"Hello?" Pt. 1

ParkLife

Shorter than usual chapter update, but I am mentally and physically exhausted after this week. Work's been hell! Anyway, you asked for Elias, and you asked to see a grown man shout Snuggles in public. Here it is! (Don't ask about the chapter title. I struggled to think of one so I went with ParkLife because it's set in the park. Yeah... no immagination today.)

Sarah, xx

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"... but then I thought that was really contrived, so maybe spontaneous is the way to go," I say, throwing up my hands in exasperation. Elias laughs, his shoulders bobbing up and down, as he sat and listened while I vented my frustrations over how to propose to Sophie. We were currently sat on a bench in a park in Central London while Nola ran around chasing after Snuggles and Alfie. As the grown-ups, Elias and I were supposed to be keeping an eye on them, but when Elias asked about my relationship with Sophie, I couldn't help but start my long ramblings. "But then, how do you spontaneously propose to someone?"

"Aren't you already engaged?" Elias asked, sneaking a sideways glance out at Nola as she threw a stick for Alfie to fetch. I frowned as he asked that question, never having actually told Elias that Sophie had asked me to marry her. I'd told Jenna, but not Elias. He was so indiscreet. My best friend smiles at me. "Jenna told me. You know, pillow talk."

Jenna and Elias were almost official, but they had been putting off making any sort of announcement to that kind for fear of how it might affect Nola. However, those of us closest to the couple knew that it was only a matter of time before Elias finally manned up and asked Jenna to be his girlfriend. For real and for keeps. 

"When are you two going to make it official?" I query, turning in my place to gauge his reaction. Elias shrugged and I laughed. "Who was it that kept telling me for weeks, of not months, that I had to grow a set of balls and tell Sophie how I felt about her? Yes, you. So get ready to take your own advice and grow a set and tell Jenna. It's about bloody time that you do. It's only been what, ten years?"

Either Elias was letting my words sink in or he wasn't listening because instead of giving me a typical Elias-worthy retort, he sat there quietly, simply watching his daughter as she giggled when Snuggles jumped up on her and showered her with kisses. I couldn't help but laugh when Alfie got a little jealous and tried to get in between Nola and Snuggles. Naturally, this didn't go down too well with the puppy and Snuggles started to wander off towards the periphery of the park. 

"Oh, shit," Elias grumbled as he sprang to his feet and started running after his dog. "Snuggles! Snuggles, get back here now!"

The amount of people that were watching as Elias shouted the dog's name at the top of his lungs was countless and each one had an amused smile on their face. I, meanwhile, was laughing hysterically at seeing a grown man yelling 'Snuggles' like a madman. For all Elias' bravado and machismo, he was certainly losing a boatload of masculinity points for this. Scooping up the dog, Elias breathed a sigh of relief as he sheepishly made his way back to the bench. When he reached where we were sat, Elias retook his place next to me and gave me an unimpressed look.

"I don't know what you're laughing about," he tells me sternly. "You can't even work out how to propose to your fiancée."

"You know that is not the same as you running around a park screaming 'Snuggles,' don't you?" I scoff. When Elias flips me his middle finger, I hear someone gasp. Nola, holding Alfie by his lead, was stood in front of us, jaw hanging and eyes wide, her attention on the gesture her father was giving me. I help out my hand and covered Nola's eyes. "Don't pay any attention to your dad, Nola. He's being exceptionally rude. Put Snuggle's lead back on him and take him and Alfie to the drinking pool."

Like the good girl Jenna raised her to be, Nola did as I told her. I couldn't help but smile at the sight of the little blonde girl happily scurrying off with the dogs, nattering away to them as if they were real people.

"Can I ask you something?" I heard Elias' voice break the silence. Turning to face him, I nod. For a brief second, he looked torn as to whether or not he should ask whatever was on his mind. "You and Sophie."

"What about us?"

"Well, you're already engaged and now you're planning to propose," Elias can't help but smirk at how backwards all that sounds. His face, however, becomes a blank mask as he readies himself for the next words to leave his lips. "What happens next? You'll get married, which is the easy part, and then... children? Because Sophie can't have-"

"She can have kids," I tell him, annoyance lacing my words. It's something that I've been trying to get Sophie to understand; just because her chances of falling pregnant have been reduced, it doesn't mean it's impossible. "She can- we can have children, Elias, it just might take a while longer, that's all. Anyway, there's always other options. Surrogacy, adoption... If there's anything I've learnt, being a parent isn't about whose DNA you share, it's about who is there for you. Look at Veronica. Technically, she's my mother, but we all know that Evie's been more of a mum to me than that woman has ever been."

Elias nods. "Except the fact that technically Evie does share some of your DNA."

Stealing a glance to check that Nola isn't looking, I show Elias my middle finger and mouth 'fuck you' to him. We both laugh then, knowing that our friendship could survive a little banter like this. Once again, we fall into a comfortable silence as we watch Nola play with the dogs. For the end of June, the weather in London isn't all that summer-y; yes, it was warm, but not in the 'hot' sense of it. No, the city was muggy and disgusting and I hated the weather when it was like this. Part of me wanted it to piss down with rain, but at the same time, I'm not a fan of rain. 

"You know," Elias muses out loud. "When I propose to Jen, I'm going to go all out. I'm going to take her out to dinner, followed by going to where we first met... you know, take her down memory lane of our relationship and then, at the end, take her to the place that means to most to us as a couple and get down on one knee. Preferably, there'd be a shit tonne of red rose petals, loads of candles and a string quartet waiting for us at the end of the whole thing, but that's just an idea."

I stare at him. "For just an idea, you've put a lot of thought into it," I tell him. "Not sure how that plan would work for me and Soph, though. I never really met her anywhere, and I don't think proposing over the phone is all that romantic. I don't think there's really a place that means a great deal to us unless we're talking about bedrooms. She's allergic to flowers, so no rose petals of any colour and a string quartet is not her style. Nor is it mine."

"Well, fuck you," Elias shrugs his shoulders. "My proposal will kick your proposal's arse."

"We'll see," I can't help but smirk. Nola shouts out to me, waving her hand frantically as she points out an ice cream van that has just rocked up at the park. I nod to her and get to my feet, looking back over my shoulder at my best friend. "Quick question, Elias. When I get married, I'll need a best man." I watch as his face lights up. "Do you think Jenna would be willing to do the honours?"

His face falls. "You know what?" He says through gritted teeth. Getting up from the bench, Elias walks towards me, bumping his shoulder into mine as he passes. "Just for that comment, I hope Sophie says 'no' when you spring your pathetic proposal on her. You're a dickhead."

"Takes one to know one," I can't help but childishly reply.