Chapter 89
Roman drove them back to Summer Bay, they had spent most of the day in the water and he had to admire the way she caught the waves. Both she and Mike were expert surfers. He could understand more of why Mike had been upset because he missed spending time with Ella.
She grinned at him and looked adorable. He wasn't going to mention that the sun had brought out the smattering of freckles across her cute nose that only made her look cuter.
"I said I would meet Ollie at the beach can you drop me off?" Mike asked them.
"More beach time?" Ella asked him.
He grinned.
"Of course."
She laughed and caught Roman looking at her. She smiled at him and saw him grin back.
Within minutes they pulled up at the beach. She took in the bonfire ready to be lit, the strings of multi-coloured lights and the torches. There was a sound system to one side with the music already playing.
"What's going on Mike?" Ella turned around and looked at him.
"Well I thought you could use a bit of cheering up." He grinned at her. "So I organised a beach party. You know like we used to do."
She grinned at him and climbed out of the car excitedly.
Roman followed and they went down to the beach.
"Miles." Roman greeted on seeing the other man.
"Roman." He grinned.
"Want a hand with that?" he asked seeing Miles setting up a table.
He nodded and the two of them set to work.
Ella smiled as she left them to it, hearing their chatter in the background. Irene and Leach came out of the diner carrying baskets of food. They placed them on the table that Miles and Roman had finished putting up.
"Hey there." Leah called to her.
"Let me help." Ella said.
"No chance. Anyway we've got it covered. Alf is in charge of the BBQ. He's just closing up the bait shop he'll be here soon." Leah told her with a grin.
Kirsty came over to them.
She handed Leah and Ella a glass of wine. Well, paper cups anyway.
"And this one for you." She said handing Irene a drink.
"So come on." Kirsty said. "All we've heard all day is about beach parties in California. We need to know more."
They moved over to the other side of the bonfire that was starting to take and Ella sat down on a corner of blanket. Mike saw them sitting and he went and fetched one of the beach chairs for Irene to use.
She grinned at him.
"Thanks Darl." She murmured.
"Come on." Leah said. "Your past is more mysterious than his." She nodded at Roman who was busy with Miles setting up the BBQ.
Mike wandered off with Ollie and VJ. She watched as he started a game of soccer with them.
Ella grinned.
"I was with Christopher for three years and his job went overseas. We moved to California. I hung out with surfer types and we used to have beach parties." She grinned. "End of story."
"Yeah sure." Kirsty murmured.
She grinned at her.
"No seriously that all there is to it. I did my photography, was a full time mum and any spare time I hung at the beach."
"So where is this mysterious Christopher and why aren't you still with him?" Kirtsy asked her.
"Strewgth Darl, you can't ask her that."
Ella laughed.
"Its ok. Irene." She murmured. "Christopher wanted to get married, have kids, stay in California and I didn't."
"Was he good looking?" Kirsty grinned as Irene looked at her.
"Yes." Ella chuckled.
"Why don't you give his number to Leah I think it's about time she had a date." Kirsty said quickly.
Leah chuckled.
"I agree." Rachel added walking over to them.
She sat on the blanket next to Kirsty.
"Hey there" Ella greeted her.
Miles walked over and handing Ella a large cup.
"From your husband." He told her with a grin.
She took a sip.
"Better?" he asked.
She nodded.
He handed Rachel a cup and poured white wine into it. He topped up Kirsty's and then Leah's. "And for you Madam." He topped up Irene's cup with the non-alcoholic drink.
"So who else is coming to this little shindig?" Ella asked Miles.
"Aden and Belle. Nic and Geoff. Alf will be our Chef tonight." Miles grinned at her.
"My son has been busy hasn't he?" she murmured taking a long drink of the vodka and coke drink.
Leah laughed.
"Has he told you about the limbo dancing contest?" she said and laughed at the expressions on their faces.
"No way." Miles said. "Your husband has already started me drinking and I do enough stupid stuff when I drink with him."
Ella laughed.
"Hello." Aden called walking over to them.
"Hey." She said to him.
Belle sat on the blanket with them.
"What do you want to drink Babe?" Aden said softly.
Ella held up her cup.
"Vodka and coke please and better not call me babe my husband is over there."
Belle laughed as Aden flushed.
"I'll have the same." She told him.
Aden wandered away with Miles.
"I can't think why we haven't done this before." Kirsty grinned. "Why should the schoolies get all the fun." She said referring to the usual habit of the schoolies practice of having beach parties.
Aden walked over to them with the drinks. Roman walking over behind him.
"Mike has asked if any of you ladies would like to have a game of Soccer?" he told them.
Ella laughed and held up her hands to him. He helped her to stand up and she kicked off her sandals and went over to them and started playing soccer.
He took the vacated spot on the blanket.
"Alf has arrived and started cooking." Roman told them.
Irene chuckled.
"I'll go sort out the rest of the food." She said and stood up.
Roman took a long drink of the beer and looked over at Ella playing soccer with Ollie and VJ and Mike and he suddenly felt so sad that they couldn't have kids that he felt his eyes well up with tears. Oh, they could go for adoption or even foster, and were not ruling that out but she deserved her own kids.
Rachel looked at him.
"I know Roman." She said softly.
He brought his attention back to the group.
"Am I that obvious?" he half grinned.
Rachel nodded.
"I think we'll go give Irene a hand." Leah said and she and Belle stood up and walked over to the others.
"How are you doing?" Rachel asked him.
"In light of Nic's announcement?" he asked.
Roman shrugged.
"We're hurting. She wants a baby." He said softly.
"You know that any pregnancy will be high risk, both in terms of carrying the child to term and the risk of haemorrhage." Rachel told him and saw him nod. "Then there is the added problem of her blood pressure. Even so it's not impossible. If the pregnancy is monitored and she has bed rest. It would still be high risk even so."
"Are you saying that we should?" he asked confused.
She shook her head.
"No. Ella suffered a significant bleed during the miscarriage. I don't recommend that you try but I can understand if an accident happens."
He grinned.
"No." he murmured quickly. "I'm not going to risk it." he said but suddenly thought of the incident in the hotel room the previous month and his grin disappeared. "Are you telling me that Ella may decide that it would be worth the risk though?"
Rachel nodded.
"I won't let her." he said looking over at Ella again.
Rachel grinned.
"Good luck with that one." She told him.
He turned back to her and grinned, draining his drink.
"I see that you've met my wife." He told her jokingly just as Ella came over to them.
"Hey Rachel." She began. "You've been deep in conversation."
"Talking about you." Roman asserted.
Ella laughed.
"Rachel I am being good honest." She said quickly.
Rachel laughed.
"I was asking how you two were doing." She said to Ella.
Ella nodded.
She sank down next to Roman and put her hand on his knee.
"I think we are doing ok. But it's not easy is it?" she turned to Roman.
He put his arm round her and she moved closer to him.
She smiled at him.
He leaned over and kissed her.
"El?" Rachel asked.
She looked at her.
"I fill my days with stuff and I have my photography. Mike is wonderful. And Nic has been great." Ella said softly. "But I'm not going to be ok with watching her get bigger or go to scans with her or be able to bare her being so excited about being a mum."
She looked at Roman.
"Sorry." She said to him.
He smiled sadly.
"I understand Ella." He told her and saw her nod.
"But I'm not going to let my daughter know that this hurts me so I'm going to need your help." She took hold of Roman's hand and felt him give it a reassuring squeeze.
"Now it's supposed to be a party. Are we going to get a drink?" She asked him with a grin.
He stood and pulled her to her feet.
"Nic has just arrived." He said to her seeing his daughter over by the drinks table.
She grinned and pressed a kiss to his lips before turning and walking over to them.
Rachel watched them go.