Eastern District School

Chapter 97 - Phone calls home

"Well we're very happy for you dears." Martha's voice could hardly contain her excitement. "Shall we be expecting a wedding soon?" she asked, her eyes quickly flickering to Rose's abdomen.

Rose smiled as she caught her soon-to-be mother -inlaw's train of thought, but tried not to let her opinions effect her own. Rich clearly had not seen his mother's directed eyes and continued talking.

"Well, we havent' set a date yet," he turned to Rose and their eyes connected. "We will of course let you both know." He sounded as though he was wrapping their visit up, had it not been for the fact Rose knew her room was ready upstairs still. They weren't going anywhere.

"We still have yet to tell my mother of course." Rose added, to which both Thomas and Martha nodded in agreement.

The ring felt different on her hand  and she subconsciously fiddled with it  with her other hand.

"You will call her?"

"Well, I will probably have to, I don't think I'll be able to get over there and back in just a few hours, just to let her know something they already thought was happening."

"Well as soon as you decide on a date you should let them know. Sylvie seems to already have picked out most of your wedding attire."

This came from Thomas, Rose looked over at him, he had a small glass in his hand, the liquid dark and golden like honey. He circled his hand gently, swaying the beverage in the same motion. Rose had been aware that her Nan had taken a shine to Thomas, taking him to one side and chatting away. Mind you that was her Nan...she would chat to anybody. Rose didn't doubt that she was back home telling the town...ordering flowers; cake; A DRESS!

Rose shot a quick glance to Rich, as if he would be on her wave length...and hear her thoughts.

"Perhaps I should call them now quickly." She began to rise from the two seater sofa slowly, but Rich was already to his feet, and helping her arm.

"You'll be okay?" he asked her, his eyes pericing deeply into her as he searched her true thoughts.

"You can use your room for privacy if you like dear," Martha said softly, an etch of sympathy in her voice. "Unless you two are..." her voice wondered off again, in the desperate hope that they would finish her sentence and that she didn't have to actually say such words.

"No..." they both said in unison.

"Thank you." Rose said in response to the three of them stood before her. "I'll be fine." She nodded to Rich as if those last words were just for him.

He nodded in response and let her arm go. Stepping to one side, he tugged at the thigh of his trousers before sitting down once more.

Rose smiled sweetly and nervously and exited the room, her heart thudding so loudly as she felt all eyes on the back of her head.

It was clear they were all nervous.

"Hi Ma, are you both okay?" she heard her own sigh of relief as soon as her mother had answered the phone.

"Of course we are. What's wrong?" Her mother's tone went from irritated to concern in an eigth of a second.

"No no, nothing is wrong as such... it's just that I hadn't heard from you..."

"You didn't get our text?" she asked, then in a muffled tone, "Mother...did you not send that message...yes that one....but you pressed send?... and then confirmed?...What do you mean you don't know? You know how to use a phone. It IS the same as yours!"

Rose could hear the irritation levels getting higher.

"It's okay, it doesn't matter. I erm, I wanted to tell you some good news. It's a bit unexpected, well not really, but it is. I didn't see it happening and then it was all a shock really, and the coffee...that was hot..." she stopped herself then as she realised that she was rambling again. Her mother hadn't interupted, and was still quiet now. "Well, he propsed to me. I mean actually proposed, he got down on one knee...there's a ring and everything!" She turned her left hand over, staring at the back of it. She opened and closed her fingers, bringing the ring in and out of focus, still trying to tell herself that it was real.