Deals with Daisy // LN4

24 ~ Sleeping Alone

Lando's POV

It was pretty much the perfect Easter Sunday that I could have imagined. My niece Mila was there and she was an angel who made everyone's day, Daisy's especially as it was apparently the first time she met her. I was really struggling to get a read on how much time she had spent with my mum in the last decade... but it made me feel a little better that it was just my mum and no one else. My sisters, brother, everyone's partners were also here for a big family reunion but everyone was focused on Daisy and Mila. It was actually pretty nice to have Daisy to talk to as everyone else was in a couple, so she was a breath of reliable fresh air whenever it got stifling with questions from them all. Then as the day wound down and the people who weren't staying at the house left, I found myself sitting outside with Daisy - the firepit in front of the sofa keeping us warm along with the blankets I bought out with me as I joined her, both of us sighing in relief, kicking back with beers in hand.

"Today was nice... I always forget that Easter is a family thing and not just another reason to get drunk," she murmurs, eyes staring at the fire while I stare at it's reflection in her eyes. The beer isn't her first... honestly, I've lost count of how many but once more, I swear it's more than should be possible for her to stay standing. She'd spent the last hour helping my mum clean up while I'd fawned over Mila and said bye to my siblings as they left to go with their other plans but she'd been sat out here for a while before I'd been able to join her. "I only really did the family thing with you guys though so it makes sense," she continues, drawing her legs to her chest before resting her head on her knees and looking sideways towards me.

She didn't seem unhappy with the words although I think anyone would agree that they were sad to hear. "What did happen with your parents?... I never really understood it?" I ask, sensing that she's had just enough alcohol and fun to be relaxed and open. Pushy? Yes but the way her eyes are looking into mine, looking through me... it doesn't feel too intrusive.

"I'll tell you if you promise not to read into it and begin another crusade to make my life better... my life is mine, not yours," she reminds me softly, her head resting on her knees as she looks at me. I nod, crossing my legs just like when she would tell me stories about Italy before taking a sip of my drink and urging her to go on. "I didn't find out until after my dad died but I was so confused as to why my mum wasn't as upset as me. It turned out that he was cheating on her and had been for years... since I was born I think. Those weeks or weekends that they were both away?..." Daisy trails off, looking for me to respond and acknowledge the many stays she had at our house for that reason and I nod my head. "That was when they were both away busy cheating on each other..."

"Shit that's fucked up..." I mutter after the silence becomes unbearable and I hear a sound of agreement from Daisy as we both fall back into silence and look at the fire, drinking our beer. That was beyond shitty parenting. I always liked Daisy's mum but... to leave your own daughter by herself for a week straight... just to get back at your husband? I couldn't understand it. I don't think anything would change that fact.

I could also see why there was a precursor on the story, the similarities were striking on her own situation with Luke. Something she was clearly aware of and so I didn't push it, the answer was enough for now - I felt privileged to get even that. There were a lot of bridges to rebuild and I was relieved that she was giving me the opportunity to do that now.

After a while, my mum and dad come out and join us, opening a bottle of wine which Daisy and I join in drinking with them as my dad pretends to know what stars were above us, quickly getting humbled by Daisy as she hesitantly corrected him. I could see it immediately on her face when he first started talking, it was practically written in sharpie how badly she wanted to let him know what we were actually looking at. I think it was about the fourth constellation when my mum also noticed the almost pained expression on her face and forced the truth from her.