OVER AGAIN

DEJA VU

The lovers were late to wake up. Weston found his parents dressed and ready for breakfast which they had already made.

Charles stared at Weston with an amused stare, "have a seat Weston, you look like you ran a marathon."

Alice smiled knowingly.

Tilda arrived a few minutes later as everyone settled at the table. She dressed in one of Weston's long tee-shirts alone. The woman's long legs were all the writer's gaze followed as Tilda came to sit. Tilda did not seem to mind the Edmonds's presence.

Weston blushed in her stead, but it seemed he was the only person embarrassed.

"Tea?" Alice asked once Tilda was seated.

"Oh, I'll have one," Charles said, "have you got some cinnamon Weston I sugar no more?"

"Oh, you don't?" Weston asked, surprised. His father had a sweet tooth; Charles could whiff anything with sugar a mile away. Weston could not imagine his father living without his daily consumption.

"Doctors orders, diabetes surveillance," Alice answered.

Alice's words made Weston recall when Tilda took the cinnamon and the bewildered look she had when Weston asked if she liked it.

Here Weston did not see Tilda put some; she drank neither tea nor coffee.

"Weston, dear, can you pass me the honey?" Alice asked.

Weston looked at Tilda, who smiled, as usual. Once again, the hairs on his body stood out, making him shiver.

Tilda knew a lot about him, almost anticipating every whim, but what made him a little uneasy now was she seemed aware of things concerning his family. Details small like grains of sand, but Tilda said it left him with substantial interrogation marks when the man added up certain things.

The breakfast was barely over that Weston's parents announced their departure.

"Dad, say something you can't leave now."

Weston whined as he followed them to the door.

"Oh, we are not going to hold you, two kids, up," Charles said.

"You're not bothering," Tilda added, hoping to unknot the situation. She appreciated the Edmonds, and she would not have minded spending the day in their company.

Alice lightly pinched Tilda on the cheek and locked her in a hug, "next time, come and see us."

There were definite signs of complicity between the two women, which reassured Weston about his decision. The Edmonds adopted the singer; the writer could not be happier to see how everything perfectly slotted together.

Old Weston would have panicked, wondering how and why he deserved such love and peace; the new Weston accepted what he thought was God's gift feeling blessed to have all these things in abundance.

Ten minutes later, a taxi waited for the Edmonds downstairs.

Alice hugged Tilda once more, "See you soon, dear."

"Courage, son," Carles whispered in Weston's ear while gently tapping him on the back.

The Edmonds climbed in the cab with hearts and consciousness weighing less than when they arrived.

"Tilda is such a delight; I like her so, what do you think of her, Charles?"

Charles smiled as he recalled his walk with Weston, "Tilda is charming, and our son is earnest about her."

"Tilda has nothing to do with Susanna; I always felt like Susanna forced herself with us. It's a good thing they broke up. Oh, I wish Tilda would become my daughter-in-law. Wouldn't that be nice, Charles?" Alice said while releasing a long sigh.