A Time to Love

Chapter 16

          'Sarah' Zander ignored the fallen tests and Lucy's sullen face as he raced after Sarah.

'Wait' he shouted after her, stumbling as he ran and steadying himself by grabbing her wrist.

'Babe please' he pleaded, panting between breaths.

'No' Sarah screamed and yanked her wrist free. 'I told you everything, things I never even dared tell Lucy about. Things about my dad' tears were streaming down her face and if she'd stood on the spot much longer, her tears would have created a river. 'I trusted you and you betrayed everything.'

'I know' Zander struggled through his breathlessness as he jogged to keep up with Sarah's angry pace. 'I've been a stupid idiot and I'm really sorry, please, let me make it up to you.' His own eyes were red and swollen from his tear stains.

'Lucy means nothing to me, it was just a moment of madness' he jumped in front of her, walking backwards as he insisted 'just a drunken moment of madness.'

Sarah pushed him aside and he fell backwards to the ground as she did but quickly climbed to his feet again and brushed his hands off his clothes. 'If she means so little to you and it was "a moment of madness"' she air quoted his words 'then why didn't you tell me about it?'

She had stopped marching and looked at him with a hint of concern about his injured and bleeding hand in her eyes. When Zander stared at his feet and couldn't find an answer to her question, she told him 'We're through.'

The door rattled against the wall as Sarah charged into the house. 'Hello love' her mother calmly said as she exited the living room, trying to fake her curiosity over her daughter's violent entry 'you're home early'

Sarah just mumbled an 'mmhm' and sniffled as she protected her soggy eyes from being discovered. 'Did you have a good time last night?' her mother's question was again answered with the same response. 'How was Zander?'

This time, her response was to roar and sob loudly but even as she buried her head in her hands, the sound couldn't be stifled.

'Oh dear. What's happened?' Debbie asked as she yanked her daughter against her chest while Sarah saturated her shoulders.

'It's Zander and I. We broke up.'

***

Zander had kept the curtains drawn all day so the house was dull as he curled himself up on the couch and ignored the urgent hammering on the front door.

'Zander, it's me. Let me in.' Amanda, his sister called from outside, even knocking on the window as she tried to peer through the tiny gap between the curtains.

He pulled his hood over his head, averting his eyes and ears from her presence but it was to no avail as the key turned in the lock and she pushed the door open.

'Up!' she demanded as she allowed the door to slam behind her and grabbed his arm so that she was dragging him off the couch and yanking his hood down. 'Look at the state of you' she hissed 'what kind of father would you make?' she threw the curtains apart, forcing her brother to turn his head away and avert his eyes from the intruding sunlight.

'You know?' he asked as his eyes began to adjust to the new light.

'Well I wasn't just passing. What are you going to do about it?'

Zander sat back down and lay his arms on his legs, resting his head between them 'I don't know' he shook his head to emphasise. 'Sarah's shut me out and Lucy has the wrong idea about us.'

'Zan, they're both having your baby. You can't just leave them to it.' Amanda sat down beside him and wrapped her arm around his shoulder, pulling him against her so that his head rested against her chest. She stroked his hair soothingly.

'What do you want to do?' she asked again, this time, taking hold of is chin and forcing his head towards her. She dried away a solitary tear as it slowly made its way down his cheek.

'You have to do what you think is right by you.'

His sisters words echoed around his mind even after she had long since left and that was why he had come to be standing on Lucy's doorstep the next morning.

'You've got some nerve showing up here after your behaviour' Lucy's mother whined venomously as she opened the door to him.

Marina Lawson was a short, stout woman of about forty years old. Her short brown hair rested on her shoulders and her dark eyes pierced through him as she folded her arms across her chest and leaned against the door frame, supporting herself without the walking stick that she had required for six months after a knee replacement.

'I know what you must think of me Mrs Lawson and I deserve it.'

'It's Ms Lawson' she snapped 'I'm divorced' she looked Zander up and down as though it was his fault that her marriage had ended.

'I see' Zander said, continuing after a short silence 'can I speak to Lucy?'

'No' was her sharp response and it came before he had even finished what he had to say 'Lucy doesn't want to see you.'

'It's fine mum' Lucy's voice came from behind her, at the top of the stairs 'Let him in. We need to discuss things.'

Marina stepped aside with reluctance and fixed her eyes on Zander as he followed Lucy upstairs

'I'm so glad you're here' she cried and threw her arms around him as he closed the behind them.

'Well I had to, Sarah won't answer any of my messages or return my calls. Have you heard from her?'

'Like she'd call me' Lucy sighed and threw herself on the bed.

Zander watched as she rested her hand on her belly and he stumbled against the chest of drawers when she looked at him as she ran her hand up and down her still flat stomach.

'Did you just come here to talk about Sarah or was there something else?' she sat up straight when he pushed himself off the chairs he had fallen against.

Lucy tapped the space on the bed beside her, invitingly and when Zander hesitated, she snapped 'For god sake Zan, I'm not going to rip your pants off again.'

'Well' he took a few steps forward and slowly lowered himself on to the bed 'I suppose we need to talk about what happens next.'