When the Least Favourite Doesn't Care

Cold Reality

Was that magical enough for you? In truth, I am not sure about the details of my parents' first meeting. I know they met during a business awards celebration and I have been told that he did in fact follow her to the lake where they did partake in a night time swim. There were definitely fireworks, although neither of my parents remembers seeing them. All the finer points I have added myself because that is how I imagine the night to have been. It's a bit odd isn't it, imaging how the first meeting between your parents went? You are doing it now aren't you? First you thought about how it is odd that I imagined how my parents met and then the scene of how your parents met played in your head and now you are thinking it isn't all that odd at all right?

Anyway, Gerald and my mother, her name is Grace by the way, spent about six months together. Mother did not swan around Gerald expecting him to buy her expensive things or take her out to lavish restaurants. Grace was accepting of his wealth yet had no interest in taking advantage of it. She was also unavailable a lot due to the children and her business and this, Gerald freely admits, was one of the reasons he liked her so much. On the other side of the coin, Mother, or Grace as I will call her for the purposes of storytelling, enjoyed the fact that Gerald was independent and not interested in her for her money as others had been. Gerald treated her as though she were only a beautiful, funny, brilliant woman and not as someone who could provide him with a future where she would earn the wage while he spent his days in the pub.

The relationship between them went well and both felt themselves falling in love. Gerald was considering asking Grace to marry him – he even asked her father (who gave a very delighted yes as his answer). Problems started when Gerald's father found out about the relationship. The family was one that deemed status to be of the utmost importance and a working class woman, - albeit a very successful one - would never be allowed to join the ranks of such a prestigious household. Gerald was forbidden from seeing Grace again. She tried desperately to see him but Gerald forsake his heart on the order of his father. It was two months later when they met by chance at a charity event.

Swallowing the hurt Grace timidly makes her way to the man she loves as he stands looking stone-faced and formidable amongst the crowd.

'Hello,' she says in a meek voice that still holds hope.

'Hello,' he responds coldly, his eyes scurrying this way and that in an attempt to see anything but her. Grace opens her mouth to speak but he cuts her off with a whisper, 'I can't talk here. I am being watched. Meet me in the yard in five minutes.'

With a nod of understanding Grace leaves while Gerald, whose heart is breaking, wonders how she cannot hear it shatter.

Five minutes later and Gerald enters the yard as promised.

'I've been so worried about you,' Grace starts but the words turn into an exclamation of pain as Gerald takes hold of her arm and leads her around the building. 'Gerald, stop. Let me go.'

Finally away from prying eyes Gerald swings the protesting Grace into his arms and kisses her. They melt together, their problems temporarily forgotten. 'I've missed you so much,' he breathes into her after breaking their kiss.

'I don't understand. Where have you been? Why haven't I seen you?'

'It's my father; he won't let me see you.'

'What?'

'My father is a man of wealth and status. There is nothing greater, in his mind at least. Not even love.'

'You love me?' Grace asks, her teeth biting at her lip.

'I do.'

'I love you.'