Tender (A britpop era fiction)

Waterloo Sunset

Words can not even begin to describe how much the performance in that video means to me. So it was inevitable I'd include it at one point.

Shoutout to @lucixncarr and @OnlyEarlGreyTea4 for their creative suggestions, I was very amused by it.

As always, lots of love & stay safe & sound you nice and pretty folk,

Sally, x.

It's strange to watch Matt sitting on our table between Dylan and Paul on the chair that's normally Missys place. Damon wasn't to pleased about the unexpected dinner guest when he came in, but he kept his silence. Better so. We haven't talked that much all evening long, communicating mainly through asking the kids questions that we both know were meant for each other. Dan asked me if I can come home with him tomorrow after school, is that alright - ask your dad if it's aright. Look dad, what I made in arts today - it's pretty, show it to your mum.

I glance at him from time to time and feel Damons eyes on me whenever I look away. The rare moments we catch each other, a crooked smile appears on his lips. There's no anger in his expression anymore and I hope to God that later, when our guest is gone and the kids are in bed, we finally have the guts to talk to each other. It's been ages since we've been cross for so long and I've almost forgotten the fundamental unease it causes inside of me. It's not our way. When we fight, we fight. Ignoring each other has always been the last straw, the sign that something's very, very wrong. This punishment by silence is the worst way to hurt each other.

I'm glad the kids don't seem to notice. Except for Dylan, who's carefully watching us from the side, they are their usual selfs, Alika and Finan all curious about our guest, asking him a ton of questions and Paul as mistrusting as always. Dylan wasn't very happy to see the man sitting on our table at first that has interviewed me for the last weeks. But her reserved politeness from the beginning of the evening has melted away quickly.

Matt makes it easy for her, I have to admit. He's charming and engaging, the ideal guest and as he sits next to Dylan, they got into conversation very easily. I watch them as they talk about their favourite movies and looking over to Damon, I'm apparently not the only one noticing how well they get along. I'm glad to see it. Since she was in the papers so much, Dylan's been a bit lonely, a lot of friends have mocked her or turned her back on her. So it's nice to see her engaging with someone.

Our guest, at first being almost awestruck in front of Damon and cautious in the new environment, he's now talking with the twins and joking with them and I can feel both their hearts flying towards him, especially Alikas, who insists he has to play Settlers of Catan with us later.

"Will you be in my team?" she asks Matt directly.

"If you want me to, of course I will" Matt answers and throws her a warm smile. Dylan next to him grins, clearly thinking about the trouble he has no idea he's bringing upon himself.

"Hey!" Finan protests. "I want to be in his team too!"

"I asked first!"

"You pushed to the front as always!"

"Not my fault you're too slow!"

"Mum!"

"Alright, alright" I chuckle and reach my hands out to pet both their heads, as I sit between them. "If you ask Matt very politely and if you promise me to behave yourself and he's okay with it, you can maybe both play in his team."

Finan leans into my touch and smiles up to me with his innocent smile, presenting the gap where his nipper fell out last week.

"I promise" he says solemnly.