Sorting Through Life's Puzzle Pieces

Chapter 27

                Tom unlocked the door and set the spare key on the side table inside. The familiar sounds of music greeted his ears and he heard people conversing. Knowing exactly where to find them he deposited his bag in the spare bedroom and headed in that direction. He was, however, unprepared for the events that happened before he reached them.

"I swear, Bass if you make me ruin this custard I am going to kill you!" He had just reached the sitting room when her scream followed from the kitchen. Stopping in the doorway, the look on her cocoa covered face made it hard to know if he should run, kiss her or laugh. What made the whole situation worse was the glare she was sending Sebastian, measuring cup in hand, whisk brandished in front of her as if it could have caught the offending powder.

"I said hand me the open cocoa, not chuck it at me like a baseball. Two steps, Bass, two steps to get across this room. You asked to help make Tom's pie and now it won't even get finished before he gets home." Maeve looked like she was about to cry and throw things at the man simultaneously.

"I'm sorry, Mae. I wasn't thinking. I'll clean this up, while you start a new batch." He looked sheepishly at the small ball of fire across from him. She shook her hair out and observed the bowl next to her pensively. Taking it in her hands, she crossed to Bass and dumped it over him.

"Now we're even. I'm going to go get cleaned up and then go to the store since you ruined all the main ingredient. You will clean up my kitchen and we will start over." She turned from the egg and sugar covered man. Her eyes met his and she raised her chin and walked proudly out and down the hall. He couldn't stop his laugh as she closed the bathroom door.

Bass had his head under the kitchen faucet, trying to get the egg out. "So how long have you been here?"

"All of five minutes. What about you," Tom asked.

"A couple hours. I missed hanging with your girl and thought since I was in town a few extra days I'd stop by before the dinner. I get why you run extra now."

"Yep, she is an incredible cook. Puts me to shame, really. She incredible at everything, even when she gets it wrong. I've never met someone who takes failure with such grace." He handed him a towel and started helping to clean up the mess he made.

"You know, I asked her if she was single over breakfast." Tom frowned at him. "No worries, dude. She said 'only on my taxes' and reminded me of the Con. You've got yourself quite a girl."

Tom was mulling over the answer she had given Bass and was brought back when his friend groaned in misery. "Why do all my friends have the best women? She even said her sisters are married."

"You want one more nail in the coffin?"

"Why not? My hopes have been ripped apart already."

"She has an identical twin." Sebastian dropped his head in dismay,

"It would figure, you end up with someone completely amazing and I can't even get a carbon copy."

"That's why they are called one of a kind, my friend. By the way...why would you throw and open box across the kitchen?"

"I wasn't really listening and thought the lid was on." Their laughter echoed through the flat.

That afternoon, Ben came to the park to pick up Carlton. He hadn't meant to just drop him on his friends, but he had forgotten about Sofie' appointment and couldn't miss it. He wasn't expecting to be tackled by a screaming five-year-old. "Daddy! Save me! The zombie will get me!" He tried to climb up his leg with a terrified smile on his face. Looking up, he saw Maeve a few feet away, trying to stumble and snarl in a very accurate impression of a 1950's zombie. She collapsed in hysterical laughter right in front of him.

"You...ha ha ha...you should see the....ha haaa...look on your face." She tried to stop laughing, which only resulted in her laughing harder. "You must think I'm a crazy person," her voice choked out as she took deep breaths to calm down.

"I asked Aunt Mae if she knew any boy games. Can she teach Mummy how to play zombie?"

"I'm sure she could tell her if we ask her first. Maeve, can we walk you home?"

She was wiping grass off her over-all's as they talked, "Oh, no thank you. I need to go by the grocers on the way back. Sebastian obliterated my kitchen just before you called so he and Tom should be done by now. You guys are still coming tomorrow, right?"

"YES." Ben flinched at the volume his son displayed.

"Hey, Spiderman, what's the rule we discussed earlier?" Ben looked at her in shock. They have a rule? This should be good.

"Don't make the grown-ups go deaf."

"That's correct. Now, what do you tell your dad? That looked like it hurt." Benedict was impressed. Usually his son' volume was loud and louder.

"Sorry, Daddy, for hurting your ear."

"I forgive you. Let's escort the lady, then we'll head home."

"She di what now?" Tom knew he had to be hearing things.

"She got Carlton to stop yelling. She's a bloody wonder, mate. He can't wait for the party."

"I just want to advise you that, he's become quite the big mouth. Ruined my anniversary surprise, he did." Tom laughed at his friends' distress at the fatherhood milestone. He wanted Mae to be with him for it. The thought of raising a family with anyone else made his heart hurt.

"Uh-oh. You may want to tell him he can't talk about some things with Maeve. That would ruin quite a bit of work."

"Already done, mate. I gotta go, see you later."

"Later, mate." Tom's phone beeped a couple seconds after he hung up and he opened his messages to a picture of his Angel with Carlton on her shoulders. They both looked ecstatic. The look on her face spoke more than he had ever heard from her lips.