if you'll do this for me, you can stay here until I get back and eat whatever you find in the kitchen, alright?"

There was a pause. "Fine, but I'm only agreeing because I'm off work tomorrow."

"Thank you! Thank you so much, Andy."

"Since I worked today, I'll need a shower before I come over."

"That's fine. I'm not supposed to leave until five."

"What, can the sorry sod not be arsed to pick you up?"

"No, I'm…we're going to be at his house."

"Oh ho!"

"Shut up. Take your bloody shower and get over here."