Let's All Make Believe - Oasis

Chapter 63

Peggy asked after Lydia when I got to her house after the match since she hadn't joined us. We'd only seen each other in the morning when she left for work and a few minutes before I left for Manchester.

"She's only got a few days left before this school gallery thing she's doing." I explained, trying to hide my annoyance.

"That's a shame. You are making sure she takes a break now and then, aren't you?"

I shook my head. "She's acting like they'll sack her if this thing don't go perfectly."

"You like a hard worker."

"I guess I do." I sat down, hoping that'd be the end to that. "How have the kids and the dog behaved?"

"Good as gold as usual."

"Delfie didn't cry or anything?" I kind of got into shortening her name when Ste was around because that's how he said it.

"Only just after you left, then she was fine."

"Anyone else cry?"

"Liam cried!" Ste pointed to him, he was having a late night since he wasn't at home and he had to wait for me to come back.

"Why did Liam cry? Cos he's getting old?"

"You're older than me!"

"Half your twenties are behind you." I continued to mock.

"I'll still be young at heart while you get old in the face."

"You'll stay young and never grow up."

"Will you two get a room?" Peggy said, thinking we were erring on the side of flirting.

We didn't get a room, we stuck to separate rooms. I had his old room (Ste in the other bed and Nathan in the cot) while he had Paul's old room. If Lydia had come over, it would've been the opposite way round.

As I tried to sleep I thought of her, how much trust she had for me. If I was her I wouldn't want to let me over here without her, knowing we hadn't minded cheating on different people in the past. Maybe she was too busy with her project to even think about it.

...

On Saturday I took Ste to see Kenzie and the girls. I felt like I'd dumped Nathan and Delfina on Liam and Peggy again but it was his weekend to spend with his son and they had a rabbit that I didn't know if the dog could get along with.

Kenzie was happy we didn't bring the dog because if the girls knew Ste had a dog, they'd never stopped asking. Apparently Darren was jealous of us having a guard dog since he was the one who worked in security. He was at work so he couldn't tell me how much he wanted a work buddy and I couldn't tell him that Delfina would be rubbish in that job.

"If you bring the girls over tomorrow they'll know we've got a dog."

"We're not coming."

"Oh, why not?"

"I've got no problem with Liam but I don't want Darren hearing about how he thought he'd fathered my child or how he conned me into sleeping with him while I was with Tony."

"He wouldn't bring any of that up. Why're you thinking about it?"

"I just don't want any reason for Darren to ever doubt me."

"He won't, he's not gonna talk about Tony." I insisted. "He likes Darren, he's not gonna cause trouble."

"Tell him to have a good day from all of us."

I was disappointed but I couldn't make them come over. "Will do."

I couldn't work out why she was thinking about all that stuff. Her and Tony were well in the past. There was no chance Darren had anything to suspect with them. Even if Darren knew what happened, I didn't think he'd care because it was so long ago. I could only think she was scared of losing having a good thing with their relationship.