Back to the Trees

Chapter 3 - Dreaming Can be Cruel

"Mummy! Mummy come and play!" A mass of dark curls shrouded a young face, her eyes as gold and the band that would have adorned my finger, her lips as pink as a rose in May and her voice as soft as silk. My little Briar Rose by had come back to me. She stood in a soaked swimming costume, holding a water gun, Lee stood just beyond her, one finger pressed to his lips. There was a tiny squeal of joy as cold water spouted out of the garden hose and doused her in icy water.

"Mummy!" Her high pitch squeal made me smile as I picked a water gun of my own. I aimed it upwards and water rained down on top of Lee's head. He repositioned the hose so that I was hit by the steady stream of cold water. My own laughter sounded foreign to me. It was a sound I hadn't heard genuinely for a long time. The back door swung open into the garden and a little boy jumped out of the doorway. His hair was the same jet black as Lee's but his eyes were as green as my own.

"That's not fair! You started without me!" The boy couldn't have been more than a year younger than Briar, but I couldn't for the life of me remember his name. He sat himself down in the doorstep in a huff.

"Oh come on Tobias. This is ridiculous behaviour." Lee spoke to him firmly but not irately.

Tobias? Not a name I would have chosen myself but clearly one Lee had picked out.

The boy stuck his tongue out in defiance.

"Tobias! That is not how you behave towards your father. Apologies, now." He crossed his arm in further defiance. "Well then, off to your room."

The phone began to ring in the living room, and before Lee had a chance to respond I'd dashed across the garden, stepped over Tobias and reached the phone. I picked up, already knowing who was on the other end.

"You shouldn't be calling this number. You should know at if you need to get hold of me, you text." I hung up and headed back outside.

"Wrong number." I declared. Lee half nodded his head. He knew as well as I did, it as the a wrong number. No one took that long to get rid of a wrong number. To break the tension I pick up Tobias and frog marched him to his room.

Whit a reason for being inside, I slipped into my own room and checked my phone. A single text appear d on the lock screen. 6.30 usual place. I put the phone screen down on my dresser and walked over to the window, my heart in my throat. I opened it and called down to Lee.

"The girls at work want me to go out tonight. I'm going to go so you'll have to make dinner for the kids." He showed me a thumbs up in response. I looked at the clock. 4:35 it read.

Instead of going back outside, I began to rummage through my wardrobe for something nice to wear. I found a small sleeveless red dress with a sweetheart neckline. The ruffled, floaty skirt fell mid thigh. It was perfect. Then I began to go through the rows of shoes below all the dresses. I had a pair of red velvet like wedge heels that went perfectly.

But before I could even begin to think about getting ready, I had to wash away the smell of garden water. I showered, washing my hair twice due to the nerves that once again seemed to rake though my body.

I dried then curled my hair, sprayed it with hairspray to keep it in place. I moisturised my arms and legs just to keep my hands busy. Then I applied a thin layer of makeup and slipped into my dress and shoes before spraying myself with my favourite perfume. In all it took me just over and hour to get myself ready.

I descended the stairs and met Lee at the bottom. He handed me my car keys and kissed my cheek.

"Have fun princess."

Keiran waited by the driveway of his mother's house and I could feel my lips spreading into a smile as I got closer. I stopped and he got in. His hand was instantly behind my head, pulling me into kiss him and I revelled in the delight of the kiss, but deep in my heart I knew this was wrong.

"Where to now?" I gave him a sultry smile as I asked him.

I woke crying. The blanket I had pulled up around me now lay on the floor, Mitchell sat beside me, a worried look on his face as he tried to calm me down.

"It was just a dream Little Lillian. It was just a dream."

"Well dreaming can be cruel." I sobbed as he held me to his chest.