Trying Not To Love You

Part Ninety Six

Chapter Ninety Six

An hour later Sonny turned up smiling, hand interlaced with Ethan’s, it was a treat for them both that Sonny collected him from school, and their beaming faces were a great reward.

                “MUM! We’ve got a school trip...look!”

Ethan ran up to her waving a letter which she quickly gleaned was about a trip to a wild bird sanctuary the following week.

                “Some mothers can come with us. Do you want to come?”

She looked down at his happy face, “do you want me to come?”

He then shrugged in a ‘too cool for school’ kind of way, “if you want...can I watch Ben 10 before dinner?”

Martha nodded, hating that her smile was still sad.

                “What’s happened?” Sonny stalked across the room then paused with his hands on her shoulders kneading them in a supportive and calming way. She closed her eyes and relaxed into him, his body cradling her spine as she leaned against him.

                “Tried to tell Lucy, she stormed off. Called me all sorts...do I interfere?”

He turned her in his arms and she hated that tears welled in her eyes, “you want to do right for everyone, cooking, cleaning, mothering, this is just another part of that. She doesn’t moan about the fridge being full, dinner being on the table, or you making this place into a home for her...you haven’t got a malicious bone in your body. I know that, and I guarantee that SHE knows that too!” He pulled her close, “she’ll realise that, it must be a terrible shock to her.”

His lips found hers, and she immediately felt the tingle in her toes, the thrill in her heart, and the voice of Ethan caused them to pull apart.

                “Well that cheered me up.”

He grinned, “good. It doesn’t take things away, but if it makes you feel better...” he lowered his head to whisper in her ear, “to know what will be coming when we’re alone, then that’s a winner.”

They’d had dinner and Sonny read a bedtime story to Ethan before he was needed back in the pub. He hated leaving Martha when she was this low, but he had no choice, he had to work, and she knew that. When they were living above the pub it would be easier, he could be up and down more often, she could come down and sit with him on quiet nights and when Ethan was in bed. Then he could be more supportive to her, because for as long as she needed him to be her strength, the less time he had to think about his own shit. And that wasn’t a great place for him mentally.

He loved the pub, it wasn’t like working, he met people, kept abreast of so many things, and felt that he was becoming part of the village the longer that he stayed there. And thankfully it was still as busy as it always had been, the contempt that so many had for him for his first six months in the area seemed to have faded, and that was due to the acceptance of the Sullivan’s he knew that. No one knew much about him, and very few knew that he was the long lost son of Michael Oldbury, but then Michael was very private, and he rarely set foot in the building. That suited Sonny, particularly at the moment.

He couldn’t think back to the seven weeks he spent in that flat with Jade, and the conversation he overheard. Martha was convinced that he was over reacting, reading more into things, but he had gone with his gut instinct, and his so called father discussing the lies that Jade had told so calmly meant he believed that there was more to it than met the eye. Because your gut instinct has been so reliable the last few months, he questioned himself. Listening to others, giving in to ‘do the right thing’ about Martha, then believing Jade, choosing to be with her, and Michael.