Forever Indeed
Her suitcase was still stood, unopened, in the hallway. She vaguely perceived Bill, as he informed her that Julia had gone to bed. Sam held her arms and walked her through the hall, up the stairs and into their bedroom.
"Let's get you to bed." He said.
Eyes straining to remain open, Elizabeth mumbled, "Are you mad?"
Sam sighed, rubbing his eyes, "Not with you."
Biting her lip, Elizabeth watched him undo the buttons of his shirt. She turned away. The wooden floor boards creaked, as she crept. The blinds were still closed from that morning. Frowning, she held her hand out to them. Her fingers scraped the coarse material.
"Lizzie-beth, get changed." Sam ordered. He threw some of her pyjamas at her.
"You went in my case." She proclaimed.
"No, I went into mine. I brought those spare pair you used to leave at my flat." He expanded, as his tone clipped.
She dropped the shorts and vest shirt onto the bed, turning back to the blinds.
Elizabeth was confounded. That man had been the one stood outside the night before. He had stared up at the stars, yet truly he had been watching her… watch him. Shaking her head, Elizabeth tore her jacket off. The orange vest top soon followed and then her bra.
"Mom says your phone has been ringing all day." Sam cautiously specified, as he got into bed.
Ignoring him, Elizabeth stared at the blinds again. Jerry had said he was having company over soon. Who would be visiting so early in the morning?
"Lizzie-beth," Sam interrupted. He slid over to her vacant side of the bed, reaching up and grabbing her wrist. "Sweetheart, what is it?"
Heavily exhaling, Elizabeth turned away from the blinds. She gazed into his bright eyes and sheepishly smiled. "I think I'm just tired."
"Then come to bed." He concluded, tugging on her wrist.
Though extremely tempted not to, to sift the blinds apart again as she had that morning and stare out across to Jerry, Elizabeth listened to Sam. He raised himself up and switched the main light off. She slinked into bed by his side. He coddled her. She snuggled into his warm body. Her cheek rested upon his chest as they settled on the bed, falling asleep in one another's weary embrace.
Jerry watched as the outlined figure in the window was drawn away from the transparent blinds. The light extinguished, the silhouette did not reappear. Nor did Elizabeth come to visit, as he envisioned. Her curiosity had not overcome what she felt for the fool.
He slammed his fist against the window frame. The wood splintered. The glass trembled. Jerry groaned. His hunger deepened.
No one visited him that early morning.
As she trotted down the stairs, Elizabeth rubbed the sand from her eyes. She could hear Julia complaining about the lack of made decisions. Julia also complained about the decisions already made. Scoffing, Elizabeth knocked on the kitchen doorframe. "Morning," she cheerily exclaimed, forcing a smile upon her fatigued visage. Compelled by their merry atmosphere, she sat with the trio. Sam stopped his mother from distributing a plate of pancakes to her and instead offered Elizabeth some buttered toast. She ate much, hastily.
"I'm surprised you're not eating the entire contents of the fridge with an appetite like that." Bill voiced with wide eyes. The bacon smudged across his bottom lip wiggled, as he spoke.
"Have you got work again today?" Elizabeth asked, brushing some dust from Sam's Blue suit. Nodding, mouth filled with cereal, Sam passed her another four slices of toast. He grunted through the food, "It's wholemeal – I made sure."
"I know," Elizabeth smiled genuinely, "It tastes like whole-meal."
"There's a difference?" Julia questioned, pushing herself between the pair to get at Sam's empty glass.
As Sam blurted out a harried 'yes', she filled the glass with more orange juice and placed it back atop the table.
"What are we doing today then?" Elizabeth ventured, hesitantly looking at Julia.
Her face brimming with glee, Julia exclaimed, "We're going to finish off those magazines today!"
Head tilting downwards, Elizabeth sighed. The rest of her toast lay sprawled across the plate, soiled by the butter.
"Now don't do that," Julia grumbled, "It is your own fault for not finalising more decisions yesterday. I may have given you today off if you had."
"Ah, yes, I heard you complaining earlier." Elizabeth sourly mentioned.
Giving her an unimpressed glance, Sam nipped at her arm. She rubbed the spot. He frowned disapprovingly, murmuring, "Be nice."
"You," Julia called, pointing a fork at Sam, as she sat down. "There are decisions that need to be made with you. You're a couple. You're supposed to do some of these things together." She turned to Bill, to her left, lecturing, "Your son needs a day off work to see to his wedding with his wife-to-be."
Bill wailed, "Julia, he can make decisions on the evenings – or even now!"
"No," Julia furiously insisted, "He needs to be here. If he's here all day for one day we might just get through most of it."
"We're going to be here all day. I doubt we'll be getting through it all." Elizabeth mumbled.
Scowling at her, Julia ranted, "If you'd put in some effort young lady we might get through it more efficiently." She jabbed her fork into her pancake stack, "Honestly, it's almost like you don't want to get married."
Sam's shoulders tensed. Elizabeth spared him a sympathetic glance. She rested a hand upon one of his shoulders and retorted, "I want to marry Sam. He's the only man I'd ever even consider marry. I didn't even have to consider anything when he asked. I just said yes."
"Perhaps you answered to nippily." Julia taciturnly responded.
"I love Sam. He keeps me human." Elizabeth aloofly concluded. Her chair screeched, as it scraped along the tiled floor. She rose from the seat and left, stomping up the stairs.
The guest bedroom door slammed.
Julia scoffed, picking at her pancakes.
"Mother," Sam abruptly conversed, "I don't appreciate the way you spoke to my fiancé just then." He pushed his plate away and rose from his chair, firmly finishing, "Do not speak to her like that again."
He attempted to trail after her, but Bill stood also. He pointed at the digital clock on the cooker. Sam sighed, looking up the staircase.
"I'll be back later sweetheart." He called.
Elizabeth did not reply.
Vaguely, Elizabeth heard Sam shout goodbye. Her eyes remained focused upon the glowing screen of her phone.
Elizabeth exhaled a snorting pant, shaking her head vicariously, as she sifted through the notifications. Her skin tightened, as her brows crumpled up. She frantically began deleting the notices, thump mercilessly jabbing the scene.
After the last missed call was cleared, Elizabeth texted Sam: Need new phone.
The screen lit up, as she placed it back onto the bedside table.
Elizabeth rejected the call, heatedly damning the contraption with a rancour stare. Setting the phone on silent, Elizabeth smugly smiled. She opened the small draw of the table, throwing it in.
She walked round the edge of the bed and moved towards the door. Stopping, Elizabeth swivelled around on her feet and gazed out the window. Sam must have opened the blinds. The front garden was bathed in the shade of the house itself. The sun consumed the front of the houses opposite. Stepping closer to the window, Elizabeth stared at Jerry's house. Remembering, her body shuddered. The tips of her ears burned and her skin tingled. She almost mistook him to be otherworldly. He seemed as cold-blooded as he was physically cold. Unconsciously, she licked her lips. The windows of his house were black. She frowned, hissing, "I can have a new family; a better one."
She jumped. The front door of the house next to Jerry's was ferociously opened. Her heart calmed, as a woman waltzed out with boxes. The suited lady struggled to reach her pocket and raise a set of keys. The car in the woman's driveway unlocked. Elizabeth turned from the window, brushing a hand through her hair. "Ouch!" she exclaimed, trying to pull her hand away. Stray hairs caught on the teeth of her engagement ring.
Elizabeth took a moment to glower at the draw containing her phone.
Huffing, she vacated the room. She did so with a slight spring in her steps, gleefully calling out, "Julia where are those magazines? I feel like making some important decisions."
She enjoyed it immensely until the sun peaked over the roof of the Grant house.
Julia had said the flora required trimming. She laid out a picnic rug, some water and shears. Elizabeth had sat down, legs crossed, flipping through the remaining magazines.
Cutting at the branches of particularly thick foliage, Julia called out, "Have you thought about the flowers?" Elizabeth tied her hair back and rubbed at her sweltering neck. She sighed heavily, eyes briefly closing.
"I think that's probably one of those decisions I'm supposed to make with Sam." Elizabeth replied, turning a page.
The shades of the dresses on the bright page twirled. The grass danced in the slow tepid breeze, as Elizabeth held her head. She closed her eyes again. The spinning did not falter. Her body swayed.
"What about your dress then? Have you at least thought about that?" Julia cried out, snipping at more branches.
Elizabeth's snapped open, weeping as the sun assaulted them. She groaned, "Not particularly."
As a result of the increasing heat, Elizabeth's hair frizzed. It broke free of the bobble she shackled it up into and mugged her of her eyesight, as she finished the last magazine. The sun was falling now.
"Oh!" Julia exclaimed, waving at a car. It pulled into the driveway of the house opposite, beside Jerry's. Elizabeth squinted, as she tried to see passed her ratty hair. The woman she had seen leave earlier got out the car. She returned Julia's eccentric wave, though not as enthusiastically. "Jane!"
Jane's black heels clomped on the cemented road, as she crossed over from her side of the street. She plodded up the path of the Grant house. Julia pulled her into a hug. As she wiped some greenery from her suit, Jane asked, "How are you Julia? I got your message yesterday." She glanced at Elizabeth, "Is this her?"
Julia's smile waned, "Yes, this is Elizabeth."
"It's wonderful to meet you. I bet you and Sam are quite a couple." Jane greeted, holding her hand out. Elizabeth stood up, walking over to the pair and shook Jane's hand.
With a tentative grin, she replied, "Thank you, its brilliant to meet you… who are you?"
"Oh how silly of me!" Julia expressed, dropping her shears and pulling some protective gloves from her hands, "I thought Sam would have told you. Jane is the real-estate friend of mine that's agreed to help the two of you search for a house."
"Ah, you sell houses." Elizabeth murmured, gazing at the name tag attached to Jane's smart jacket.
"Well there's much more to it than that," Jane corrected, voice firm as one of Elizabeth's eyebrows rose dubiously, "I'll be showing you what your options are, the issues with finance like debt, the likelihood of remodelling and the services required for moving as well as going through the buying process. There are a lot more things that need to be discussed, but those are a few of the main matters."
Vaguely nodding, Elizabeth smiled, "Well you seem confident."
"Ah, Jane's the best." Jerry intervened.
All three of the women jumped. Julia raised a hand to her chest, crumpling the material of her shirt, "My goodness Mr Dandridge. You almost made my heart give out!" she wailed.
"You certainly do like popping up out of nowhere." Jane commented, grinning, "Do you get some sick satisfaction from startling others?"
He took a moment, breathing deeply. Eyes darkened and tone lowered, he answered, "Yes, it makes your blood run."
Elizabeth frowned at him, "How barbaric."
He smirked, "I'm only joking." He turned to stare the discarded shears, "Garden work so late in the evening Mrs Grant."
Julia chortled, "Gosh, well if you're up it must be getting late. I'll pop them away – be right back!"
She snatched the shears and gloves from the grassy lawn, tottering off into the house.
"Lovely woman, if a little over-excited at times." Jane babbled. Jerry nodded, humming in agreement to what she said as his eyes followed Elizabeth's figure. She towered the magazines and folded the blanket she had been sat upon for the most part of the day.
"You don't seem to have tanned very well." Jerry abruptly commented, cutting through Jane's ceaseless chatter.
Elizabeth ignored him, back facing the two. Jane shuffled her feet, tapping them against the path. As an awkward silence threatened to overhang the trio, she announced, "Well I had better get inside. Charley will be expecting dinner when he gets home." Beginning to head back across the road, Jane called to Elizabeth, "I'll be over in a day or two to discuss the house with you and Sam, okay?"
Elizabeth waved her away with an inexpressive nod. Jerry remained.
Julia returned, hurrying. "Now Mr Dandridge I would invite you in, but I'm afraid the house is in a bit of a state at the moment. Elizabeth here still hasn't taken care of her suitcase, which continues to loiter in the hallway – and Bill has paperwork laid about the livingroom. We've not been able to use it for days now." She laughed.
Elizabeth sneered behind Julia's back. She hauled the magazines into her arms, muttering, "I'll take these in."
"I'm certain it's not that bad Mrs grant. I've barely unpacked myself, boxes everywhere." Jerry grinned, "I can't even find half of my mugs."
"Oh how silly of me. You're working most of the evening aren't you? You must be so exhausted when you get home, not able to sift through that sea of stuff." Julia compassionately noted. She stroked his arm, declaring, "We must have you ov-"
"Hey!" A voice cried out, "Hey, how are you Mrs Grant!"
Elizabeth snorted, as she returned. A young lad bounded up between Julia and Jerry, separating them. "Mrs Grant you shouldn't be out right now – it's getting late." He declared. Turning to Jerry he boldly stressed, "Don't you have work?"
Jerry's grin broadened, "Yes, you're completely right Charley. How was school?"
"You better hurry then Mr Dandridge. We wouldn't want to keep you from your job." The lad suggested.
Julia agreed, "Charley's right. I certainly wouldn't want to get you into trouble for being late."
As she retreated into the house, she called out, "Come along Elizabeth. We'll make some biscuits together for when the boys get back. They should be home very soon. It's almost seven."
Elizabeth slowly began to tiptoe backwards into the house. Her focus remained solely upon Jerry and the young lad. Both seemed tense in one another's presence. She tilted her head. The further she got from them, the less she could hear. However, not much was said.
Charley glared up at Jerry. Jerry merely stood stock still. His impressive person overshadowed Charley without exerting much effort and the imposing figure he conveyed seemed to make the young boy shrink. His confidence sinking, Charley slinked away from Jerry and over to his house. Jerry watched him tread over the road and onto the garden. As charley slammed his front door, Jerry's attention finally diverted.
Elizabeth turned away, as Jerry peered at her. She ignored him, as he called out to wish her a pleasant evening.
She closed the front door, locking it.
Jerry and Charley did not get along. She gazed through the stained glass of the front door. He continued to stand in front of the Grant house. Her eyes squinted, nose crinkling, as she tried to make out his frame through the patterned glass.
"Elizabeth, come on! These biscuits won't make themselves." Julia yelled from the kitchen.
Sighing, Elizabeth rested her head against the cool glass of the door, responding, "Coming!"
Glaring at the ominous statue outside, she muttered, "Don't you have to get to work, Mr Dandridge?" She pushed away from the door and joined Julia in the kitchen. Though they made wonderful shortbread biscuits, the sugary smell did cast the short interaction between Jerry and Charley from her mind.