Once again I apologise for the long delay. This chapter has been more challenging than I expected, but I hope you like it.

Chapter 8

Falling Hurts

It had been two months since Luc and Eddi had reunited after their heart to heart. They finally felt comfortable and at ease together. Eddi had also come clean about her use of the Comoxidan pills and how the last time she had seen Max he had given them to her and she had thrown them away. She realised it was Max's way of controlling her, but Eddi was never going to be manipulated like that by anyone again. Now though there was about to be a bigger test for Luc and Eddi's fledgling relationship. Luc had made a phone call to Sandra's parents to see if it was possible to come and see his daughter, to his surprise they said yes. But he wasn't to push things between himself and Olivia, because she was still very upset.

"If you don't want to come I will fully understand." Luc was apprehensive about going to Manchester to see Olivia, after all he had not seen her since Sandra's funeral. An emotionally torturous occasion leaving him racked with guilt and untold internal suffering. In some ways he had no right to be there among the people that loved her the most. Luc went as a final mark of respect. It was the last chance to say sorry. He had apologised to Sandra in the hospice where she spent her last days. "Anyone can say their sorry. Prove me wrong and do what is right for our daughter. Be the father she deserves." That was the last thing she said to him.

"I want to come with you and support you. That's what couples do and that's what we are, albeit a slightly dysfunctional one." She added with a wry smile.

"I think I object to being labelled dysfunctional how about we just say quirky?" Luc put the the over night bags into the camper van, wondering if this trip to Manchester was really a good idea or whether it was going to be an impending disaster? He wished of course for the former.

"Yeah, we'll go with that then." Eddi planted a soft kiss on Luc's lips. His eyes held her gaze for a few seconds longer than he intended. She looked healthy and happy, a far cry from the pale skinny and sickly woman from two months ago. Looking at her now it was like looking at two completely different people. Luc was acutely aware Eddi was still extremely vulnerable and fragile, even though she was trying to pretend everything was fine and dandy.

"Are we ready?" Eddi asked ignoring her own nagging self doubt.

"Is anybody really ready for anything?" He replied in his typical way. Luc knows today will be difficult for everyone involved.

Luc and Eddi were sitting together on the sofa in Malcolm and Linda's house, having arrived safely after the long drive. The greetings had been sombre and short which was to be expected given the circumstances. Luc noticed Olivia was nowhere to be seen.

"Olivia's in her room, I'll go and call her down." Malcolm got up from his armchair.

"No, don't Malcolm," Linda interrupted, She'll be down in her own time."

"But she's been up there for hours already and staying cooped up by herself hasn't helped so far."

"Yes but forcing her to come down will only may make things worse, she said she'd come when she is ready."

Malcolm sits back down reluctantly, he wants to remind Linda that none of this was their idea in the first place but he's loathed if he's going to cause a scene in front of guests. He looks at his former son in law and wonders why is Luc even here? The man showed no interest in his granddaughter for years. If it was up to Malcolm and Linda, Olivia would have nothing whatsoever to do with Luc. But it wasn't up to him. This was Sandra's last wish and he and Linda had to respect her choice.

"So Eddi, what do you do for a living? Are you a doctor?" Malcolm asked.

"No, I'm a nurse on the same ward as Luc." She'd only been there for twenty minutes but it felt more like twenty hours.

"Have you been together long?" Linda's question was directed at Luc.

"Eighteen months or so. We've known each other for a while longer." He added as an after thought, Luc felt as though he was in the middle of a tough job interview.

"Well, all I can say is I hope you look after Eddi better then you did our Sandra." Eddi refrains from replying to this comment - even though she wants to defend Luc.

"Linda, don't do this love – not now." Malcolm grabbed his wife's hand. Linda turned to her husband, he could tell she was on the verge of yet more tears.

"Why not? I'm only being honest, look at him he can barely look us in the face. Eddi wanted to jump in and say something. "What exactly do you see in him? Because he's nothing but a robot in human skin. Incapable of anything remotely resembling emotional warmth!"

Luc looked at his former mother in law straight in the eye. "I know you're both grieving and angry I'm not even going to say I understand what you both must be feeling, because to suggest otherwise would be insulting."

"Your own daughter barely knows who you are. A stranger for all but a couple of weeks of the year. Now you've come here out of guilt and nothing more!" Linda's voice was raised and shaking.

"I am not going to deny guilt. I've been an absent father when I should have stepped up to the plate - but to my shame I have failed to be a father when I swore on the day Olivia was born that the one thing I would never do, whatever happened between Sandra and myself that I would not turn my back on her. She should have been my main priority." Luc is grateful for Eddi's comforting touch as she places her hand on his shoulder.

"The truth is I thought she was better of without me, and her mother used to say the same." Luc was struggling to keep himself together so he paused to try and regain some composure. There was silence in the room as footsteps came down the stairs and made shuffling noises on the carpet through the hallway. Olivia said nothing as she stood in the doorway. Luc felt his skin prickle with nerves he had only caught glimpses of her at the funeral. Now they were standing face to face. Any coherent thoughts he had managed to hold on to until that moment had evaporated into nothing. The dam was beginning to break as tears formed in his already moist eyes...

Trying to imagine how Luc will adapt to this situation has been difficult. I just hope I've managed to do it. Your opinions are very welcome.