Chapter 43
In the end, Liam and Luca played three games of Twister before entreating Lauren and Marc to join in.
Marc, full of cake and tea, was more than happy to sit on the sofa beside Lauren and watch his sons try to contort themselves into all kinds of ridiculous positions in the name of fun.
Lauren had fitted beautifully into all three of their lives, this afternoon.
He wondered what it would be like if she spent more time with them.
He tried not to overthink it; it would be so easy to place too much emphasis on this lovely afternoon, to make it seem like much more than it was.
But then, everyone had to get back on the horse sometime.
As the boys were about to start their fourth game, Marc heard the front door open. He’d given Joel the spare set of keys so he could come and go as he pleased while he was staying here. Seconds later, his youngest brother poked his head around the living room door.
‘Hey kids, I’m home!’ Joel’s megawatt I’m putting on a show for the guest smile beamed around the living room, and Marc sighed inwardly. He’d been more mellow on Christmas Day, having had a few glasses of champagne, but now he was in full flow.
‘All right?’ Marc replied. ‘How was your afternoon?’
‘Cool, thanks.’ Joel flumped down onto the second sofa opposite the one that Marc and Lauren were sitting on.
‘I drove up to Roseford in the end, had a pint and lunch in the pub and then looked round that old house that’s opened to the public.
Cute place. I’d forgotten how much I’ve missed the sights of good old Merrie England in the years I’ve been in the desert! ’
Marc did his best to ignore the rather patronising tone in his brother’s voice. ‘I’m glad you enjoyed it,’ he said evenly. ‘Lauren and the boys have made some amazing cakes this afternoon. There are some left in the kitchen if you want them.’
‘Thanks. I’ll go and grab one.’ He stood up again and meandered out to the kitchen.
‘He’s decided he’s staying here for a little while.’ Marc rolled his eyes as soon as Joel was out of earshot. ‘He is fun, but he’s also exhausting!’ He shook his head.
‘Mum can be a bit like that,’ Lauren said. ‘When she’s having a good day, she’s a whirlwind of energy, but when she’s not so great, it can be just as exhausting trying to stop her from doing too much.’
‘But she’s doing all right on this trip?’
‘Yeah.’ Lauren glanced away from him. ‘It sounds awful, but after I’d got used to being alone in the house, I sort of started enjoying it.’ She shook her head. ‘That makes me sound like a terrible daughter, doesn’t it?’
‘No,’ Marc said firmly. He glanced to where the boys were still engrossed in playing Twister, and then back at Lauren.
‘When Tessa was ill, really ill, I used to feel so guilty for spending time away from her. Even a quick walk by myself while the kids were at kindergarten, or just driving to pick them up at the end of the day, felt like a relief. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to spend all the time we had left with her, but that I needed space just to process everything; to remember who I was. Do something for me.’
Lauren’s eyes were so full of understanding and kindness, that Marc felt his own starting to burn. ‘Sorry,’ he added. ‘The last thing I want to do is bang on about my wife.’
‘It’s perfectly fine,’ Lauren replied. He felt a jolt of electricity as she moved closer to him and put a warm hand over his. ‘Tessa was a huge part of your life. You don’t have to pretend that she never existed.’
‘Thanks.’ He put his other hand over hers, and they were together, insulated, just the two of them, for a few seconds, regardless of the fact that the boys were in the room and Joel must be on his way back from the kitchen.
‘I’m glad you came over today,’ Marc murmured.
‘I’ve had a lovely time, and the boys have, too. ’
Lauren’s smile made his heart beat just that little bit faster.
‘I’ve enjoyed it, as well. And cake is always a winner!
’ Lauren’s light tone didn’t quite match the expression he read in her eyes; an expression that was telling him that she wanted to get closer to him, as much as he wanted to get to know her better.
He ached to kiss her again but steeled himself to wait.
There’d be time for that later, he hoped.
‘All right, you two, are you ready for me to kick your backsides at Twister? I used to be in the circus, don’t you know?
’ Joel’s voice interrupted them as he re-entered the living room.
It was a second or two before Marc realised Joel was talking to the boys.
He settled back on the sofa, sitting closer to Lauren than before, and watched as Joel got stuck into a new game with Liam and Luca.
He’d never been so aware of his own body and where it was gently touching Lauren’s.
The meeting points of their shoulders and hips, and the fact that they were still holding hands, safely hidden from the other three people in the room, made his senses reel.
He couldn’t wait to spend some time alone with her.