Starry Starry Night

Fairy Grandmothers

"So, are you really going to let her think you're sick? Isn't that a bit, well, sick?" he asked with a smile.

Maisie turned to face her accuser with a sly smirk.

"Well, it's not entirely untrue. I do have a bit of a sniffle. The fact I'm an old lady just means it's potentially more *ahem* serious, " she winked.

Her companion laughed, "You're too clever by half. She's not going to be impressed when she rumbles you, you do know that, don't you?"

"Well, Charlie, I'm willing to suffer a little backlash for the greater good. You?"

"I have NO idea why I agreed to get involved, but I will. If he smacks me one, it's your responsibility to soothe the bruises!"

"He won't smack you, Charlie. When he finds out what it's all about, he's more likely to hug you!"

"We'll see, we'll see. Anyway, I better go, I have to phone Tom and try to get him to come over on Saturday. He hardly goes out these days, so wish me luck, ok?" With that Charlie stood up and walked to the door. "You're amazing you know that? I wish you'd been around more when I was little." he paused, hand on the door.

"So do I Charlie, so do I. Life wasn't fair back then, at least it can be more fair now eh?" she smiled, tinged with regret. "You've had a good life though haven't you? You don't regret anything?"

"Yes, yes a very good life. I'm just glad it got to be that bit better." with that he blew her a kiss and left. Maisie watched him walk across the street, pausing to wave to her then continuing on his way. She turned away with a smile. Charlie was a good soul, he'd turned into a fine man, a good man. The man she would always have wanted him to be.

"Hey man! How are you? Long time no speak!" Tom smiled broadly and waved as he saw Charlie on the screen. "You back in the country then?"

"Yeah, Maisie's having a get together on Saturday and we've got a command performance my man!" Charlie tried to keep it light and friendly. Inside his heart was pounding. Mess this up and there would be very little possibility of a second chance.

"Saturday? Not sure mate, I mean, I HAD thought about going to Suffolk. You know, see Mum?" Tom scratched the back of his neck. He'd seen his Mum in town the other day and she'd scolded him for not visiting. Now, a free weekend would have been a good opportunity. On the other hand, it was Maisie. She'd remained a good friend over the last couple of years since... he stopped himself short. It still stung that they'd parted the way they did. Not through anything Anna had done, but because he'd allowed himself to be weak. To let her go.

"So? You coming or not? " Charlie broke into his thoughts with an impatient sigh. "If you're not YOU can tell Maisie. I'm too scared!" he grinned now. "Oh and she says she'll have Victoria Sponge...."

"Sick, you know that? You're sick. Bribing me with my Achilles Heel." he shook his head and braced himself for another scolding from his mum. "Ok, I'll come. But there better be something tasty and sweet waiting for me, or you're for it mate!" he threatened with a smile.

"Oh don't you worry about that. Look I have to go, I'll call you Friday with timings and so on ok?" Charlie waved and hung up. Tasty and sweet? Oh buddy, he thought, you have NO idea.

"Anna? It's Maisie. Call me? It's about tomorrow, don't worry, there's nothing wrong. Just need to ask a favour that's all." she hung up and turned to Charlie. "There, that makes sure she's coming. I'll get her here mid morning. Get her settled. You and Tom turn up around lunchtime ok? That gives them the afternoon to sort themselves out. Who knows, maybe even a little dinner eh?" she winked and Charlie hugged her.

"You're more fly than a bag full of monkeys Maisie!" he grinned and she looked at him oddly.

"Wherever did you get THAT expression from?" she said quietly.

"Oh, I dunno, something I just picked up. Not sure where from, why?" he shrugged and she simply turned away and shook her head.

"Oh it was just something your father used to say all the time. Before you were born really."

Charlie watched her walk away to the bedroom to get her coat. Sometimes he wished he had known her all his life. They'd discovered each other late on, his father was her son but they had been estranged. No contact, nothing, until the day his father died. Then, at the funeral she had been a shadowy figure at the back. In the graveyard, his mother had told him who she was. They hadn't spoken in thirty years. A falling out, no-one could remember why now, least of all Maisie but a month had turned into a year turned into a decade into more. Growing arms and legs and no-one knew how to get back to where they should have been. No-one except Charlie. He'd marched right back up to her and into her life.

Now, years later, he and his Gran were thick as thieves. He spent as much time as he could with her, trying to make up for the lost years. His mother, she left him to it. No longer estranged, but acknowledging there were some things that just couldn't be repaired. Was that what drove her to help Anna? So she wouldn't be estranged from Georgie? So that she wouldn't feel cheated out of a lifetime of love and happiness. He would never ask and she would never tell, but it didn't matter. If it made them both happy in the long run... not to mention Tom. He'd never been quite the same since Anna walked out of his life.

Hopefully, tomorrow would set things in motion. Hopefully tomorrow would get them back to where they should have been all along. The adult in him knew that it was a big ask. The child in him knew that his Fairy Grandmother would do her best to help them.