Wuthering Dormice (aka Bike) Part 845 by Angharad

Eventually, I managed to get the girls to bed and Tom read them a story. Simon phoned as I was getting stuff ready to wrap.

“Hi, Babes,” he said “Do you still want me to get a tree at the weekend?”

“Please, then the girls can help you decorate it while I do a few things.”

“You’re better at that sort of thing than I am.”

“Oh no you don’t, you’re going to do it with the girls, like we agreed.”

“Okay, if it’s a mess–it’ll be your fault.”

“As you’ll be in charge, I think it’s your responsibility, so can hardly be my fault.”

“Ah, but you delegated it to me, so you’re the officer in charge.”

“Fine–if it isn’t up to scratch, I’ll have you court martialled and shot. I have to go, things to do.”

“What, no time to talk to your hubby?”

“I shall talk to my hubby on Saturday and tell him what a brilliant job he’s done of decorating the Christmas tree and keeping the girls happy.”

“Or shoot him?” he added.

“Let’s keep things positive for Christmas, shall we, darling.”

“I hope that’s me you mean?”

“No I’ve got the Chancellor of the Exchequer here, who else did you think I meant?”

“That Scottish twit?”

“I presume as one, you’d know another one?”

“I hope I’m better than him,” I heard him sigh.

“Simon darling,...”

“You’re addressing both of us now then?”

“Simon, please shut up and go–oh, get a tree with roots, we can put it in the garden afterwards.”

“They always die,” he grumbled.

“Maybe this one won’t.”

“You gonna use your fluence with it?”

“Dunno if it works on trees and things.”

“Oh, alright, see ya.”

“Bye Si, I love you––”I said to an empty phone as he’d rung off too quickly.

“Tea?” asked Stella.

“Oh please,” I felt quite tearful.

“What’s the matter with you?”

“Oh, it’s nothing–tiredness, I expect.”

“Who was on the phone?”

“Oh that was nothing.”

“Who was it–Simon?”

“Yes.” Who else? I felt like saying.

“Why is that, I know dozens of couples who live happily together, get married and split up?”

“Stella, you are such a comfort,” I said sarcastically, but it flew over her head or washed off her back because she answered.”

“I try to be, Sis, I do try.”

“Hang on, you were one of the conspirators responsible for getting me married.”

“Yes, so?” she asked. Sometimes I wonder if she can do joined up writing because she fails sometimes with joined up thinking.

“So why did you, if you knew we had a good chance of breaking up?”

“Me?”

“You just said so.”

“When did I say that?” she looked perplexed.

“You just said that you knew people who lived together and then broke up after marriage.”

“Yeah, so what’s that got to do with you?”

Some days I should just stay in bed, it’s safer. “Stella, in case you’d forgotten, Simon and I got married a fortnight ago.”

“Duh! Like I’d forget, I was there–remember, I brought your girls–your bridesmaids.”

Remind me to kill you later. “Yes, I know, now put one and one together...” I explained very slowly my reasoning.

“Don’t be ridiculous, they’re just friends or acquaintances–you’re family, Sis.”

“I wasn’t officially until I married Simon.”

She looked at me as if I was talking in a foreign language, “Oh, I suppose that’s true literally, but we’ve been sisters ever since, well just after you fell off your bike.”

“I didn’t fall off my bike, Stella, I was knocked off it–remember?”

“Goodness, I wonder who did that, I mean I just happened to be passing and saw you lying in the hedge.” She sniggered and spoilt the effect.

“Stella, when you pulled up, I was still airborne–I didn’t land in the hedge until you’d got out of the car.” Something of an exaggeration I know, but I can do it as well as her.

“Okay, I killed a boy and gave birth to a beautiful girl in his place.” I mean what do you say to someone who lives in a parallel universe half the time?

I shook my head,”Hang on, I need to get something from upstairs.” I left her and went up to the bedroom. “Hello, Simon,” I said quietly into the phone.

“Hey, Babes, I thought you were too busy?”

“I’m never too busy to talk with my lover.”

“Shush, your husband’ll hear.”

We chatted for ten minutes or so and this time I was able tell him I loved him. He replied in a like manner.

“Where have you been?” asked Stella, “I made the tea ten minutes ago.”

“I had something to do upstairs.”

“Important, was it?”

“Why?”

“It must have been, you forgot I was making tea.”

“No I didn’t, but I needed to do it then.”

“Do what?” she enquired.

“Ah that’s for me to know and you, young lady, to guess at.” I gave her one of my smuggest grins and she huffed and passed me a mug of tea.