Game Of Bliss

(28)

"It's up to you, Mal," Florence says, "if you don't want a relationship with him that's fine, it's a big change, and if you do that's also okay, everyone will welcome him."

"I just... I don't know," Mal sighs, "okay he's my brother, but I don't know him. And if I get to know him, what if I don't like him, what if he doesn't like me. What if it just goes tits up? There's no point putting everyone through that. But it also might not be like that, he could be amazing. I either find out or I don't... and I don't know if I want to find out. I'm just so unsure, it's stressing me out, I've never not been able to make a decision before. I've always been so sure about everything I've done."

"Mal, slow down, hun," Florence replies, placing her hands on his shoulders, "you don't have to decide today, not even tomorrow."

"Isn't that unfair to him? Making him wait?" Malachi asks.

"Sometimes you need to think about yourself, prioritise yourself," Florence says, "I can also tell there's something else on your mind, I know you've made the decision, I know what you want, but something is holding you back, what?"

"I feel like I'd be replacing Betts," Malachi admits, "she's the one that stayed with me, the one I grew up with, and now she's gone and suddenly a new sibling has sprouted. I'm scared if I get attached to Eldon in anyway that I'll forget about Betty, and I can't do that. I won't let her be forgotten."

"Of course you won't," Florence says, "I don't think Eldon is trying to replace Betty, and I don't think he'll ever want to be a replacement for her. He won't want her to be forgotten. As much as he doesn't know her, she is his sister too."

"You think I should go for it? With Eldon?" Malachi questions.

"If you don't want to, you do not have to," Florence replies, "but I think we both know you'd regret it if you don't even try."

"Are you upset I never told you I had another sibling?" Malachi asks, and she shakes her head, "no, he wasn't present in your life, you had no idea he'd pop over after almost two decades."

"You're upset about something though," Malachi states, "something you weren't upset about before Eldon came."

Florence sighs, "I just... I never knew your mum was a drug addict. I'm not upset with you, I'm upset with myself. Going to Betty's grave high, almost dying from being in a drug den... it can't have been nice for you to see it happening again, I'm sorry."

"We're past that, Flo," Malachi says, "yes, it was a bit daunting watching someone I care for go through the same thing, almost as if it was a re-enactment. But you pushed through. You're not like her. You didn't abandon your kids to go floating between crack houses, you didn't try and force your kids to inject heroin into you. Don't compare my experience with her, and my experience with you. It's not fair to either of us."

Malachi rests his hands on her waist, "don't give me those eyes, Flo. I don't need pitying. I'm glad she left, made mine and Betty's life a whole lot easier. I know you're hating yourself right now, but I'm telling you not to. There's nothing to hate yourself for. You didn't know. You stopped yourself. Please don't start feeling bad for me or yourself, it'll get us absolutely nowhere."

-

"You here to make a bet?" John asks Eldon, who shakes his head, "no, I don't gamble."

"Then what are you doing in here?" John replies.

"Malachi told me he and Florence were meeting me here, wrote it down for me and everything," Eldon states, unfolding the note in his hands, and passing it to John.

"Malachi and Florence?" John repeats, "how do you know them?"

"I-um, I can't tell you that, I don't know whether Malachi would want me too," Eldon replies.

"You're related to him, right?" John says, "you look like an older, scruffier version of him. And if I wasn't looking at your face as you were talking I'd think it was him. How do you know Florence?"

"John, stop giving him the third degree," Florence interrupts.

"Florence-hi," Eldon greets, with a slight tone of relief.

"Can you blame me? A stranger turns up asking for my sister and best mate, I'm going to have some questions," John shrugs, "so who is he?"

"That's Eldon, Eldon this is John," Florence introduces.

"So are you Malachi's cousin or something?" John queries, and Eldon glances at Florence who gives him a soft nod, allowing him to confirm his relation, "brother, actually."

"Malachi doesn't have a brother," John scoffs.

"He really never told anyone about me?" Eldon questions, and Florence just sighs, "can you blame him?"

"Is he coming?" Eldon asks.

"Yes, he's just helping Polly with something," Florence says.

"Painting?" Eldon replies, "I just remember you mentioning a Polly who was redecorating."

"She's finished with the painting, he's just helping rearrange the furniture, he'll be here in a couple of minutes," Florence states.

"So if you don't gamble? What do you do with your spare time?" John questions, leaning on the edge of his desk.

"Volunteer at the local hospice where I live," Eldon says.

"Of fucking hell," John chuckles, "you're being serious?"

"John," Florence says in disbelief.

"Sorry," John apologises, "just really wasn't what I was expecting the answer to be."

"What the fuck?" Florence states, looking across the betting den, to where Malachi had just walked in, he had a black eye and a split lip.

She walks over to him, holding his face in her hands, "what happened?"

"Don't worry about it," Malachi replies, dropping a kiss to her cheek.

"Not good enough, Malachi, what the fuck happened to your face?" Florence asks firmly.

"I'm fine, isn't that the main thing?" Malachi sighs.

"No," Florence says, "who was it?"

"Can we talk about this later?" Malachi asks, glancing over to where his brother was standing. Arthur had at some point joined them, and was now looking Eldon up and down.

"Okay, but you better give me a better answer than 'don't worry' and 'I'm fine' Mal," Florence states.

He gently rubs his temple, before agreeing, "of course."

Florence couldn't work out what it was, but there was something strange about Mal's behaviour. Not once had he ever been hesitant to tell her something, and not once did she ever feel there was a possibility he would lie to her. But she did now. She couldn't help but think that whatever answer he was going to give her wouldn't be the truth, and that bugged her.

She hadn't actually seen Mal this morning, she'd woken up and he wasn't at home, but he'd left a note on his bedside table saying he was at Pollys helping her move furniture. She knew he was at the pub last night, but she thought he'd been with John, yet John didn't mention a fight.

Malachi was hiding something, and Florence didn't like it.

She just stares at him as he makes his way towards Eldon, rescuing him from Arthur's scrutinising gaze.