An unlikely friendship

part 15

Just a couple of short weeks later,Dec found himself sat in the passenger seat of Ant's car on the long drive up the A1 motorway towards Newcastle.

To say that he was nervous was an understatement and he was unusually quiet on the journey up.

"Alright there Dec?" Ant asked,noting Dec's silence.

"Yeah" Dec nodded,as he continued to watch the countryside pass by from the window.

"Getting a bit warmer now isn't it?" Ant smiled "spring is in the air"

"Thank God" Dec mumbled.

"Listen Dec" Ant said gently "I know you're worried about today,which is totally understandable,but try not to overthink it eh?You won't be doing yourself any favours"

"I'm bloody terrified" Dec suddenly blurted out "come with me"

"What?" Ant asked surprised.

"Come with me" Dec repeated "to see me Mam and whoever else might be there...please"

"Dec" Ant sighed "you know I can't do that?"

"Why not?" Dec pleaded.

"Because it's inappropriate" Ant replied "you're seeing your family for the first time in God knows how long and I'm a complete stranger to them,they won't want me there,sorry Dec,but this is something you'll have to do by yourself"

Dec stayed quiet,he knew Ant was right,but that didn't make it any easier.

"But I'll be there ready and waiting if you need me afterwards" Ant smiled.

He had booked them both into a local hotel,separate,but adjoining rooms,in case Dec preferred to be alone after what would no doubt be an emotional occasion,no matter how it turned out.

Dec was actually wishing Ant would drive slower,not wanting the time to arrive where he would come face to face with his family after everything that had happened.

"Shall we stop for something to eat?" Dec suggested "there's a service station a couple of miles ahead"

"Do we have to?" Ant frowned "we left early to avoid the worst of the traffic and to get there at a reasonable time"

"I'm hungry though" Dec shrugged.

Ant knew that that was probably just an excuse for Dec to put off the inevitable just a little bit longer,but he also knew he'd probably feel exactly the same in his position and it wasn't in his nature to be unnecessarily harsh anyway.

"Ok" he smiled "but not for too long ok?"

"Ok" Dec agreed,happy with the outcome.

Dec was a little bit more chatty as he sat down to his steak and kidney pie and chips.

"Bloody delicious" Dec grinned,wiping a dribble of gravy from his chin with a napkin.

"Don't know how you can eat such a heavy meal so early in the day?" Ant laughed.

"Well,as you made me get up so ridiculously early" Dec quipped "it feels like dinner time anyway"

"Fair point" Ant grinned as he tucked into his much lighter meal of scrambled egg on one slice of toast.

"How are your nerves holding up?" Ant asked.

"Pretty much the same" Dec replied "dreading it"

"You're looking at it from the wrong angle" Ant pointed out.

"What do you mean?" Dec asked.

"Well" Ant smiled,as he took a sip of coffee "why exactly are you dreading it?"