Locks and Keys

Epilogue

My palms felt sticky, as I waited in the living room for Ollie to pick me up. I don't know why I was so nervous, I'd been alone with him plenty of times before, but this felt different. More official. I wiped my hands on my jeans and crossed my legs, before grabbing my phone again and checking the last message he had sent me.

Ollie: On my way, will be there in 10.

That was eight minutes ago.

Mum walked into the living room, sitting on the sofa across from me and flicking on the TV.

"You seem nervous." She said and I rolled my eyes at her.

"You don't say." I said, the sarcasm dripping from my lipstick-clad lips.

"You have no reason to be. Stop fidgeting; you're making me feel uneasy." She complained, as she flicked to a channel screening a Jeremy Kyle Show episode.

"Who's feeling uneasy?" Lock asked, walking into the room holding Jo-Jo, and with Jamie and Lucy trailing along behind him. They all sat around the room; Lucy and Jamie had their eyes fixed on the arguments over whether the guy had cheated on his wife or not. Lock was looking at Mum and me, whist Jo-Jo sat in his lap playing with a stuffed dog toy.

"My Darling Daughter is making me uneasy with all her fidgeting." Mum answered.

"And she's fidgeting because..." He trailed off.

"She's going on her first official date with Ollie. He's going to arrive at any moment." Mum clarified, wiggling her fingers at my brother. 

"Ooo! Get you, going out on a date." Lock teased, waggling his eyebrows at me. I leant over and hit him, but I couldn't deny that he had made me smile.

"Why so nervous?" Lock questioned, his eyebrows pulled together slightly in a frown.

"I don't know." I said with a shrug.

"It's because she loves him!" Lucy mocked, making kissy faces at me.

"I do not!" I protested, throwing a cushion in her direction.

"Doth protest too much?" Jamie grinned, before I sent a cushion flying his way, also. Both he and Lucy started giggling hysterically, as Jo-Jo looked at them with confusion.

"Mummy, why they laugh? What funny?" She sniffled, completely out of the loop.

"We're teasing Key because she's going on a date with Ollie." Mum explained, as Lock passed her over and Mum hugged her to her chest.

"B-but, Mummy, Ollie is my boyfriend." Jo-Jo complained. Her forehead was creased and her nose scrunched up.

"I'm sorry, Jo-Jo, but we're going to have to share him for now. You can go on a date with him next, okay?" I suggested and she nodded her head eagerly.

"Can I come with you today?" She asked, looking extremely hopeful.

"So you're just going to ditch me, Jo-Jo? I thought we were going to the pet store to look at all the animals!" Lock interjected, with an extremely exaggerated look of dejection plastered on his face. To this, Jo-Jo jumped from Mum's lap and back onto Lock's, before shouting in his ear.

"No! I want to see the pretty animals!"

"Let's go then! Put your shoes on and wait by the door, I just need to get my keys and wallet." Lock instructed, to which Jo-Jo squealed and ran out the room in the hunt for her Rapunzel trainers.

"Thanks, Lock, thought I'd never be able to persuade her out of third wheeling!" I laughed and Lock chuckled.

"Don't worry, I'll distract the rascal for a few hours." Lock patted me on the back.