Michael
It’s dark, a frigid winter’s evening. James hasn’t come home from work yet and I can’t find Charlotte.
Where is she?
Having a bath maybe?
But the bathroom stands cold and empty.
Reading somewhere?
I try her study, the lounge and the dining room, still with no sign of her.
And then as I stop to flick the curtains closed in the lounge, there she is. Outside on the terrace, without so much as a jacket or a cushion, she hugs her knees as she sits on bare stone paving, staring into the dark.
She must be bloody freezing…
What’s this about?
Don’t rush it…
I make a couple of hot drinks, then venture outside.
She turns as I approach. I offer her a mug. “Hi. Mind if I join you?”
“Course not.” She sniffs. “That’s lovely. Thank you.”
“Hot nutmeg milk and dash of brandy. I thought if you were determined to freeze your butt, you’d better have something inside to help thaw it out.”
She nods then turns to stare into the dark again.
After a minute or so, I say, “Come on, spit it out. Whatever it is.”
“I was thinking about my mother.”
“What about her?”
“I might never find her.”
“Perhaps not, but we'll keep looking.”
She blows on the milk, takes a slow mouthful. “What I'm meaning is, it's about continuity, isn't it. As long as I'm here, there's a bit of her too. And my father. It's not all gone. And if...”
"If what?"
She chokes up. “He’s so unhappy. He’s usually so full of life; so full of… of take-it-in-big-bites… He’s… It’s just not him.”
“He? Who? James? I thought we were talking about you?”
“Yes… No… Yes…”
“Charlotte, you’re not making a lot of sense.”
Looking away, she drinks more of the milk, but moonlight reflects from the tears trailing down her cheeks.
I lay an arm over shoulders, kiss her face. She’s chilled, tasting salty. “You want to find your mother. He wants his daughter back.” I rub at my forehead. “I hate seeing him like this too. I wish there was something I could do to help him, but he’ll get over it.”
look at
him, but it is a kind
“I'm not so sure.”
right. It was a low blow on her part. But I'm not sure what we can do about
There’s a tremor in her voice. I wait, but she’s
never make a
the knot of hair then folds her hands around her
Charlotte. What is this
I did anything.” She’s
?
Tread carefully…
I be
“He wants his daughter.”
can’t give her back to him.
have
penetrate. “Charlotte, are you telling me you want to get
“Yes,” she whispers.
Ahhh…
do…?” I speak slowly, carefully. “… What with your college work and wanting to
as much. But he... he doesn't have so much time and... And I want him to
low. Her fingers
Taking one of them in mine, I kiss cold fingers then hold them between my warm palms. She gulps
say. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed you trowelling on
or him. And that would have been fine. I know it
I feel
right thing to
that will stand
… and last…
… and work…
go away. I'm coming back. I just need to think.” I turn, heading for the kitchen, but mid-movement, I turn
grinding beans to give my hands something to do. As
always loved
Is that true?
No…
always loved him
but she
…
he’d asked her, she’d have married
gave her to
kept her for
…
funded the
… Helluva wedding present…
…
do I ever repay all
?
This would do it…
…
I sure
?
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