Time Changes

Part Eighteen

Their father made good progress, better than most anticipated, but then he was a determined man. And Alexis decided to stay for long enough to be assured he was well. She had commitments back in Rio, but also knew that ultimately she wanted to return home, and start working properly. So she started to enquire tentatively to some of the hospitals about work in the future. If nothing else her time away and this rather stressful return to the fold, told her in no uncertain terms that she was an integral part of the family, and that they all needed her. All her life she’d felt put upon, taken for granted, but now she could see that she was a linchpin, holding everything together. With that came pressure, but on the flipside, she now felt she had a role, that she had value, and until then she didn’t realise that it was that she’d craved when growing up, value by her family.

She spent a lot of time at the hospital, talking to her father, though neither of them mentioned anything more intense than the weather. She didn’t want to stress him out, and there was so much that would instantly lead them to their feud, and now was not the time for that. He craved more news, about work, constantly asked for the FT, but she refused, and encouraged her mother to not give in.

                “But it’s just a newspaper; he’s so desperate for it!”

Lex had taken her mother’s hands in hers, “it was that desperation for anything but listening to his body that led to him being here. Mother, you have GOT to be strong. Stronger than you ever have. Ok?”

When it was spelt out in terms of her father’s life, her mother would do anything she was told,

Henrietta was far less demanding. She was just keen to see him improve every day. The sisters spent a lot of time together, talking, shopping, playing with Oscar; their mother also joined them a lot, loving to care for her grandson whilst her daughters visited the pub. For the sisters it was like the years before Henrietta got married, they were best friends, and shared everything. Though now there was still a Peter Marlow size elephant in the room.

                “So are we ever going to discuss him?” Henrietta knew that it was growing close to the time when Alexis would leave. And as much as she hated the thought of an argument with her sister, they had to have this discussion.

Alexis predictably shook her head, “let it go Hen, I’m over it, over him.”

                “So Luiz, he’s the man for you is he?”

Henrietta refused to back down, and Alexis sighed, “I don’t know. I don’t know at all. But I know that he’s the person I’m with. Peter had his chance, I went to him, told him how I feel. And what did I get? Rejection. He’s too late.”

                “He came to you, heart on his sleeve and what did he get? Rejection!  That’s no different!”

                “Why does this matter to you? Why are you so involved?”

Henrietta reached out across the pub table and held her sister’s hand, “because I for one believe he’s your soul mate, and I believe that you belong together. I knew it about Daniel, and I know it about Peter.”

Alexis laughed, “You are the craziest woman I know. Think those pregnancy hormones are still surging around. Darling, Peter and I...it’s over. I’ve moved on. You have to get used to that.” As they parted later, Alexis back to her mother, Henrietta back to Daniel, Alexis kept rehashing the earlier conversation. She did want to make it work with Luiz; she knew that, though her sister’s comments about Peter had rekindled her feelings about him.