SHORT SHORTS by Tonig73

A Few More Moments, Day 3 ...

All the usuals .... 

Day 3, Sunday 10th July

Another late start, not even - ish -, late.  The usual gathering in reception, much needed coffee, but more needed, the recap and thoughts and feelings from last night.  Angela and her Larry hug, she still couldn't believe it.  Lau paying close attention to my tattoos, who'd have thunk he would have remembered.  Lisa's paintings, and their reaction to them, especially Laurent's.  Lisa is a Laurent girl, and I would have been so proud and excited to have received that reaction as I'm sure she was.  She is always so sweet and polite with them.  

We remembered the restaurant where we had lunch yesterday did a Sunday Brunch today, so off we went.  Never seen so much yummy food in my life in so small a space for so few people.  It was amazing.  We sat, enjoying the day, the warmth, the food and especially the company.  The Parisian ambiance, the atmosphere.  Lisa, Muriel and I went for a walk, and found my dream apartment, on the top floor of a traditional Hausmann, French windows thrown open to a balcony, beside a park, the sound of happy children filling the air.  Paris is always shown and seen as a cliche', this being the cliche', but they're cliche's for a reason.  Paris really is like that.  I want to spend a couple of months over the winter here.  Who knows.

Back to the hotel, a nap again, change, then the short walk to the studio.  We're all a little subdued as we walk, almost melancholy, it's the last day.  The last workshop, then who knows when we would see our men again.   We knew we wouldn't leave without the selfie, the hug and the short few words, we knew that, so why were we so sad, so greedy for more.  

Larry's fro was out in full force tonight, when he let it down, Oh my ... nope, I promised I wouldn't take the Auntie's name in vain anymore.  What a fro, a Lau, lion's mane of a fro, it was magnificent.  The usual brotherly bantering we had come to expect, and small argument about Larry wearing Lau's T shirt and stretching it out of shape, as he smirked, pulling it, stretching it out of shape.  I had got some really good photos today, I knew.  As they were about half way through their routine, both talking to their groups, the door opened, and Larry turned to see who it was.

Suddenly, he was shrieking, yes, no other word could describe the noise that left his being, and once Lau caught on, he was charging the door yelling at the top of his lungs too.  They both arrived at the door, scooping Lilo up in their arms simultaneously.  I can't even describe that moment, but I'll try.  It's making the tears well up just thinking about it.  

I'd had a rather terse conversation with someone on line, in one of those stupid, asinine gossip pages which I shouldn't even waste my time looking at, but I do for some reason.  Usually to laugh at them, but there are actually some voices of reason on there too.  Anyhoo, this upstart who knew nothing, had said that Larry no longer saw his daughter, that they were estranged, that Lilo hated her dad, that's why we hadn't seen her for the longest time. Lylah .. blah, blah, blah ... Reggie, blah, blah blah.  

What I saw, what we all saw, was a father and his twin brother, loving on their little Princess so hard she could hardly breathe.  They picked her up between them, and rocked her for a good while.  Together.  Friends and family greeted Lylah warmly and with affection.  But you could feel that moment.  I felt privileged to even be witnessing it, such a private, intimate moment between father and daughter, but Larry obviously didn't pay any mind.  He was also so obviously happy for Laurent to share that moment too.  He hugged his niece to him, just as Larry had held his daughter.  Lisa was right there in front of them as it happened, but I'm not sure if she filmed it, I don't think she did.  I remember seeing her phone at her side for most of the time.  Larry brought his baby, as he called her, to his side of the room, so she could be near him.  So he could be near her.