Brick by Brick

Part Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

The plates were empty. Sammy took that as a great sign, but then she knew that she was an enthusiastic cook, what she lacked in skill she made up for in enthusiasm. She glanced from the kitchen into the lounge, at Joel sat cross legged on the floor opposite Eleanor, both building pink Disney Princess blocks into as tall a tower as they could before knocking it down. Eleanor's laughter was lighting up the house, and she for a moment she imagined how things would have been like if Marcus had lived, if he'd been there for her, if he'd had the chance to be a father. But as she looked at Joel she wasn't misunderstanding things, she wasn't seeing him as Marcus, but she was thinking that if Marcus couldn't be there to be involved in his daughter's life, there was no one that HE'D want more. She couldn't imagine Daniel, before his incarceration, sat down like that, playing without a care in the world; neither could she imagine any of the Turners.

"What are you thinking about?" Joel's voice disturbed her; he was looking up from the lounge. "You looked a million miles away."

She dropped her head to one side, hating that she was going to sound morose, "just thinking that I never saw Marcus doing that, just chilling and playing with her." She struggled with the knot of emotion that threatened at her throat.

"Sorry...I should go." He started to get up, but she rushed across the room.

"No! Don't stop. It's wonderful; he'd want you to do that, to be an influence on her if he couldn't be. I hope we see a lot more of you." She spotted his throat move as he swallowed awkwardly, "sorry, I don't want to pressure you, that was the wrong thing to say."

Shaking his head he gave her a sad smile, "I want to see her grow up, I want to feel close to him through her. You are right. I'll try not to let you both down."

Sammy moved into the lounge and perched on the arm of the sofa, "as if! You are the nicest and most thoughtful person I've ever known." She gave a laugh, "and after Marcus I never thought I'd ever say that, I mean he just LOVED being everything to everyone, but that was in a flamboyant way. You...you just do it, quietly, anonymously...without the celebration or the reward."

He was blushing, she hated that she'd embarrassed him, but for weeks or more like months, she had blamed him for so much, whilst all the while he was helping her, emotionally and financially.

"Sorry, I'm waxing on. Are you able to stay for a few days? I really do want to show you around."

He shrugged, "I have some meetings on Monday, but I can in theory stay for the next couple of days. I haven't told the hotel when I'm checking out."

She knew she was beaming, "well tomorrow we'll take you up on the cliffs, let me show you the cottage I want to buy...and then there's the harbour, the beach...we can have so much fun."

"That sounds like a promise," he offered quietly.

She nodded, "it is. Hopefully Monica will babysit tomorrow night, then you can really see the place. I haven't told you that my mother is suddenly a happy grandmother did I?"

"She babysits?" He knew all about her mother and his incredulous response was more than appropriate.

"Very occasionally. But as long as this madam is in bed, and she has no other plans..."

They both laughed at the looseness of the relationship, "it's more than you expected though?"

Standing she nodded, "yep." Holding out her hands to Eleanor, she scooped her up into her arms, "so you going to say goodnight to Uncle Joel?"