Trying Not To Love You

Part Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

“I’ll have breakfast please, full and a coffee.”

Mary the woman who worked in the local cafe fluttered her eyes at Sonny, “no problems, take a seat. I’ll bring it over.”

Giving her a wink he sauntered across the cafe and sat at a table topped with a waterproof red gingham cloth. A pile of tabloid papers sat on an adjacent table and he reached out to grab one, breakfast and a glimpse through the rag, whose front cover was emblazoned with a headline about a politician being caught with his pants down. The perfect start to a day.

Sonny smiled as the mug of coffee was placed in front of him, and Mary smiled back, “you’re looking happy today.”

He laughed, “am I always grumpy then?”

The woman shrugged, “moody I’d say, more than anything else.”

Eamonn and Bill were sat across from him and burst into laughter, “she’s got you right,” Eamonn laughed.

Sonny lifted an eyebrow, “you reckon? Makes me sound like a petulant teen.”

                “If the cap fits!” Bill laughed.

A couple of months ago he’d have been sat there eating breakfast alone, scowling at the world in exactly the way that Mary described, instead he was having a joke with some of the patrons, and felt as though he was starting to be a real part of the community. It was a funny place, full of gossips and busy bodies, everyone knowing everyone else’s business...and having an opinion. But he was starting to feel that he was part of it. Belonging. He smiled to himself, all his life he’d strived to belong somewhere, anywhere, and now he was starting to, that was due to Martha, no one else, her acceptance of him more than Carl’s had led to this.

At that moment all three looked up as the door was thrown open and the very woman he was thinking about was stood in the doorway, hair wild from the wind, face flushed.

                “There you are! I have been looking ALL over for you Carter.” She smiled when she spotted Eamonn and Bill too, “and you two, excellent. The bed...for Dad...it needs to get into the front room. He’s home in a few hours and I can’t move it. Can you help me?”

Sonny laughed, “of course, but after I’ve had my breakfast.” He looked up to the counter, “Mary, can you get Martha here a white coffee and a full breakfast too.”

Martha made to protest but he held up a hand.

                “My treat. Sit and eat woman before you explode with stress.”

Eamonn chuckled as she hung her head and walked sullenly towards them and reluctantly dragging out a chair to sit on, “you two are like an old married couple. Hilarious!” That was greeted with a scowl from Martha and all three men burst out laughing.

For Martha she had been over stressed. Getting her father home had taken over everything. Her hope was that the sooner he was home, the sooner he’d be back in control and the sooner she could return to Ethan. She’d cried herself to sleep more nights than she cared to think about, and nothing was getting easier.

But thanks to Sonny’s insistence on her eating breakfast and the friendly banter between the three men and Mary, she felt relaxed. They were obviously good friends and regulars at the cafe. She’d not been in there since she was a kid, but Shirley at the bookies - the only other place she had an inkling that Sonny might be, had hinted that he’d be here. And after digging into the breakfast, she could see why.

                “This is really good!” She offered when she came up for air.

Sonny smiled, “maybe not as good as yours, but fewer dishes to wash, hey?”