Let Them Eat Cake !

Moving In, Moving On!

A knock and a voice broke through their slumbers, a cheery light musical voice sang out slightly muffled through the door.

"Helloooooo anyone conscious in there?".

Sashas bubbly voice and continued knocking pulled them out of their sleep, "hmmmmm, it's morning Steve wakey wakey", mumbled Nick.

Steve stirred stretched and cursed as pins and needles rushed through his injured arm, "damn thing", he muttered waving it around as best he could, clenching and unclenching his fingers to get the blood flow going again.

"Yeah, we're awake", shouted Nick hearing Sashas infectious giggle from outside, "I won't come in, don't want to ahem..... disturb, I'm putting the kettle on and I bought jaffa cakes ".

Tumbling out of bed the pair headed to the shower, Steve again being fussed over by Nick as he held his arm away from the water flow, he couldn't wait to get that damn cast off, only a few more days and he would be free.

Nick had closed the shop for a week because there'd been so much going on with Steves accident, the wedding, then Steves showdown with his mother, he felt a break was appropriate.

Throwing on clean underwear, jeans and a grey t-shirt Nick helped Steve to dress.
As he fastened the mans jeans he realised that this was something he wanted to do every day, not fastening jeans, but having the honey haired man there for him to fuss over, to snuggle up with at night, to share showers with.

Steves voice broke through his thoughts, "Nick..... last night........", Nick raised his head looking straight into those eyes, "last night was.....perfect!" his good hand came up and caressed the others cheek "just perfect!".

As the tattooed man leaned in to the warm palm he covered Steves hand with his own and grasped the fingers of the mans injured arm, "Steve........ move in with me?!".

Sauntering into the shop, they could hear Sashas light humming as she concentrated on the stock take, counting and noting down each item.
Back to her jeans, t-shirt and messy bun she looked radiant.

Two steaming mugs of fresh coffee sat on the counter, taking them, Steve and Nick sipped carefully, grateful for the hot liquid that soothed their dry throats.

Tucking her pen behind her ear the girl turned round, "Morning you two", she chirped, as they waved a greeting she peered at them both curiously.

"There's something different about you two this morning, but I can't quite put my finger on it", she mused "you've got a kind of..... glow, that's it, a glow!".
The lovers grinned, casting a shy glance at each other then back at Sasha, the girls eyes widening as a sudden realisation smacked her in the face, "you, you two, you did....it?!", she whisper yelled, her face breaking into a beaming grin.

"Sash, really?".

Nick was embarrassed at his honorary sisters directness.

Steve just laughed, "uh-huh, and I'm moving in too!".

Sashas face was a picture, "ooooooh I'm so happy for you both, give me a hug".
Setting down their mugs they settled into a huddle with Sasha lost somewhere in the middle, her shorter slim frame engulfed between the tall broad men.

"What do you say I nip to the bakery and buy us all a celebration breakfast?", she was out the door and half way up the street before the men could respond, watching the whirlwind that was Sasha skip out the door they shook their heads and huffed an amused sigh.

****

Corinne Bailey turned the key in the lock, closing the door on her former life forever, the SOLD sign waving in the afternoon breeze.
Handing the key to the agent she turned and got into the taxi, sparing not even a glance back at her former matrimonial home, pulling away the taxi followed the movers lorry away from the house and out onto the road.

The woman sat in silent contemplation as the taxi bounced over the potholes of the country road on its way to her new small house in a nearby village.

Her 'friends' that she was so worried about being disgusted at her gay black sheep son were actually more disgusted by her actions at the wedding, having heard about the scene with the waitress and Steve and Nick, from various sources, word had travelled through the ladies lunch group rapidly, she'd been in effect 'black balled'.

What she didn't know was that Linda was also friends with some of the women in said group, through her gardening club, she knew that news of her actions would get back to her once great friend.

She'd treated Linda badly, she knew that, how she wished she could go back and change the past, but she also knew that it was just too late.

Her life had gone from society bitch to friendless lonely woman in less than a month.
She felt sorry for herself sure she did, but not as sorry as she felt about losing everyone, everyone she'd once cared about before pride and arrogance had taken over.

The anger in Steves eyes as he defended Nick at the wedding, the cast on his arm telling the story of the accident she hadn't cared about, because she felt it was totally his fault, riding that filthy motorcycle.

The love she'd seen between Chloe and Zak as they said their vows and between her son and his man swaying on the dance floor peacefully wrapped in each others arms.

Even the kind weary face of her ex husband, the result of years of her constant nagging and verbal put downs, still smiling widely and lovingly at his children and their partners and his new lady friend.

Watching through the window, standing outside the hotel not daring to go back in she'd cried, she could never go in and face the further wrath of her only son, her family were lost and she only had herself to blame.

Everyone was moving on without her and that hurt.