Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty Seven
Charlie and Joey were enjoying morning coffees on the beach when they saw Martha jogging across the sand. She stopped and waved when she saw them and jogged over.
"Morning," she said.
"Hey," Joey greeted. "How are you doing?"
"I'm having a dilemma," Martha admitted.
Charlie gestured for her to make herself comfortable and tell them all about it.
Ruby and Xavier walked to school together. It was nice to be back spending time together and in some ways, it felt like no time had passed. In other ways though, Ruby was particularly conscious that she had ditched her first love for another boy who had only abandoned her and broken her heart. Now, with Xavier seeming distracted, she worried that he held it against her.
"What's up, Xave?" she asked, trying to sound as casual as possible.
"Nothing," he lied.
"If I've done something..."
"You haven't," he assured her. "It's just Mum."
"What do you think I should do?" Martha asked.
Last night, after a furious row with his mother about her new boyfriend, John, Xavier had approached and asked if he could move into the farm. She had told him to go home and sleep on it but she didn't want to upset Gina by taking him in.
"I think you need to talk to Gina about it," Charlie said. "As someone whose child walked out on her, she's going to feel hurt, lost and like quite the failure."
Martha looked a little awkward, having taken Ruby in when she'd fallen out with Charlie.
"If you can help the two of them work through it, then that's got to be better, right?"
Martha nodded, thanking her.
"I'm sure they'll fix it," Joey said, trying to sound positive.
"Yep," Charlie agreed. "If Ruby and I can work through the hell we endured last year then Xavier can grow up and accept that his mother has a life that doesn't revolve around him. I mean, it's nice that she's found someone who makes her happy."
"Even if he is a jerk," Joey put in.
Martha laughed.
"I can't say I'm John Palmer's biggest fan either but... yeah, I guess if Gina likes him we shouldn't try to deny her some happiness. After everything she's been through, she deserves some joy."
"As do you," Joey added. "Speaking of... how are things?"
"They're okay," Martha said, exhaling a little heavily. "I mean, I'm still feeling my way through life. It's a struggle, you know. The only reason I was able to lift myself out of my grief over losing Jack was because of Hugo and now..."
She shook her head. Joey put a gentle arm around her.
"But it's okay," Martha said, sounding a little brighter. "Liam and I are getting along great, I've made peace with Angelo..."
She and Charlie snorted as Joey pulled a face.
"I have wonderful family and friends," Martha continued. "If I can cope with life after Jack, then I'm sure I can live with life after Hugo. And maybe, just maybe, I'll find someone amazing and then I can wander round Summer Bay looking as sappy and in love as you two always do!"
Charlie laughed.
"It's sickening, isn't it?" Joey smirked.
After a long day at school, Xavier was reluctant to be at home with his mother. He'd poured his heart out to Ruby about his concerns over the new man in her life and she had encouraged him to talk things through, rather than throw all his toys out of the pram. Similarly, Martha had arranged to have lunch with Gina and encouraged her to do the same thing. Taking a deep breath, Xavier let himself into the house, ready to deal with things head on.
"How do I look?" Joey asked, doing a twirl in the bedroom.
Charlie merely smirked at her, allowing her eyes to rove over her girlfriend's body. She was clad in a purple sleeveless top and skinny black jeans.
"Well?" Joey asked, a little nervous.
"You look hot," Charlie declared before pouncing on her and pinning her to the bed.
Joey shrieked in surprise and protested that Charlie was going to mess up her hair.
"You bet I am," Charlie grinned, pressing her lips against Joey's neck.
"Charlie, we've got to be at the party in ten minutes," Joey pointed out, although she was by no means protesting.
"We've got plenty of time," Charlie assured her, running her fingers through Joey's hair and kissing her lips.
"It's a ten minute walk," Joey reminded her.
Charlie slipped her hands inside her t-shirt. Joey closed her eyes and melted against her touch.
"We can be fashionably late," she decided.
Half an hour later, Charlie and Joey finally knocked on the door to Alf's house. He had invited them, Leah, Elijah, Colleen, Martha and Liam round for a welcome home barbeque with Marilyn, Miles, Romeo and Nicole. So thrilled that his old friend was back in town, Alf was delighted at the prospect of making her feel at home and hopefully encouraging her to stay for good.
"You're late," Miles teased when he pulled open the door.
"Sorry," the girls said in unison.
"It took longer to get ready than we thought," Joey explained, looking pointedly at her girlfriend.
Miles smirked.
"I'm not even going to ask," he said.
"Best not," Joey giggled, patting him on the shoulder and moving further into the house, announcing to Alf that she'd brought beer.
Ruby was sitting at home, watching television when there was a knock at the door.
"Xavier!" she said, surprised when she saw her boyfriend standing there looking sorry for himself.
"Can I stay?" he asked hopefully. "I can't get in touch with Martha. She's not at the farm and Liam's not home either."
Ruby let him into the house.
"That's fine," she said. "But I thought the plan was to go home and make up with your Mum..."
"It didn't work out," Xavier said flatly. "At this rate, I don't think she ever wants to see me again."
Ruby looked horrified.
"She threw me out," he explained.
Colleen pulled a face as Marilyn held a captive audience. The older woman still hadn't forgiven her for breaking her son's heart all those years ago. She had never accepted her as being a good person.
"That is so cool," Joey enthused.
The newcomer was regaling the group with tales of briefly becoming a celebrity in the UK after appearing on reality TV.
"I got quite the gay following actually," Marilyn said, although she sounded very humble. "Apparently there's something about my look that attracts gay men."
She giggled.
"Would you look at that, Charlie?" Joey grinned. "We have a gay icon in our midst!"
"Well, I wouldn't say that..." Marilyn said self consciously. "But I did get quite involved in gay rights for a while. Gay Pride is like nothing I've ever been to before!"
"We should totally get involved in that kind of stuff, you know," Joey said to Charlie.
"Maybe," Charlie conceded, putting her arm around her.
"Is it true that gay couples can actually get married over there?" Joey asked.
Marilyn nodded and launched into a happy explanation of Civil Partnerships.
It was late when Charlie, Joey and Leah finally arrived home. They'd all had a lovely evening and everyone but Colleen found Marilyn very endearing. Joey also thought it was adorable that Alf was so thrilled to have her around, especially after his recent crisis of faith in Summer Bay. The riots and Hugo's illegal activities had dented his enthusiasm somewhat but now, he seemed to be back to normal. Joey was particularly pleased to realise that.
"I really like Marilyn," Joey mused, letting everyone in through the kitchen door.
"Not too much, I hope," Charlie teased.
"As if!" Joey squeaked. "You know I only have eyes for you."
"This had better not turn into a sap fest," Leah warned, leading the way into the lounge where Ruby and Xavier were making out on the sofa.
"Ahem," Charlie cleared her throat.
The teenagers sprang apart before Ruby hurriedly explained what happened between her boyfriend and his mother.
"Does she know you've come here?" Charlie asked, very aware of her advice to Martha that morning.
"Not exactly," Xavier said.
"Then call her," Charlie said. "You can stay one night but then you really have to try and sort this out, okay?"
The blonde sighed heavily and pulled out his phone. Charlie headed back into the kitchen with Joey and Leah. Ruby scrambled after her looking coy.
"Is it um... is it okay if he stays in my room?" she asked her mother.
Charlie looked immediately horrified. She met Joey's gaze.
"How about you set up a bed on the floor of your room and I don't come in unless there's a fire?"
Next time... Marilyn frustrates Miles, Leah discovers that Elijah has feelings for her and Charlie and Joey go for dinner with Aden, Justin and Nicole...
