Chapter Twelve #2
Maddie laughed at the dramatic way he said it, but concurred.
She released his wrists from where she was holding them beside his head and climbed off him, taking a moment to straighten her topknot and correct the positioning of her jumper.
She knew she was flustered. James was, too.
They needed a few moments to settle down before they went downstairs for lunch, so they stood side by side before the window, watching Pip play with Benjamin, Pigglesworth and Stevie in the garden.
Pip and Benjamin were taking it in turns to throw the ball across the lawn for Stevie and Pigglesworth to chase.
Stevie won every time, of course, but that didn’t stop Pigglesworth from chasing it with gusto.
Maddie smiled at the scene, so unusual in theory, but so normal to them now because it was part of their every day.
She hadn’t had much time to spend with Pigglesworth personally, but James and her mum and dad loved him implicitly, and between them they were taking very good care of him.
He was growing at a rapid rate and was almost certainly going to be a very large pig.
His snout was long and his snorts were loud.
His ears were also particularly humorous, as they appeared much too big for his head.
He was curious and friendly, a real joy to be around.
He was also undeniably spoiled. They’d tried him out with several brands of special food to determine which he liked best and they absolutely hated locking him away in his pen.
He now had almost as many toys and boredom busters as Benjamin.
Maddie watched him chasing Stevie and, though she couldn’t hear him from where she was sitting, she knew he was squawking excitedly.
She smiled. Pigglesworth was a very loved and very lucky pig.
“Pigs are so cool,” James said. “They’re just like dogs, really, aren’t they?”
Maddie nodded and didn’t say anything, because watching safe and happy farm animals always made her sad for the ones that weren’t saved. She thought she might cry.
“His friends are all long gone now,” James said, his voice laden with regret.
“I can’t believe I ever ate them.” He shook his head.
Taking a deep breath he turned to her. “Shall we go and get some lunch?” He held out his hand for her to take.
Maddie grinned, slid her hand into his, and followed him downstairs.
They took their time strolling through the house, prolonging their physical display of affection for as long as possible.
They were careful, checking the corridors were empty before they rounded any corners.
James’ method of checking grew more and more pronounced as they got closer to the kitchen.
He was riding off her giggles, she knew that.
It was obvious he very much enjoyed making her laugh.
They broke apart as they entered the kitchen. Everyone was there, including Pip and Benjamin, who were sporting very red, wintry cheeks.
“Hey guys,” Bluebell said. “You’re looking very ‘chalant’, today, what have you been up to?”
Maddie saw Autumn stifle a laugh and had to stop herself from laughing herself, especially when she turned and saw confusion written across James’ features.
He caught her eye. Suddenly, he was blushing.
He knew she’d told her sister and friend about their fun yesterday.
Maddie felt a little guilty for that, though didn’t think he’d mind.
He knew Maddie’s relationship with the two women was special — that they were her biggest cheerleaders — and that Maddie told them everything because she could guarantee they wanted only what was best for her and would give her sound advice.
She had told him this many times through various anecdotes.
This was the biggest thing that had happened to her in ages, so prevailing common sense would have her telling the women closest to her about her recent sexual adventures.
She reassured herself, and then she faltered and started to worry, but just as she started to doubt herself, James caught her eye and winked.
His cheeks were still tinged with pink, but his gesture was a definite wordless communication.
He was fine, and he wanted her to know it.
“Falafel and hummus bagel?” Marley asked, nodding to the stack of food in the middle of the table.
“Yes, please,” James said, sitting beside Emma.
Maddie chose the seat right next to him, convinced she’d arouse suspicion if she made a point of sitting elsewhere.
James plated her up a bagel before helping himself to one, and they joined her family in comfortable, satiating silence.
Maddie amused herself by glancing around the table, basking in the joy of having everyone she loved in one room.
“We have some news about Benjamin.” Autumn interrupted her reverie. The entire table snapped to attention. Autumn hurried to calm them. “Jeez, calm down, it’s nothing bad.”
“Don’t do that to us,” Bluebell said, grabbing a second bagel.
“And here I was thinking we were about ready to move past this catastrophising,” Marley said, pointedly.
“You’re right, son,” Emma said. “Go on, Autumn.”
She nodded, side-eyed Marley, then sighed in what appeared to be a preparatory manner. “We have decided to let Benjamin audition for that part in Peter Ross’s play.” Everyone was silent and still except for Bluebell, who put down her bagel and stared at her brother.
“Don’t catastrophise!” Marley warned her, gesturing to Benjamin.
“I won’t say it aloud, but only because I don’t need to tell you what I think about this,” she said.
“No, you don’t,” Marley said. “Not only because I already know, but also because you’re not Benjamin’s parent.”
His words were not tossed directly at Maddie, but they stung anyway because she knew they were for her as much as they were for everyone else at the table.
Still, regardless of her feelings on the matter, Marley was right.
They were not Benjamin’s parents, and Maddie couldn’t say she was surprised Autumn and Marley had come to a point where they were fundamentally rejecting their family’s input.
Her parents and siblings were constantly offering suggestions on how Autumn and Marley should raise Benjamin, how they should discipline him, how they should foster his passions.
To be honest, Maddie thought they had been incredibly tolerant.
This was bound to happen eventually. Bluebell was typically less understanding, especially when it came to this particular topic, so Maddie braced herself for an argument, but, to her surprise, her sister looked only mildly upset by the comment.
Bluebell recoiled, then softened, then nodded her head.
Autumn continued. “I wasn’t overly keen on the idea myself, but we have a plan. Marley is going to give up work.”
Emma gasped. She stared across the table at her son, her displeasure plain to see.
Maddie saw her father reach to squeeze Emma’s leg and knew he was warning her not to overreact.
Maddie smiled at that. Emma loved her children and wanted what was best for them, but she also often thought she was right when she wasn’t.
Maddie’s father was the only one who could talk any sense into her and, right now, he was curbing her response.
Such loving gestures and wordless communications were so rehearsed they were like a dance they’d done many times — lacklustre and predictable.
Marley threw his father a grateful nod, then turned his attention back to his mother, fixing his gaze on hers as though daring her.
“You love work,” she tried.
“I love Benjamin more,” Marley countered.
“Autumn is worried because she doesn’t want Benjamin being chaperoned by strangers, which I think is absolutely fair enough, given what she’s been through and what happened to Bluebell.
I don’t think I’d be comfortable with that either, to be honest. But Benjamin really wants to do it, don’t you, son?
” Benjamin took a huge bite of falafel and nodded.
Marley smiled and refocused on the adults at the table.
“It’s not feasible for Autumn to give up work, she’s the breadwinner.
She also really loves her job. She’s never going to be comfortable letting him chase his dreams unless one of us is there with him, and it makes sense that it would be me.
I know you’re not going to like it, but we’ve talked about it at length as a family and this is what we’ve decided is best for the three of us.
Yes, I love my job. I’d do it for ever if I could, but I’m not going to do it if what is best for these two is something else.
They mean more to me than anything else in the world. So, please, try to understand.”