Gary and Libby - Take Two

Chapter Fifty Eight

"He's zonked.." Gary smiles, glancing back into the rear-view mirror to find Ethan fast asleep in his car seat, chubby cheek smushed against the seat belt and two tiny hands clutching 'Lizebeth the infamous blue rabbit and an orange giraffe from our day trip to Battersea Park Childrens Zoo -the newest addition to his collection, in a vice grip in his lap.

I twist in my seat to gaze at the toddler, leaning forward as best I can to pull the seat belt away from his face so as not to end up with a red sleep crease across his already pink face. "It didn't take long, did it?" I smile. We've only been in the car seven minutes.

Gary laughs slowly, taking the first left onto Sloane street. "I hope he had a good day.."

"Gary, did you see his face? He was elated." Turning back to face the front, I glance at the time;

5:26pm

"Only issue now though..." I sigh, peeking back at Ethan who is now snoring softly in the back of the car. "...Hes got to be awake and ready in an hour for people to come and say happy birthday."

Gary pouts thoughtfully into the rear-view mirror as he turns onto Notting Hill Gate. "We'll be home in five, we can get him up just before half six can't we?"

I nod in agreement, idly watching the world pass through the window and wondering where the hell the last three years went.

There's a long silence as we continue to drive before Gary says; "I'm sure the excitement of seeing everybody will wake him up again." And I nod in agreement a second time.

Another silence.

"Do you ever think he's growing up to fast?" I ask quietly, seemingly an obscure direction of conversation, but to my mind it makes perfect sense.

"Who? Ethan?" Gary doesn't take his eyes off the road as he turns down our street.

"Mm-h."

"Every-fucking-day." The reply comes as certain and instinctively as some relaying their name over the telephone.

I don't resist the smile tugging at the corner of my mouth and I bring a limp hand down to smack his thigh as we pull onto our drive. "Don't swear."

Gary makes a sort of 'Phsh' sound between his teeth as the car tyres crunch slowly over the gravel driveway, crawling at an alarmingly cautious rate until we are out side the front door.

"You carrying him or am I?" Gary turns to me as he takes the keys out of the ignition.

I throw him my best is-that-a-serious-question kind of eyebrow raise and swing open my car door. "I'll leave that to you."

"Have you been spoilt then Ethe?" My mother coos, bouncing her grandson on her knee. Both she and Marjorie have been doting on the three year old since they bustled into the house together with arms full of presents, barely saying two words to Gary and myself as they forced themselves into the living room to greet the Birthday Boy.

"Too spoilt i think.." Gary hums, halting his conversation with Ian and glancing over from where they are sat on the opposite settee. I smile from my seat at Garys piano stool, removed from the picture enough to enjoy the beauty of it.

"Nonsense!" Marjorie waves a chastising hand in her sons direction. "Theres no such thing as too spoilt on a birthday; is there Ethan?" She reaches over my mothers lap to tap the toddlers knee, earning her a toothy grin before his attention is once again occupied by the plastic hammer that he wields haphazardly and dangerously close to my mothers glasses. Lisa and Claire, my brothers wife, emerge from the kitchen at that moment, nattering about the morning school rush, making me smile again, realising that i have all that to come too.