Eastern District School

Chapter 64 - Time to go

Rose appeared to have taken almost a back seat now, as she watched Dot and Rich talk whilst they ate. Her head bounced to and fro as she tried to follow their conversation. A thousand other problems rattled through her head however, feeling similar to how she felt on the bus journey there. 

She took another bite of the cheese and pickle baguette in front of her, feeling rather like a pig, since Rich had only taken some toast. However, given the circumstances...

"I used to babysit this boy!" Dot exclaimed, patting Rose's arm as if she knew she had to bring her back to reality with physical contact not just words. "Of course his brothers too. But Richard was always the most well behaved!" She smiled and nodded at Rich. 

He smiled back and tapped his slice of toast up and down on his plate. "Yes, indeed. I'm always well behaved!" 

There was no need for sarcasm, Rose thought, she quite agreed with the statement herself.  Rich had been nothing but a gentleman, she thought. She couldn't fault him....except for that incident in the barn. The barn!

She flashed her eyes up to Rich, trying to remember if that had been real or a dream. Rich didn't look at her. However, as she turned her head away, Rose noticed her posture. She was smiling, her chin lowered as were her eyebrows whilst she gazed up through them at Rose. Obviously she had taken something the wrong way. Bearing in mind she already had made a comment about Rich being her boyfriend, and Rose realised she must not have believed her for the way the colour had come to her face, just as it was doing now. She took another bite, as she tried to smile through the bite of the sandwich. 

"Aw, you were a sweet boy. I can't believe how much you have grown, and changed. Well obviously not that much, hence how I did recognise you. Are your brothers doing well?" she asked him. 

He nodded, and this time Rose actually watched him take a bite from his toast. It was clear to her that he was not really in the right mind to eat, and she totally understood that. "Indeed they are, both settling down. Well one is married, Anthony is engaged..." his voice broke off suddenly. 

Dot's teeth, seemed to stick out, Rose noticed, due to her smiling and her attempt at an encouraging nod, eager for Rich to continue. The smile gently fading as she noticed his stillness. "That's nice dear, that's nice! And your parents....are they...." The teeth reappeared. Rose realised it was only a sight you seemed to catch from a sideways glance, hence why she had not noticed it before. 

"They're....okay." His voice lowered slightly. 

Rose squinted her eyes shut in an attempt to try and stop the tears building up again. She really could not cope with the empathy she was feeling. Between the feelings of the ache she felt for the loss of Jennifer, she ached for his loss deeply, that and the urge to take his head, complete with the dark strands that kept flicking down into his eyes every now and then, was almost as overwhelming. She honestly felt like she was either being crushed, or that she was about to explode. 

He said he was going to be there for her, every step of her journey to find out what was missing in her life. Her eyes shot wide open as a thought popped into her head, she physically shook her head, as though to throw the thought out. 

"That's great," Dot went on, observant as she had been with Rose, she didn't seem to have the same ability for Rich. "I haven't seen them in a long time. Please send my love to them when you see them next. That is if you see them often enough."

Rich's hand was still on the table next to her. Now that she had finished eating her baguette, or what she could of it, she noticed her hand was placed quite close to him, and she wondered if she had moved her hand closer to him accidentally or sub-consciously. She watched him pick up his coffee with his free left hand, his right hand not moving, almost as though it were glued to the table for some reason.