Brick by Brick

Epilogue

Epilogue

"Joel?...Joel?"

Sammy looked down at the mud oozing up the sides of her favourite petrol blue boots. But then it was her own fault for venturing out to this virtual building site without her wellies. She should have learned that January, bleak coastal town and torrential rain...didn't mix with expensive leather boots.

Five people milled about in high visibility jackets, hard hats and of course work boots. Most smiled at her, but one did try to hide a chuckle at her attempts to avoid the huge muddy puddles that surrounded her.

"Have you seen my husband?" She asked the laugher rather aggressively. Instead of looking embarrassed he laughed a little more, then pointed behind the large portakabin that she knew was the site office. All she wanted was to see Joel, her husband. That had been a huge change, and one she thought she'd never make again, but this coming summer would signify their second wedding anniversary. She wanted to smile at the thought of how happy she'd been with Joel over the last four years, but there was a joker grinning at her and she wasn't able to concentrate.

With a huff she made her way around the corner.

Joel was stooped over some blueprints with John, the site manager, and she wasn't sure whether he heard her, or sensed her anger approaching, but he looked up at her within moments.

"Sammy! You ok?" He gave a nod to John and the other man bundled up his papers and disappeared rather rapidly. "What are you doing here?" He grimaced, "in your fave boots..."

She sighed, "you weren't answering your phone!"

That made his face drop, "are you ok? Is everything ok?"

Her hand slid down her body to rest over the swell of their second baby, and she rubbed it affectionately, "it's fine, we're all fine, though someone seems to have forgotten that in less than an hour Eleanor has her school recital."

He hit his forehead with his hand, "sorry." He strode towards her across the mud and reached for her hands, "shit. I am useless."

She shook her head, "not useless, just a little too enthusiastic for this project, you have got a family too you know?"

He laughed, "I don't forget you, any of you for a moment. Has Clifford arrived?"

She nodded, Clifford, now separated from Margaret was a regular visitor to their still new home at the edge of town, he was a devoted grandfather to not just five year old Eleanor, who he doted on, but also to Jacob her two year old brother. There was no one else in terms of family except for Monica, but since she'd met a man, entered her first stable and normal relationship of her life, she was less frequent a visitor. The children, therefore, threw themselves at Clifford whenever he planned a visit.

"He's in the car being force fed cheese puffs by Jacob, we're going to drive on and keep you a seat."

He nodded, "I'll be there."

She smiled back, "will you clean up? No one needs to see your work clothes and mud." With that he looked menacingly in the direction of her boots. Sammy knew that expression and stepped back as his eyes lit up.

"So you want to avoid mud?"

She shook her head, "Joel...no!"

But with a chuckle he scooped her up into his arms then marched across the mud towards the waiting car.

As they got close Clifford jumped out and when Joel had lowered back onto safe ground, the two men embraced.

"Good to see you old man!"