Chapter 47: In which Tim gets back to school – and Shelagh and Patrick finally get round to confronting the issue of the christening!
Procrastination is the key to quick updates apparently, with an inbox full of work to do and a bathroom that needs a good scrubbing I instead turned to my fan-fic and managed to power through it. This isn't a particularly long chapter – purely because there are a couple of things that need addressing in the next chapter and I'm intending to make that one a big chapter (with any luck!).
I love all your reviews, it's great that you all enjoy my updates – as I've said before I write for you guys so if you enjoy it then that's the main thing! Thank you for all your reviews, and please do continue – I don't bite!
This chapter's songs are:
The harder they come – Jimmy Cliff
You can get it if you really want – Jimmy Cliff (it's a coincidence I promise!)
Enjoy x
Well, they tell me of a pie up in the sky, waiting for me when I die. But between the day you're born and when you die, they never seem to hear even your cry. So as sure as the sun will shine, I'm gonna get my share now, what's mine. And then the harder they come, the harder they'll fall, one and all … the harder they come, the harder they'll fall, one and all
Shelagh pushed open the bedroom door and stood quietly, with a towel wrapped around her and her hair damp from the shower, twisted off her neck to stop the drips of water running down her spine. Patrick was stood with his back to her, beside the bed cradling his daughter while dancing gently and badly to the radio playing softly from the window sill. The spring was beginning to turn to the first taste of summer, the curtains were pulled back bathing the room in the early morning sunshine and the nets drifted in the cold breeze that every now and then slipped in through the open window. Creeping up behind her husband, Shelagh slid a hand around his waist and pulled herself into his back, breathing in his warm smell,
"You're a terrible dancer … but a very sweet one."
"Gee thanks doll! Are you going to get Tim up, or shall I?"
"You're dressed – I'll get my stuff on in a second and rustle up some breakfast for you two."
"OK love." taking the baby in one arm, Patrick made to leave the bedroom before spinning on his heels with a click of his fingers. "Oh, and your sister rang while you were in the shower – she wants to know when we're getting Mrs here christened … she didn't sound charitable."
"Oh God, right – that's my morning sorted then, a nice argument with Molly."
"It'll be fine love. Shelagh … honestly, it'll be fine."
"If you say so."
"… thanks Paul. The time is 8:37 and you are listening to Chris Evans on BBC radio 2. It's time now for a classic song, it's been far too long since I listened to this one! It's Jimmy Cliff with You can get it if you really want – enjoy …"
You can get it if you really want, you can get it if you really want, you can get it if you really want but you must try, try and try, try and try, you'll succeed at last. Persecution you must bear, win or lose you've got to get your share, got your mind set on a dream, you can get it, though harder them seem now
Patrick puffed out his cheeks as he sat at the lights, willing them to change colour as he drummed his fingers against the steering wheel, trying to calculate how long he had to drop Tim off at school and get to the hospital before he had an MDT meeting that he would have to endure at 10am, he didn't see Tim watching him carefully from the passenger seat.
"You've got lipstick on your cheek."
"Hmm … sorry what? I was miles away."
"Lipstick – on your cheek."
"Oh." Catching his reflection in the rear-view mirror, Patrick licked his thumb and wiped at the pale pink smudge near his mouth, "It was Shelagh."
"Well obviously, it wasn't going to be Nina was it?"
"Alright smart-alec … here we go." he said gleefully as the lights finally changed and he pulled out from the junction. "How are you feeling about today?"
"Fine Dad, stop worrying."
"I know I know – but … if you get tired or your leg starts to hurt then I'm a phone call away, and there's Shelagh if you need to come home early."
"Yeah alright Dad! I get it, if anything happens I'll ring you, but I'll be fine you know."
"I know I know and – What the hell do you think you're … arse!" Patrick shouted, scowling at the car overtaking him sharply through the window to no avail, he continued, "You're a sensible boy … me and Shelagh are really proud of you. You've dealt with all this brilliantly."
"Thanks … but like, it's nothing major … one of those things you know. Deep breath and move on."
"You're so grown up sometimes." he added proudly, beaming at his son, as he turned left towards the school gates,
"Dad, stop here."
"What?"
"Don't go all the way to the gate – drop me off her by the shop yeah."
"Oh … right, OK."
"Thanks for the lift. Bye."
"Have a good day!"
"Right – yeah. Bye." he wanted to say more, but with the rushed sentence barely finished Tim had bowled out of the car and headed off to a gaggle of boys who were lurking beside the shop drinking pop, and was gone within moments.
… Brilliant song, brilliant song. That was Jimmy Cliff with You can get it if you really want. You're listening to Chris Evans on BBC Radio 2, now time for the news and weather where you are …
Turning down the radio in the kitchen, and making sure that Nina was settled in the moses basket, Shelagh picked up the house phone and dialled carefully, she pinned it between her shoulder and her cheek as he slid a hand towards the baby, rubbing the back of her little fist.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Molls it's me."
"Shelagh, hi, how are you?"
"Oh fine, not disturbing you am I, I thought the kids would be off by now?"
"Och yes, long gone, just me – and Phil and Holly of course."
"Daytime tele'll rot your brain you know!"
"Ey' don't tell me motherhood hasn't driven you to watching Cash in the Attic yet?"
"No it hasn't!"
"Ach, give it time. So Patrick told you I rang then ey'?"
"Yeah … about Nina's christening, yeah he said."
"We've not even seen the bairn yet Shelagh, we need a proper visit … and I thought that the christening would be the perfect chance!"
"I know I know – we would have had you and dad down sooner, but … Tim's accident and all, it's just not been the right time."
"Eh I ken that Shelagh! How is Tim?"
"Back at school today, which is great – he needs it."
"Aye – a lad needs his friends about him. Now, I still have the family christening gown from mine – so will yous be wanting that posted down for alterations and that?"
"That'd be great Molly, there's no date set yet – we need to speak to the vicar, actually I might ring him today and see when we can have a meeting. But it'll be in the next month or so I suppose? Is that too short notice?"
"Ach hawd yur weeshd hen! I'd cross the Atlantic for her christening, I can make it over the boarder no problem."
"And you'll bring Dad?"
"Aye, he'll be glad of the chance to see you four. He loves that picture of you all in the hospital with Nina, he's it up on the mantelpiece you know."
"Oh God – I'll have to send him one where I don't look like death! Ey' I need to go, Nina's getting restless … I ring you when I know more."
"Aye, give Patrick and Tim my love now. See yous soon."
"Bye now."
*just rang Molls – v. civilised. Will ring the vicar today to sort out a meeting for the christening. Sx*
*OK – text me possible dates and I'll check my diary Px*
*Will do – have fun in the MDT! Sx*
*Urgh – you bitch! Px*
*Muhahaha Sx*
The house was clean, actually hovered, wiped and tidied, Shelagh had managed an unusually productive day, perhaps the absence of either Tim or Patrick getting under her feet and the fact that Nina had been unusually co-operative, amusing herself in her moses basket, had meant that she was suddenly overflowing with time. Making a note on the calendar in the kitchen, she put the potatoes on to boil and started rooting through the kitchen cupboards for the tin of tomatoes that she was sure was lurking somewhere at the back, she eventually found it between the ancient tin of sardines and the jar of lemon curd that no-one liked, but equally no-one had ever got round to binning. Grabbing her mobile off the counter she rattled off a quick text,
*Spoke to the vicar – he can do Friday at 9 only, any good? Sx*
*Yeah, should be doable. I'll be home in about 3hrs Pxx*
checking the clock she tried to work out if she could fit in a nap before Patrick got home. Perhaps if she fed Nina now, she could have Tim watch her? Sighing to herself she emptied the tin of tomatoes into a saucepan with the mice and stirred it absent mindedly and yawned,
"Tired?"
"Oh God Tim, you made me jump! So – how was it?"
"Double physics followed by double maths followed by double PE." he said grumpily, throwing his ruc-sack onto the table and grabbing a glass off the draining board.
"Blimey – that's a bad Monday by anyone's standards!"
"Yeah, and because I can't even do PE, Sir made me sit in the office, re-taping all the rounders' bats."
"That's not fair."
"I don't think he knows what to do with me, it's all a bit crap really."
"I can imagine … but you managed to see your friends, that's nice."
"Yeah – that was cool I guess, what's for tea?"
"Shepard's pie, if I can stay awake long enough to make it."
"Well go and have a nap then."
"No I can't, Nina'll want feeding in a minute and then there's cooking and … urgh – it's never ending!"
"Well feed her and then I'll watch her for a bit."
"Ach no don't daft, I can't do that to you!"
"I don't mind, and I recon you need a sleep – you look like crap to be fair."
"Oh charming!"
"No offense!"
"None taken, you're probably right – lipstick and dry shampoo aren't really cutting it these days … are you sure?"
"Yeah, why not. Gets me out of doing my physics homework at least!"
"So – if I drop Tim off at school and then go straight to the church Friday Morning, with you and Nina."
"Yeah I think that's best, I mean he offered to come and see us at home, but I thought that you'd never get back in time, and it'd hold you up at work."
"Yeah, that's fine, this Shepard's pie is lovely Shelagh."
"I can't take the credit alas, Tim made it."
"What? How come?"
"He took over being me while I had a sleep. It's quite useful actually – I might look into employing a full time second me."
"Two Shelagh's? I'm not sure I could cope!"
"Oh well obviously Shelagh II would only be part time, I could sleep while she hoovered the skirting boards. I wouldn't use her for anything major."
"Light house work, thank kind of thing?"
"Exactly, nothing strenuous."
"Would Shelagh II look like you?"
"I imagine she'd have to – other whys she'd just be a strange woman I keep in the cupboard."
"And that would be very difficult to explain to guests."
"Well quite ... Now, about God-mothers."
"Ahh … do we have to love?"
"Yes. We do I'm afraid, sorry Patrick. You need to ring Kathy, I need to ring Julie and … and Molly will have to be diplomatic."
"Yes … yes … I'm not worried about Julie. Julie's easy, Kathy and Molly."
"I know, I think it's important to just remember that whatever happens … we can always fake our own deaths and run away to Monte-Carlo!"
"Agreed."