Chapter 4
As the plane taxied down the runway Izzie stretched out her arms, trying to release the knots of tension that had formed in her shoulders.
She hated flying. Alex may have been able to fall asleep at the drop of a hat but she had yet to develop that skill.
The flight was only short but still within fifteen minutes of taking off he had been snoring softly, leaving her to try and concentrate on her book to take her mind off the flight.
She knew better than to try and wake him before the plane came to a complete stop outside the terminal.
He never undid his seatbelt so, once asleep, she had just thrown his blanket over him and left him to it.
As the seatbelt release sign lit up with a low pinging noise Alex’s eyes fluttered open and he yawned.
It took a few moments for him to take in his surroundings and smile at Izzie.
“Yay, we survived another flight, sis. You doing okay?” Reaching over, he ruffled her hair just as he did when they were younger.
He knew how much she hated to fly but there was no way he was going to spend six or so hours in a car with her, babbling on about nothing in particular when he could be home in less than two.
They were greeted at the terminal by a very officious airport representative who was only too happy to play bodyguard to the siblings.
After arranging for one of his underlings to collect any baggage for them, he guided them through the small crowd that had begun to gather in the main building.
It didn’t take long for people to find out his whereabouts, particularly once the airport’s resident press pack spotted him.
They were all too quick to point the cameras at him as they alerted the world’s press that he had arrived.
It didn’t help either that there was that much information about his background given out during interviews and stuff.
His most ardent fans knew where he lived, which restaurants he liked to eat in - they even knew his preferred brand of toothpaste! Anonymity was out of the question now.
Alex pulled Izzie in close to his body, keeping her cushioned between Mr Helpful and himself, trying to protect her from the less than polite paparazzi who were insistent on shoving the lenses in their faces, almost blinding the pair of them.
They scurried through the terminal, with their heads down and sunglasses on, to the waiting car.
It wasn’t until the last of the luggage had been loaded and the driver had pulled out onto the main road that he breathed a sigh of relief.
Leaving him to calm down, Izzie pulled out her mobile phone, dialling home.
Alex was vaguely aware of the conversation going on beside him but not wishing to take part in it, he busied himself with his own phone, checking emails and messages.
Scrolling through the texts, there were several from Ben, two from his management team and one from the florist confirming the delivery today.
He deleted them all except the last one.
He was on vacation now, and if it was urgent they would call his sister.
“Did anyone from that breakfast show call today?” he asked, trying to sound nonchalant but not sure he was succeeding. He glanced nervously at his sister as she scrolled back through the call history.
“Nope, why? Should they have? I wasn’t aware there was a follow up call due. Do you want me to chase it up before I switch this thing off for the night?” She scrutinised his face looking for any tell tale signs.
“Nah, it’s nothing important, just one of the guys said he would give me a ring, that’s all. Don’t worry about it. Turn it off.”
They had only been delivered today; perhaps she’d call tomorrow. Frowning, he turned his attention to the greenery that scrolled past his window, watching as everything blurred into one, mirroring his thoughts.
As the electric window lowered, the driver leant out to tap the security number into the gate before driving the last few feet up the leafy drive to his parents’ house.
Alex had bought the house for his parents after the huge success of their second album.
He felt he owed them a debt beyond anything he could ever repay but at least giving them financial security in the latter years of their lives eased his conscience somewhat.
At least his mum could open the curtains in this house.
She had taken to leaving them closed at the house he grew up in because the fans would camp outside daily, desperate to catch a glimpse of him going about his day.
They still gathered outside the new house but unless they were willing to climb the ten foot perimeter fence and do battle with the dogs there was little chance of them peering in the windows or posting crap through the letterbox.
Alex occupied the top floor of the old three storey Victorian house when he was at home.
His parents' house was one of three properties that he owned; the other two were purely for him, one situated in Notting Hill which he spent most of his working life at and the second in the Lake District giving him the bolt hole he needed from the chaos that normally engulfed him.
He knew which one he preferred; give him peace and quiet any day.
Opening the front door he could hear his brother’s kids in the sun room; they were laughing loudly at someone or something.
He chuckled at the sound of what he presumed was his father making duck voices emanating through the house.
It felt good to be home. They crept down the hallway together, barely able to sustain the laughter that was bubbling in their throats.
He stood in the doorway quietly watching his family together, taking in the normality of it all; this was what he missed more than anything.
Looking up, his sister-in-law saw them first. Alex touched his finger to his lips, signalling for her not to give the game away as he watched the children in awe of his father. Creeping surreptitiously into the room he knelt behind where his mother sat before whispering in her ear. “Hi, Mum.”
Jumping at the sound of his voice she swung her head around to take in the sight of her middle child smiling broadly at her. Taking his face in her hands she kissed him in greeting. “Oh, it’s good to see you! Look, Isla, Freddie, it’s your Uncle Alex!”
His niece grinned goofily at him whilst Freddie’s face crumpled into tears. He held out his arms for his father who was sat crossed legged on the carpet to scoop him up.
“It’s okay, baby. He isn’t as scary as he looks. He’s a big softie, promise.” Looking at his brother, Cameron could see the angst on his face. “Al, he doesn’t remember you. He just needs to get to know you.”
Moving around the sofa, he sat down next to his mother as Izzie settled on the floor, colouring with Isla, while his nephew continued to eyeball him nervously.
Taking his hand in hers, the ageing woman squeezed it tightly as she took in the full sight of her son.
“You look tired. How are you feeling? Isobel told me you’re struggling again. ”
Alex shot his sister a warning look; he hated that she’d told his parents. The last thing he wanted was for them to spend their time worrying about him.
“I’m fine. It’s nothing really. It passes once I get on stage. Anyway, never mind me, looks like these two are keeping you busy, Em!” He was desperate to steer the conversation away from him.
Sensing his unease, Cameron began regaling less than favourable tales of fatherhood to his relieved brother.
“Yeah, I hope you don’t think you’re getting a lie-in in the morning. We’ve been teaching Isla that she has to carry her brother into your room when they wake at six in the morning. That’s what uncles are for, isn’t it?” Emma smiled sheepishly at her more than famous brother-in-law.
“Bring it on! If I can handle thirty thousand screaming girls, I think these two should be a doddle.” Alex winked as he slid from the comfort of the sofa down onto the floor beside his niece.
“Can I see that? Wow, look at those pretty flowers. Did Auntie Iz draw those?” Isla smiled proudly as she shook her head.
“Whoa, you mean you did? They are beautiful.”
She handed the picture over for him to keep before she shifted positions, moving to sit between him and Izzie.
Handing Alex a crayon, she indicated that he should draw with her now.
It wasn’t until he was mid way through his trademark drawing of a house that he noticed Freddie had left the safety of his father’s arms and was now about to stick his previously sucked fingers in Alex’s ear.
Smiling down at him he began making duck voices at the little man.
Well, if it worked for his dad it may just help him win the chubby faced little boy over.
Lying in his bed early the next morning he drifted in and out of consciousness, his mind completely blank for the first time in ages.
The door slowly creaking open forced him to sit bolt upright.
Pulling the sheet up to cover himself he saw the small cherub like face peering in through the crack in the door. Emma hadn’t been joking.
“Hey, Isla. You wanna come in and watch TV with me?”
The little girl nodded before breaking into a run across the room and pulling herself up onto the bed. Alex lifted the covers, allowing her to settle in next to him, careful to make sure he tucked the sheet tightly around his naked lower half.
“Fred wake too,” she said innocently as he flicked through the channels trying to find something suitable for her to watch.
“Is he now? I should go get him then, right? Before he wakes your mummy, huh?” Isla offered no reaction, already lost to the family of pigs that were now dancing across the screen.
“Isla, stay there while I get Freddie, okay?” With everything now safely ensconced in yesterday’s jeans he made his way down the corridor to where his nephew was trying to climb out of his cot.
“Hey, little man. How do you fancy a breakfast date with me and Isla?”
Freddie held his arms up to allow Alex to lift him up. This was a definite improvement from the previous evening.
Returning to his room with his nephew clinging to his hip, he found his niece jumping up and down on his bed excitedly. “You wanna go find some food in Granny’s kitchen?”
The little girl slid off the bed, jogged over to Alex and slid her hand into his outstretched oversized one.
An hour later Cameron sauntered into the kitchen, taking in the sight of his brother making airplane noises as he spooned cereal into his son’s open mouth.
“We were joking, but thanks. Em really appreciated the extra hour in bed. He can do that himself. You don’t have to feed him if you don’t want to.”
Smiling, Alex continued to assist his nephew with his breakfast. “It’s fine. I’m kinda having fun actually, and Isla has been telling me lots of stories about her mum and dad too!” He winked at his niece signalling that he would keep their secrets to himself.
Laughing, Cameron dragged two cups from the stand. “Want one? I’ll just take one up for Em and then I’ll take these two monkeys off your hands.”
“No rush. We have plans to wake Granny and Papa next, don’t we, Isla?”
She nodded wildly, the glee evident in her eyes.
Cameron headed back out of the room laughing at the devilment in his brother’s voice.