Infinity || Dan Smith

Sixty.

    Dan rushes into the kitchen and then puts his arms around his mother. They don't say anything for a few moments, instead of talking she holds him tightly. He'll always be a mummies boy, but he isn't at all afraid of admitting it. He's proud of be Isla Smith's son. His proud of his mother's graceful evolution.

"Thank you for committing to her" — Isla whispers the moment after her son pulls away from her bear like hug — "A lot of men in this situation have been know to...leave their lovers when they're suffering." Dan closes his eyes for a second or two. He can never imagine ever leaving Charlie, especially not now when she needs him the most.

   Dan then digs his hands into his tracksuit pockets.

"Charlie and Lacey mean the world to me. It's barely even been a year but...they've changed me." Isla smiles nodding her head in total agreement.

"Nearly one year ago you was in the kitchen getting drunk. I didn't say anything back then...but I thought you'd never get another girlfriend. I was giving into the fact that you'd never give me a grandchild. Now look at you! You're a father to the most perfect little girl...and you're going to be a husband." Dan is disbelieved himself, although he knows that everything about this situation seems rushed and doesn't sound good.

   But it feels more than good. It feels right and wholesome, this is the life he's always wanted. Of course not the illness part. But he has a family of his own. It's not just him anymore, it's his daughter, it's his fiancée.

"Not to mention a great father to a little boy." Dan then sadly smiles while Isla closes her eyes.

   "I need to apologise about confronting you. You lost a child...that's just...please forgive me." She almost begs while Dan nods his head.

"I was a bit of a dick not telling you. If I told you that I didn't love her...then things would've been easier. But I make shit hard for myself all the time." He admits while Isla hugs him again.

"Fresh start, ay?" Dan nods his head with a smile.

After a minute of silence, and thinking about the next topic...Isla then sighs. She's got something on her chest but she doesn't know how to let it 'out' without offending or causing distress. "What is it?" Dan softly asks, automatically knowing that there is something bothering her.

"I know you don't want to hear this..." — her voice trails off before looking into the blue of Dan's eyes — "but I'm afraid if I say nothing I'll regret it." Curiously, he continues to look at his mother while the kettle in the background boils and the microwave with Lacey's formula chimes.

"You need to get married soon. She isn't...getting any better." Dan closes his eyes for a couple of seconds before scratching his forehead.

He knows that Charlie's health is deteriorating drastically, but the hospital are keeping her on the chemotherapy program. Something must be happening? Dan thinks to himself on the daily basis.

"We know mum." Dan quietly admits, he's adored that Charlie will hear. He doesn't want her to know how lifeless she really looks. He wants to keep her happy, Male her thrive on positivity and motivation. Sure chemo works, but the real medication is happiness.

"We're thinking about next month, actually..." his voice trails off while he smiles picturing his fiancée in a long white dress, holding her daughter who's in a baby pink dress.

"Next month? Valentine's Day..." Dan cracks a smile and shakes his head.

"That's when the film is meant to come out." Isla makes an 'oh' sound before laughing her suggestion off.

   "Do you have any idea who is invited?"

   Dan shrugs his shoulders backwards while he walks past Isla, taking Lacey's bottle out from the microwave and puts it on the side to cook. "Most of the crew from Illusion probably, the Bastille crew, friends from Best Laid Plans, my mates, extended families..."

   "But what about Charlie? Isn't her mother trying to get back on the scene?" Dan nods his head before shrugging back his shoulders. He doesn't know exactly what's happening between Charlie and Tiffany, although he knows never to let Lacey go near her. Charlie made him promise that she'll never see her, which is weird but he respects her wishes

   "Charlie's been ignoring her calls and messages, I think she's gonna show up sooner or later." Isla tuts, shaking her head disappointedly. She isn't disappointed at her future daughter-in-law, she's disappointed that her mother is inconsiderate towards Charlie's wishes.

   It's clear that Charlie doesn't want to see or talk to her, the least Tiffany can do is back away and slowly try to get involved.

   "You're going to have to put your foot down and answer the door. Tell her to back off your family. Charlie's right...her mother has never even remotely acted like a mother." Isla doesn't even know Tiffany but Charlie has told her more than enough.

   "I know...I know."

   "Last thing you two lovebirds need is her mother turning up on the happiest day of your lives." Dan nods his head in agreement. He knows that he should step up and be the 'big man', he's just afraid that Charlie will end up having no one in her own life to count on.

But then again...there is Aubrey.

"I better go and...yeah..." Dan shakes the fairly warm bottle off baby formula with a grin on his face. Isla nods her head before she then kisses him on his forehead.

"I'm so proud of you." She whispers before patting Dan's arm, it's her way of telling him that he can leave the kitchen if he wants to.

Dan nods his head and then walks into the hall. Quietly, Dan opens the door and walks in on Charlie rubbing her nose against Lacey's. Both of them seem pretty calm, Dan's dad watches them both with a large wide smile settles on his lips.

"For madam..." Dan unenthusiastically says with French accent as he hands Charlie the bottle.

To which Charlie happily replies: "cheers, my dear".

To save Charlie getting into a uncomfortable position, Dan sits down on the floor, cross legged, besides Charlie. She looks down at Dan in confusion while feeding Lacey, but Dan then breaks into a smile.

"I'm not even going to ask." Isla says the second she walks into the room holding Charlie's tea and Rod's coffee.

"Lacey, your dad is either a gentleman or a complete dickhead." Rod laughs while Isla settles the drink on the small table besides him.

"Bit of both, I'd say." Charlie snorts in a random hysteria moment, bringing everyone in the room to laugh with her.

They're a close knit family.