The Season of Love #SYTYCW15 #Loveinspired

The Season Of Love Part 4

Chapter Three
Simon

They were all seven of them seated around a large oak table, a fireplace roaring beside them and a spread to eat their way through. He watched as Alison picked at a fluffy pancake and frowned. She really hadn't been eating much lately, not since Francesca had passed.

"So Simon, where were the two if you heading?" Anna asked,her messy blonde bob swinging as she turned to look at him with soft, grey eyes.

"We were going to Alison's grandparents, she's staying there for a couple of weeks."

"You must love staying with them, Alison,' Melissa smiled at her, 'beaches everywhere, the countryside air"

"It's fine" Alison muttered, staring at her plate.

Simon nudged her with his elbow, "Ali, don't be rude!"

"It's ok,' Melissa winked at him cheerfully, 'I was a teenage girl once, believe it or not"

Greg threw an arm around her, grinning, "Can't have been too long ago my love, what are you now, twenty one!"

Simon smiled wistfully; he remembered when he and Francesca were like that; it never stopped, not even in the final moments. Not even when the cancer had ravaged her from the inside out. He hadn't been ready to let go of her yet.

Remembering suddenly where he was, he blinked the tears away, focusing on his bacon and eggs. When he looked up, the red haired woman with the face that he found comfortingly normal and yet magnetic at the same time was watching him curiously. She smiled at him then, her cheeks flushing a little, before staring into her bowl of cornflakes with a great deal of interest.

"So,' Lucinda leaned toward him, her elbow clipping the edge of his plate, sending it across the table, 'how long will you be staying in the hotel?"

Simon cleared his throat awkwardly as her soft, black mane of hair fell against his arm, "Well, I'm hoping that the garage will call back with a slot today. Then we can be out of here tomorrow morning,' he glanced and Melissa and Greg, 'not that it isn't lovely here it is-"

"We understand" Greg chuckled, getting up and pouring coffee.

"Listen, if it's about the cost of a room,' Lucinda stroked his thigh softly, 'I'm sure I can-"

"Lucinda" the red head flashed her a look, before smiling apologetically at Alison, who was frowning at her lap.

Lucinda stood, smiling around at the table, "I'm just kidding guys! Look, I'm going to go and take a walk, get some fresh air, work off breakfast"

They watched her leave in silence, her green heels, completely inappropriate for a countryside walk, disappearing from view.

"Is it me,'  Anna stared at Lucinda's empty chair, frowning, 'or is she getting much, much worse?!"

"She does seem a little... Off,' Melissa began clearing away plates and mugs as she pondered, 'Anna what was she like on the journey?"

"Quiet, I think something is on her mind"

The red head rose from her seat, slipping a much-too-big anorak on from the back of the door, "I'll go and find her, see if she wants to talk,' she half-smiled, 'at the very least she might listen"

Simon watched her go. He almost wanted to follow her, invite her to talk to him. They hadn't even spoken to each other, she still hasn't told him her name, and yet he wanted to know her. Turning back to the table, he caught his daughters eye and guilt flooded into his stomach as she frowned at him, her eyes filling with tears, the corners of her mouth turning down for a moment. I can't go there, he told himself, pulling Alison close to him.

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                                                                                 Hollie

Hollie watched her Wellington boots plunge into the snow, her jeans growing wet almost to the knees. From the look of the footprints ahead of her, Lucinda had headed for the woodland walk.

Maybe she shouldn't have come, Hollie thought,sighing inwardly. Seeing Melissa and Greg together, it was lovely, but also incredibly hard for her at the moment. She missed Harry badly at that moment, so badly, in fact, that it felt as though a knife were being twisted into her heart.

And now there was a new spanner in the works, so to speak. Simon. She didn't know what it was about him exactly, he just made her feel warm, as though she were being hugged from the inside. She shook her head at the silly sentiment.

"Hollie?' Lucinda was perched on a tree stump, the heels of her shoes pressed into the snow, 'did you follow me?"

"Yes I did,' She smiled, shoving her hands into her pockets and settling beside her friend, 'are you ok?"

"Of course,' Lucinda rested her head on Hollie's shoulder, 'I guess I'm just tired or something. How are you doing?"

"Yeah" Hollie glanced down at her hands.

"That good hey "

Hollie looked up at her smiling softly, "I just didn't think that I would be divorced at thirty two. I thought that I, that Harry and I would have at least one kid. I think I just miss him"

"Of course you do, he was a big part of your life for thirteen years!"

Hollie rested her cheek against Lucinda's head for second before pulling back and looking at her I concern, "Luci, something is definitely going on, what is is?"

Lucinda stared for a moment, tears filling her eyes ,"Ok. ok I'll tell you but Hols, you can't tell anybody."

"My lips are sealed"

Lucinda pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes, bit her lip. She looked terrified and Hollie began to worry that something was seriously wrong.

"Hollie,' a sob broke through, and she cleared her throat, trying to control it, 'Hollie I'm pregnant"

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