“Yeah, gorgeous, I do.”
I climb off him, muttering as I hurry to the bathroom. Fucking’s great, making love is amazing, and quickies are the bomb—but the clean-up after any of them is the absolute pits, and hands down the least sexy thing to do after your world’s been rocked.
You’d have thought that nature would have found a way to make it easier. Alas, it has not. Starting the shower, I climb in and wait for Robert to join me. We spend time taking care of and enjoying each other before we have to leave and get ready for the day. I’ve got the day off from the café; we’d hired a manager that seems to be working out for now. We’d see how it went. I was semi-retired, and Dog and I took to travelling with Maura and Thor when we felt like it. It was nice to enjoy the fruits of our labours now that we’d hit our sixties and were reaping the benefits of Bella’s planning.
“Mags?”
I look up from making our bed. Robert is standing in the bathroom doorway, oiling his beard, looking troubled. Concerned, I stand and walk towards him. “What’s wrong?”
“What do you think of what’s happening between Bella and Sam?”
I bite my lip and wonder if I should give him my honest opinion. The only other person who knows what I think is Kate.
“Maggie,” Robert pushes.
“Honestly?” I look up at him. He nods, so I continue. “I don’t think they’re right for each other. There’s no spark. Not like there was with us or with our boys, Rea, and Molly. I think they’re doing what they are because it’s almost as if it’s expected. Sam has never made a secret about how he feels about Bella but even there I think it’s more a puppy love rather than he’s in love with her. I think they’re going to get hurt. But we’ve always said we won’t interfere.”
Robert sighs and enfolds me in his arms, pressing his lips to my temple. “I agree with you. As do most of the others including Abby and Reaper. But like you said we’ll see how it goes. We’ll be there to pick up the pieces if or when it does implode. Now,” he releases me, “how about we see what the rest are up to and go for a ride, find somewhere to have lunch. A nice lazy Thursday sounds good to me.”
Laughing, I stand on tiptoe. “Arrange it, honey; I’ll finish getting ready and meet you in the kitchen.”
That’s what we did. The four of us, OG couples, as the kids have taken to calling us. We spent the day riding, taking frequent breaks and stopping for lunch and then an early supper before we headed home. Thor and Maura will leave again in a few days to visit with Noni and Bull before heading to the States and then back to us.
If I’d known that I’d not see my baby for nearly three years when everything went to hell, I may have spent those hours with Bella, but one thing I wasn’t was a fortune teller.
Instead, the only communication I had with her were text messages I knew were lies, but at least I knew she was alive. It was the only peace I had.
Three years passed before we saw her again, and when we did, she was covered in blood and beaten to hell being taken into surgery. My heart had hurt for so long that I wasn’t sure I could take it if she didn’t make it. Through it all, Robert was at my side, holding me up when I didn’t think I could take the worry anymore.
We leant on each other those two years like we hadn’t had to ever in all our time together. We made it through just like I knew we would, and it brought us out the other side stronger for it.
DOG
“Robert,” Maggie’s panicked voice calls out. I rushed out of the bathroom into our bedroom. It’s still early, and she’s not dressed yet, her hair mussed, cup of tea on the bedside. She’s holding her phone, and her face is void of colour.
My heart stops for a minute at the pure devastation on her face. Hurrying to her, I take her phone from her and read the message there. My heart sinks as I read the message from Bella.
Bella – Hi Mum and Dad, sorry that you’re waking up to this message. I’m a coward and didn’t want to face anyone. I love you both so much. Sam and I didn’t work out. I’m going to travel for a bit. It worked for Noni, so I hope it will work for me. Beau will take care of the business. I’ll work remotely, so don’t worry about your investments. I’ll keep in touch and let youknow where I am so you don’t worry. There’s so much I want to tell you, but I’m not ready yet. My phone is going to be switched off for the most part, so don’t worry if you don’t hear from me right away. I hope one day I find what you two have, what Onyx and Draco have. Love you both to the moon and back. Thank you for being the best parents a girl could ask for. Bells xxx
“Robert,” Maggie sobs, and I pull her into my chest. I hold my wife as she cries and wonder what the hell had happened. It would be almost two years before I’d find out what Bella was up to, and when I did, it didn’t fill me with rainbows and roses. Instead, my worry ramped up, and for the first time in our married life, I kept something from Maggie.
I couldn’t add to her worry, not when she was almost fading before my eyes. It didn’t take either of us long to realise that Bella wasn’t travelling and was instead somewhere in the UK. Her text messages were the only communication we had. The only time Maggie was her old self was when she was with our grandchildren, so I made sure that they spent as much time with her as they could when they weren’t in school. We rallied around and kept her busy. The busier the better, and every time we got a message from Bella, the angrier I got at my daughter. I wasn’t sure what she was up to, but I knew it couldn’t be good.
And I was right.
It was at Sam and Ally’s wedding that I started to get an inkling of what she was doing.
***
September 2016
Sam and Ally have just had their first dance. For the last ten minutes, I’d had a feeling that I needed to be outside. Maggie was sitting chatting with Kate, Bev, and Maura. Gunny, Thor, Shep, and Colm were keeping her company.
Standing, I lay a hand on Maggie’s shoulder and whisper, “I’m going to step outside for a bit, Mags. Are you okay here? Can I get you anything?”
Maggie looks up at me with a soft smile. “I’m okay honey. Go have your smoke and I’ll keep pretending I don’t know.”
Chuckling, I press a kiss to her cheek. “Should have known I couldn’t hide anything from you. Love you, gorgeous.”
