‘No, it wasn’t. That’s not fair, Ellie,’ Alex responded quickly.
‘I flew!’ Sam stuck his chin out.
‘Look, all of you. Come here.’ Sylvie opened her arms and smiled at each of them individually. Alex advanced towards her arms, not unaware of the irony that he had waited months to hear those two words from her lips; he just hadn’t pictured it occurring in a hospital with the children around. And he thought he had covered practically every scenario in his daydreams. It would appear he was wrong.
As they stood closer together, Sylvie reached her arms around all four of them and pulled them tight in to her. ‘We’re all OK, we’re all here and we’re all all right. I reckon that means life is going pretty well. I love you all so much, and of course I’m not cross with anyone. Although no more flying, mister.’ She looked at Sam, the love pouring out of her eyes into puddles. ‘And you,my dear, clever, confident Ellie, I love you too. You were the one that taught my Sam to fly, and I don’t mean that in a bad way. You have shown him how to reach out and grab life with both hands, wake it, shake it and take it to the fullest, and I will love you for ever for that. And you…’ she transferred her attention to Alex but this time the puddles of love contrasted with very pink cheeks, ‘…you are the most incredible man I have ever met, you have transformed me and my life in so many ways, both obvious and intangible, and I don’t think I shall ever meet another adult who gives me what you do. Everyone else can only ever be a poor second.’
Alex looked at her, her elfin face, shining eyes and crazy blushing, and he wanted to answer in as eloquent a way. He wanted to tell her that she and Sam were the world to him, that together the four of them made his perfect family and that he could never see himself loving, respecting and wanting another woman as much as he did her. That she was the first thing he thought about as he opened his eyes and deliberately the last thing he thought about as he fell asleep at night. That she guaranteed his dreams were full of life and hope and vigour and that translated into his every day too. That with her at his side they really could make an indestructible team, go on and change the world, and that without her he wasn’t capable of being half the man he hoped to be. He wanted to say all of that and then he wanted to turn the children so they were facing the wall, take her in his arms and kiss her so long and so deep that they would be arrested for public indecency. That they could lead him away in handcuffs, imprison him, burn him at the bloody stake but for her he would do anything. For ever.
However, he didn’t say that.
Instead he just held her eyes, long and hard. The journalist, the man who made his living through words and action, rendered incapable of either.
‘So, you’re not cross then?’ Luckily he had his daughter, never likely to be short of words, who stepped in.
Sylvie let out a huge laugh, a deep whole-body laugh that carried on until tears, of what Alex couldn’t tell, flowed down her cheeks.
‘In which case can we still do the surprise?’ Ellie continued.
‘Oh, please, Mum, please. Pleeeeaaase!’
‘I don’t think so, I think Sylvie has had enough for one day.’
‘But she’s not cross, the doctor says Sam is OK, and we have worked so hard. Please. Plus, it will stop Mrs Marksharp feeling so bad.’
‘I think I should get Sam home. It’s been a big day.’
‘Grab the moment, Mum.’
Alex watched Sam squeeze his mother’s hand and smile, her face crinkling in return and them all knowing that he had won. He immediately gave Ellie a double thumbs-up and nodded.
‘You’d better ring that woman then, Dad.’ Ellie side-nodded at her father as she spoke.
‘Whoa, I’m not that easily swayed.’
‘But you kinda are.’ Alex couldn’t help himself.
She nodded back at him and shrugged her shoulders.
‘Mr and Mrs Williams…’ A doctor came bustling through the curtain, yellow stethoscope around her neck, and dark hair in twin plaits resting on her shoulders.
‘We’re not married. We’re not together. Just friends.’ Sylvie was quick to reassure her and Alex felt a pang – he quite liked being Mr Williams.Alex Williamskind of rolled off the tongue rather nicely. Just friends definitely did not have the same ring.
‘Apologies. In that case, Ms Williams, looking at everything it seems that Sam is absolutely fine to go. He’s a very lucky boy. Keep an eye on him overnight – the discharge nurse will give you a leaflet about concussion but we’ve seen no evidence of anyharm done. And you, young man, no more jumping out of trees. Not even a bush, you hear!’
‘Yes, doctor.’ Sam put on a contrite face and Alex couldn’t help but grin. This boy was getting good!
‘So I should take him home and have a quiet night?’
‘Yes, that sounds sensible.’
‘Does he have to have a quiet night? We’ve got an important thing to do. We could do it quietly.’
‘Ellie!’ Alex put his hand lightly on his daughter’s shoulder, ready to remind her that they were standing in a hospital so their previous plans were hardly a priority.
‘Yes, if it’s important and you can do it quietly and your parents are happy to, then I can see no major problem. Like I say, Sam is fine.’ The doctor punctuated her words with a laugh.
‘Oh, for goodness’ sake,’ Sylvie said after the doctor left. ‘It appears that I am outnumbered. I don’t know what is going on here but you all seem to be up to something. And whilst it really was an accident, you’ve all been very coy about what Alex was actually doing when Sam fell, why Marion was there, and one wonders what prompted you, young man, to climb the tree? None of you have actually told me anything about that. So, the way I see it, if I want answers I’m going to have to say yes to this surprise. Butonlyif you can do it very calmly, Samuel Williams.’
