Chapter Forty-four
‘Mum!’ Sam wriggled himself off the bed and gingerly out of Alex’s arms. Alex gulped as he watched Sylvie scoop Sam up and cover his head, neck and shoulders with kisses, being careful not to bang his arm.
Sam, for once, didn’t squirm but nestled in for a second, only bringing his head back so he could look at her face as he told her his super-exciting news.
‘I flew, Mum, I flew. And then the doctors said I was very brave, which I was but Alex says I’m never to do it again. It wasn’t Alex’s fault, he was making the… oh, never mind. But I flew like a bird.’
Alex got off the bed and moved forward towards Sylvie.
He wanted this bit done as quickly as possible.
He knew she was, rightfully, going to be livid at him and was surprised that her face didn’t match her hair yet.
But then she was the perfect mother and would keep it together in front of Sam and Ellie, and probably just flay him alive and feed him to bees when there were no children around to witness it.
He couldn’t even begin to imagine the depth of rage she must feel; if it had been Ellie who nearly died he wouldn’t be as composed as she seemed now.
Yet she hadn’t flicked him an angry look, not once – and she normally did that pretty speedily for even the smallest offence.
Last time he put too much sugar in her coffee she looked as if he had stamped on kittens.
‘He’s OK, Sylvie.’ Alex looked her directly in the eye as he spoke.
‘The doctors have given him the all-clear, and we’re just waiting on a final check before discharge.
They wanted to monitor him for concussion but he’s shown no signs so far and obviously I’ve said we’ll – you’ll – monitor him this evening.
It’s quite remarkable that he hasn’t broken anything although they say he’ll probably ache for a few days, but just keep him topped up on basic painkillers.
’ He glanced at her as she checked Sam over herself, gently touching and patting him down.
Still no apparent killer fury. ‘I cannot begin to tell you how sorry I am. I can’t believe this happened.
You have no idea… Never mind, that’s not important.
The main thing is he’s OK and you’re here.
I’m going to chop that tree down as soon as we get home. I did try and call but…’
‘I know, my phone was switched off. I shall never be doing that again, I promise. You must have been beside yourself when you couldn’t get hold of me. Please don’t chop the tree down…’
‘No, don’t. We love the tree,’ Ellie pitched in as Sam added, ‘It wasn’t the tree’s fault.’ Both of them giving Alex their very biggest pleading eyes.
‘Look, from what I can understand you have nothing to be sorry for. He’s fine.
Look at him, he’s fine. He thinks he’s a hero so that’s going to need to be addressed…
’ at this point she shot Sam a faux-angry brow furrow that looked identical to his real-angry one, ‘and you did your best to get hold of me and then chose to not leave his side until I got here. I’d much rather that than you keep leaving him here alone to try and get hold of me.
And besides, you put Marion on the case.
You knew she’d get to me. I have nothing to be cross at you for.
Accidents happen. And now that this one has, Sam is going to promise me no more tree climbing unless we say it’s OK first.’
This couldn’t be right. She was still smiling at him. Not an I’m-smiling-now-but-I’m-going-to-kill-you-later smile but a real I’m-smiling-with-my-mouth-and-my eyes-because-I-mean-it smile.
He smiled back and she smiled wider, with Sam still tucked under her arm.
‘I’m glad you’re not cross with Daddy. He thought you might be. He didn’t say that but I think he thought it. I know my daddy and I have never seen him scared of anything before. But today he turned green.’
‘Did he?’ Sam said. ‘Green like the Hulk? I didn’t see – can you turn green again? Mum, scare him, go on, see if he can do it again.’
‘No, silly,’ Ellie giggled, ‘he didn’t turn green ’cause he was scared of your mum, he turned green ’cause he was scared when you didn’t move.’
‘But I did move, I flew.’
‘You fell and then you were very still. Like, very still. I cried and I never cry. Do I, Dad? I never cry. We were all scared but look, Sylvie, he’s OK now.
And it wasn’t Daddy’s fault, it was Mrs Marksharp’s.
She was meant to be looking after us whilst Daddy made the… um… Anyway, it was her fault.’
‘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 Williams kind 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 any harm 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.
But only if you can do it very calmly, Samuel Williams.’
‘Are you sure? Don’t let the naughty little toads pressure you. It was just a fun little thing.’
‘I love fun little things.’ As she took her focus off the children and concentrated it all on him, he felt his heart beat faster and he tried to take a deep breath while at the same time hiding the fact that he was doing so.
But she just fixed him with that all-knowing look and slightly smirk-smiled, blinking slowly as the smile crept across her face.
‘I know you.’
Her words were slow and deliberate. Did they contain a hidden subtext?
Or was he just so besotted that he hoped they did?
He paused, unsure of himself, and therefore not knowing which words he was supposed to say in return.
I know you carried so much weight. Was this a flippant I know you?
A my-soul-sees-your-soul know you? An I’m-so-happy-our-kids-get-along-but-otherwise-I-wouldn’t-want-to-know-you know you?
‘I know you,’ Sylvie repeated, ‘and whatever you have cooked up between the lot of you, it’s going to be pretty awesome, and if it’s important to these two toe-rags that they do it, then so be it.
As long as you all promise that it’s gentle and not going to make Sam do loads of stuff.
I still want him to take it easy tonight, no running about. If that’s OK, then let’s do this!’
‘Sure? I’ll have to ring Marion.’
‘Yes, sure. Then you can tell her that Sam’s OK. Actually, do either of us have a car here? Nope, we’re going to have to ring Andy’s Cabs.’
‘Is there no bus service?’
‘Seriously, you’ve been living here for months now and have you ever seen a bus past five o’clock other than the college bus?’
‘Yeah, good point, but I also know Andy’s Cabs seems to use the Smuggler’s Curse as his base from six on in the evening, so he might not be a good idea?’
‘Oh, bloody hell, I thought he had stopped that.’
‘Marion?’
‘Letting her come over to yours to do this surprise thing is enough. We’ve all been in the hospital once today as it is – have you seen the way she drives? Rosy claims to still be having nightmares.’
‘Fair point. Right then, I guess you’re going to have to ring Tom?’
‘OK, on it.’ She pulled out her phone to call her uncle, and grinned at the people in front of her, resolute in her determination to grab the moment.