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Alec and Daisy spend all day Saturday packing. For once they’re grateful that they haven’t lived here long and therefore have not accumulated so many things. Their family home, where Tess still lives, would take weeks to pack up. The Millers had intended to help ease the pain of this arduous task, but between Tom’s football match and a whole slew of errands, they have been occupied elsewhere.
They’re packing up the last of the kitchen around supper time when Daisy’s mobile buzzes.
“Mum’ll be round first thing,” she announces to her father.
Alec stops what he’s doing and sighs heavily. He’d forgotten about that. “Right.”
“Won’t be so bad,” Daisy says. “I’ve told her to behave.”
“Just can’t understand why she’s so insistent upon it.” He starts taping up a box. “Not as if she hasn’t met Ellie.”
“She wants to see the house. Where I’ll be stayin’. Honestly though I reckon she just wants to see you and Ellie together with her own eyes.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Alec replies, glumly.
“Why?” Daisy sits on top of a box unhelpfully.
“Not sure I’ll be able to act naturally. Knowin’ she’s scrutinizing us like she does.”
“You and Ellie have been scrutinized for years. You can handle it.”
Alec shakes his head. “This is different.”
“If you say so.”
“Now get up, will you, and help me with this.”
They hear the sound of the front door opening, and Ellie’s voice carries through. “Hello!”
“Kitchen!” Daisy calls back.
Ellie appears in the doorway, holding up a plastic bag from Nando’s. “All right, lovelies?” She puts an arm around Daisy and kisses the side of her head. “Brought your favorites.”
She puts the bag down on the table, then goes to Alec, who has brightened considerably upon her arrival. She kisses him on the cheek and squeezes his arm. “Even brought you a salad against my better judgment."
Daisy unpacks the bag. “You’re a goddess, Ellie!”
“Sorry I could’t help today,” Ellie says. “Figured this was the least I could do.”
“Thank you,” Alec replies. “For not cooking.”
Her eyes sparkle up at him. “My pleasure.”
That look in her eyes, he has to kiss her, with or without Daisy in the room. He does. Once, twice, three times.
“’m gonna go upstairs,” Daisy says, with a mouthful of rice. “Eat in my room for the last time!”
“Thought we’d all eat together,” Ellie protests.
“Plenty of time for that now, El!” The teenager insists, grabbing a few takeaway containers. “Back in a bit.”
She exits swiftly from the kitchen. Alec slips his arms around Ellie and holds her close.
“Long day?” She asks, against his chest.
“Endless.” He exhales. “God you feel good.”
They stand in the hug for a few moments, and may even be swaying just the slightest bit. Then she pulls away. “So sorry, I’m ravenous.”
She goes for the one of the takeaway containers and tears it open, popping chicken into her mouth. He loves her so much.
“I would say dig in before it gets cold, but…” She gestures toward his salad and makes a disgusted face.
He opens it up and throws a cherry tomato into his mouth. Once she’s had a few more bites of chicken, she hoists herself onto the counter and sits, legs dangling. He loves it when she does this, making it so she is approximately his height.
“Right then,” she says, and there’s that sparkle again. “You about ready to live in sin?”
He looks at her cunningly through the hair that’s fallen over his eyes, and goes to stand before her, between her legs. “You’ve no idea.”
“Mm…” She tilts her head to the side thoughtfully. “Think I have some idea.”
His arms circle her waist and he kisses her. She tastes like curry. “Tom win his match?”
“He did indeed,” she says proudly. “My little footballer."
“Quite big now actually.”
“Shhh.” She presses a finger to his lips. “That’s my baby you’re talking about.”
He kisses her finger, then she moves her hand and sweep back his hair before kissing his temple. “Still need a haircut,” she says, kissing his eyebrow, then his nose. “Tom was sorry you missed it, but I think Fred most of all. He was quite bored without his playmate.”
To both their surprise, Alec blushes.
“My sweet little boy has become quite enamored of you,” she continues. “Alec this, Alec that. Today at the match he told one of the other mums, ‘Mumma’s boyfriend is Scottish and he’s big and tall and he scrunches his nose up like this.’” Ellie scrunches up her nose the way Fred did, which is presumably the way Alec does.
Alec scoffs. “Mumma’s boyfriend.”
“Oh yes,” Ellie says, matter-of-factly. “And then of course, ‘Mumma’s boyfriend plays Star Wars with me and he lets me be Kylo Ren.’ As if you would want to be Kylo Ren.” She rolls her eyes at that. “He tells them all you’re his best mate.”
It’s clear from the look on her face that Ellie is very proud of this development. Alec is a bit overwhelmed, but her face puts him at ease. “I do love the wee lad,” he says.
She grins, and kisses him happily.
“El,” he says, as she kisses him again.
“Hm?”
“Tess is coming in the morning.”
Ellie pulls back and scrunches her nose up, as before. He can’t help letting out a tiny guffaw.
“Haven’t we got enough on tomorrow?” Ellie replies with a heavy sigh.
“Just seein’ Daisy off, so to speak. Wants to see her new home.”
“We both know that’s not all.” She has both eyebrows sternly raised.
“Tess likes you well enough,” Alec insists. “It’s not that.”
“She likes me, or so you say, but does she like you and me? I doubt that very much.”
“’m not bothered by her either way,” he says, trying to distract her with a kiss.
“Bloody liar, of course you are!”
Ellie nudges him out of the way and hops off the counter, diving back into one of the Nando’s containers.
Alec shoves his hands into his pockets. “Look, she’ll come by, say hello, see the house, probably take Daiz for a 99, then be off on her way again. She’s just doin’ her due diligence.”
Ellie has a mouthful of rice and looks away.
He frowns, trying to read her. “This isn’t a bit of jealousy I’m detecting, is it?” He asks, and her eyes widen at the notion. “Because you know I’m – you know that what you and I --- what I had with Tess was, was nothin’ like what you and I…” He sighs. “You’ve nothin’ to worry about.”
“Not worried,” Ellie says quickly, taking another bite. “Just annoyed.”
“Sorry,” he grumbles.
She wipes her hands on a napkin. “Must get back to the boys. Left ‘em with Dad for a bit.” She grabs her purse. “Where’re you two staying tonight?”
“Daisy wants one last night here in the house, but my bed frame sold this morning, so I thought I’d come to yours,” he replies.
“Right, then.”
“I’ll just finish up packin’ and then come ‘round.”
She nods, and gives him a quick peck on the lips. “Text me if you think you might make Fred’s bedtime. I’ll even keep him up a bit for you,” she says. “He’d be tickled pink.”
“Will do.”
With that, she exits, and he tries not to think about Tess.
*
He doesn’t make it to Ellie’s until shortly after 10pm. He finds her in the master bathroom, clad in pyjama bottoms and a t-shirt, brushing her teeth. Once he gives her a kiss on the cheek, he sits down on the edge of the bathtub.
“Sorry I didn’t make it earlier. More to finish up than I thought.”
Ellie spits into the sink. “No bother, I told Fred he’d see you in the morning and that seemed to please him.”
She starts to wash her face, and he just watches, exhausted.
“What time will DS Henchard be gracing us with her presence in the morning?”
“DI, now,” Alec replies, and she shoots daggers at him. “Round half nine, she says, making an early go of it.”
Ellie blots her face with a hand towel. “I was thinking back on when I met first her, when you didn’t think to tell me she was your bloody wife.”
Alec shrugs. “Ex-wife.”
“I must’ve seemed like a right country rube to her. Following you around, doing your dirty work for free, a baby on my hip, all the while my husband’s on trial for murder. What fun I must have seemed.”
She begins applying moisturizer on her face, and he takes off his shoes, rubbing his feet. It’s amazing how domestic they’ve become after only two months together, before even moving in.
“Don’t think that’s what she thought,” Alec replies, a bit noncommittally. “She was jealous, actually.”
This gets Ellie to look at him. “What d’you mean?”
“She was jealous. I could see it on her face, she’s not so impervious as she thinks she is,” he says. “Jealous that it was you I wanted to work with. Plus, Daisy says she thought we were shaggin’ even back then.”
Ellie snorts. “Her and everyone else, apparently. Why is it a man and a woman can’t work closely together without being accused of something untoward? Granted, you do have a rather suspicious track record.”
“Tess wasn’t my DS when I married her,” Alec clarifies.
“Still.”
He’s unmoved. “I don’t get out much.”
She puts on another layer of moisturizer, this time a different one. He finds his toothbrush, the one he’s been keeping there, and starts to brush his teeth.
“Spose I’ll have to choose now,” he says, looking at his toothbrush, a bit conflicted.
She furrows her eyebrows. “What?”
“Toothbrushes. I’ve got one here and one at home, haven’t I? Don’t rightly need both.”
It’s such an odd thing to say that she laughs. “Well, don’t sacrifice one on my account. There’s room enough for both.”
She stands in the doorway, now watching him. He spits into the sink, and upon looking at her in the mirror, notices what she’s wearing. “Is that my Miles Davis shirt?”
“Mine now.” She flashes him a little grin.
He’s grumpy at first, but his eyes haven’t left her. “Does look better on you.”
She pulls at the fabric a bit. “Little long, though I’m stretchin’ it out a bit here.” She gestures to her chest.
“Uh. Yes.” His mouth is parted just a little, filled with foaming toothpaste. “Yes you are.”
She raises an eyebrow and smiles in amusement. “Spit.”
It takes him a second, then he spits out the toothpaste. She turns to head back into the bedroom when he grabs her by the waist and pulls her back against him. He kisses the back of her neck.
“Were you this handsy with her?”
“Wha?” He murmurs against her skin. “I dunno. A little, I s’pose. Maybe not quite this much.” He spins her around to face him. “Besides she doesn’t have…” He reaches for one of her breasts and runs his thumb over her nipple. “What you have.”
“Oh, so it’s my tits that set me apart?”
He sighs, hands falling to his sides. “You said you weren’t jealous.”
“I’m curious. You were married to her as long as I was married to Joe. I know how much is contained in a relationship that long,” she explains. “I’m just interested.”
“Fine,” he concedes. “What do you want to know?”
She heads into the bedroom and he follows her. She sits at the edge of the bed and tosses him the pyjamas she left out for him. He’s kept a few pairs there. “What was the first thing that attracted you to her?”
“Uhm.” He thinks about it, stripping off his clothing. “Her voice, I think. Somethin’ about it.”
Ellie folds her arms across her chest. “How did you propose?”
“Over dinner. Some Italian restaurant she liked. Ring in the chocolate torte, down on one knee, all that.”
“Did you cry?”
“No. Don’t think so.”
“Did she?”
“…No, I don’t think she did.” He pulls on the pyjama pants. “Reckon she saw it coming. She hates to be surprised.”
“Did you shag all the time?”
He chuckles a bit begrudgingly. “Not like we do.”
“Really?” She asks, ears perking up.
He nods emphatically. “Really.”
She smiles.
“I mean, we shagged, obviously, and it was good, it just wasn’t…urgent, you know?” He continues, pulling on a t-shirt. “We didn’t feel the need to have each other any second we were left alone.”
“Like we do.”
“I mean, roughly, yeah.” He sits in the chair across from the bed, sitting on one leg, far more relaxed than he’d have ever expected to be having this conversation. “What else you got?”
“What would you do with her on a day off?”
He frowns, deep in thought. “…whatever Daisy wanted to do, I s’pose."
Ellie leans forward, beginning to enjoy this. “Did you ever go on holiday just the two of you?”
He nods, slowly, remembering. “Berlin once. Melbourne. And I took her up to Glasgow once shortly after we were married.”
She sits up straight. “I’d like to go to Glasgow.”
“So we’ll go,” he replies easily. “Someday.”
She feels a warm little tingle throughout her body at the thought of it. Visiting his homeland with him. Learning as much about him as she possibly can, stopping by all his old haunts, meeting his family.
“What was your favorite thing about her?”
Alec leans his head back, looking at the ceiling as he searches his brain. He’s a little resentful that he can’t ask her the same questions about Joe. But he knows he can’t. Not for years, at least. The pain his marriage inflicted on him is real, but not as expansive and present as hers.
“Her confidence, I think,” he replies finally.
Ellie repositions herself so that she’s sitting comfortably cross-legged on the bed. “What do you miss about her?”
“Not much,” he admits, and he wants her to see that he means it. “Her evenness, perhaps. She was difficult to rile up. She could be maddening, but she herself could not be maddened.”
“Why didn’t you have more children?”
He shifts a bit, and she leans in attentively. “Uh. I dunno, really, it never made sense. We both spent so much time at work. Daiz was about as much as we could handle, I think.”
She nods, understanding. “Would you have wanted more? Did you, initially?”
“Dunno,” he says again. “Wasn’t much on my mind, I don’t think.”
“Did Tess?”
He rubs the back of his neck. “She never mentioned it.”
“Would you still be together? If she hadn’t…had an affair?”
This one gives him serious pause. “I…” He falters, having searched his mind and been disturbed by what he found there. “Reckon so, if I’m bein’ honest. Together, but not happy. People in happy marriages don’t have affairs.”
This gives her pause too. She loses focus and looks away from him. He gets up from the chair, and moves to sit behind her on the bed.
“All right?” He asks, having now had his fill of this line of questioning. “Good enough for now? I’m knackered.”
She nods. “Thank you. For indulging me.”
“Feel better?” He lays a hand on her knee.
“Does this – you and me – does it feel different than it did with her?” Ellie asks, not meeting his gaze.
“Yeah,” he answers, quickly and simply. “It does. Does it for you?”
She smiles to herself, nodding. “Yeah.”
He smiles to himself just the same, then looks at her. “Depressing, isn’t it, the things that had to happen in order for us to find each other.”
“Very,” she agrees.
He moves his hand up just a bit and squeezes her thigh before looking at her hopefully. “Shall we snog a bit and then go to sleep?”
She looks at him with all the eagerneess of a child. “Yes please.”
*
The morning is immediately chaos from daybreak on.
Alec leaves early to fetch the moving van. Ellie deposits Fred with Beth to keep him from being underfoot, then heads straight to Alec’s to fetch Daisy and start packing up her car. Tom is instructed to do as much cleaning as possible in preparation for their arrival.
By 9:15am, they already have one full trip done, though they suspect they’ll need at least two more. They’ve enlisted the help of Nige and Brian, respectively, for the afternoon, but until then they’re on their own.
Ellie, Alec, Tom, and Daisy are unloading boxes from the van when Tess pulls up around 9:40.
Daisy greets her politely, but not overly affectionate. Alec gives a tepid hug. Ellie offers her hand to her.
“Tom Miller,” her eldest son says confidently, like a young man, holding his hand out.
Tess reacts accordingly, impressed, shaking it. “Tess Henchard, pleased to meet you.”
“Fine enough time to take a break, then, isn’t it?” Ellie suggests, leading them all inside.
Tom puts the kettle on, happy to be helpful in an uncomfortable situation. The rest of them situate themselves in the living room. Daisy and Tess sit on the couch. Alec and Ellie sit on the adjacent loveseat.
“Lovely home,” Tess remarks, though she’s hardly seen it.
“Thank you,” Ellie says demurely.
“I’ll show you the rest in a bit,” Daisy assures her mother.
Tess crosses her legs. “How long’ve you lived here?”
“Ten years or so,” Ellie replies. Alec reaches for her hand and pulls it into his lap, which does not go unnoticed by his ex-wife.
Tess looks around, as if listening for something. “You have a younger son, no? I seem to recall you with a baby.”
“Oh, yes, Fred,” Ellie says. “He’s four now, nearly five. Over at a neighbor’s at the moment. Tough to have him underfoot in the midst of all this.”
“You’ll see him later, if you stick around,” Daisy adds. “He’s so cute.”
Tess smirks. “And how do you like having a small child around again, Alec?”
“Well, he’s quite the lad, Fred,” Alec replies. “Never a dull moment.”
“As I remember it you used to quite prefer dull.”
Ellie leans in, protectively. “Not anymore.”
“Well.” Tess smiles. “Daisy seems quite enamoured of you all, I must say. She’s been talking about the move for weeks.”
“We adore Daisy,” Ellie says. “She’s all things sunshine and sweetness. Though thankfully she has her father’s shrewdness.”
Tom enters carefully carrying a tea tray and sets it down on the coffee table. No one is more impressed than his mother.
“Oh, thank you, lovely, aren’t you dreamy,” she says, touching his arm.
The rest all thank Tom, and claim their teacups, fixing it the way they like. Tom sits beside Daisy on the couch. In these moments of silence, Ellie looks to Alec and he smiles reassuringly at her. She crosses her legs, her knee touching his. Somehow, it makes her feel better.
“Tess, how’s work?” Alec asks, breaking the silence.
Tess raises an eyebrow, acknowledging the inanity of the question. “Just fine, Alec. And you?”
“Oh, fine,” he replies, bested.
“You two are still….”
“Working together, yeah,” he says. “As long as they’ll let us.” He winks affectionately at Ellie.
“They tolerate us,” Ellie adds. “For now.”
“For now,” Tess repeats, sipping her tea. “Tom, how’s all this for you? Having another girl in the house?”
“Oh.” Tom shrugs. “Daisy’s pretty cool actually. I don’t mind.”
“Daisy and wee Fred get on like a house on fire,” Alec interjects. “Takes a bit of the pressure of Tom, isn’t that right, lad?”
“Yeah. Fred can be a bit, uh, much. Nice having Daisy and Alec around,” Tom agrees. “Likes them better than he does me, thank god.”
Ellie rolls her eyes at him. “Fred is quite fond of them both. But there’s nothing like a brother’s love.” She makes a face at Tom, who makes one back.
Tess sits up, putting her teacup down on the table. “Seems you’re quite the little family.”
“Workin’ on it,” Alec says, squeezing Ellie’s hand and kissing her cheek fervently. She beams back at him.
“Right, then,” Daisy pipes up. “Mum, why don’t I show you the rest of the house? We’ve not finished painting my room yet, but at least you’ll have an idea."
“Sounds perfect.” Tess stands.
“You’ll stick around a bit and join us for lunch, won’t you?” Ellie says, standing as well. “You came all this way, it’s the least we can do.”
Tess looks at Daisy, then at Alec, before nodding at Ellie. “Thanks very much, Ellie."
Then Daisy leads her out of the room and up the stairs.
*
They spend the next two hours unloading and unpacking. To everyone’s surprise, Tess is a big help. She even makes a trip with Daisy, transporting boxes and small furniture in her own car from one house to the other. Around noon, they decide to take a break for lunch. Alec insists on cooking, in the interest of everyone else. Tom and Daisy volunteer to run over to the Latimers’ to fetch Fred. Ellie and Tess end up together in the living room, sitting opposite one another.
“He makes a phenomenal steak and kidney pie,” Ellie says, congenially. “You’ll be dreaming about it for weeks.”
“I know.”
“Right, of course.” Ellie forces a smile. “I’m useless in the kitchen, so his culinary prowess is truly a blessing, believe you me. My boys are over the moon.”
“Eating more than salads these days, is he?” Tess quips.
“Now and then.” Ellie allows herself a laugh. “It’s a work in progress.”
Tess seems a bit more relaxed than she had earlier, and Ellie is determined to keep it that way. “Care for a G&T?”
The other woman seems surprised, but utterly relieved. “Please.”
“Right.” Ellie gets up and goes to the small bar cart on the side of the room and fixes them drinks. “Nothing quite like an early afternoon cocktail, is there.”
“Nothing,” Tess agrees.
A moment, and Ellie hands Tess a glass. “Thanks very much.”
She sits back down, taking a lengthy sip of hers. “Good of you to come ‘round. I think Daisy’s happy to have you whether she lets on or not. And I’m certainly glad to have your blessing in all this.” Tess appears confused. “Daisy living here I mean. I just adore her. But I recognize how…complicated a situation like this can be. The blending of families.”
“Ah.” Tess nods.
“I hope you know we’re happy to have you anytime,” Ellie continues. “Please don’t be shy.”
“Thank you,” Tess replies, sipping at her G&T. “Daisy really is quite fond of you, I can tell. Thank you for being so sweet to her.”
“Oh, gosh, are you kidding? Daisy is a dream.” Ellie beams. “I’m so beyond thrilled to have her living here. The daughter I never had.”
Ellie instantly regrets her words, though she meant them. She can see Tess tensing up. “Sorry. I just meant.” She sighs. “You’ve a lovely daughter. I couldn’t be happier.”
“And Tom seems like quite the young gentleman."
Ellie is somehow grinning and scoffing at the same time. “Can hardly believe it myself. He’s taller than me now, and so much more mature than I was at his age.” She doesn’t say that she knows exactly why that’s the case. You grow up fast when your father murders your best friend. “We’re very proud.” She shakes her head, can’t believe she said that. “I’m very proud.”
Tess takes it in stride. “Looking forward to meeting Fred.”
“Oh, please let me apologize in advance,” Ellie says. “He’s incredibly sweet and loving, but he’s also a right Tasmanian Devil. He’ll steal your heart then knock you clean over.”
“It’s a fun age,” Tess replies a bit wistfully. There’s quiet for a moment, until: “Do you ever think of having more?”
Ellie’s eyes widen. “What? Children?”
“Yes,” Tess says, matter-of-factly, though a slight curl of her lips suggests she knows exactly what she’s asked.
Ellie is flummoxed.
“Sorry,” Tess adds, though it’s clear she isn’t. “Didn’t mean to – just us girls, now, isn’t it? We’ve both been in love with Alec Hardy. S’pose I figured that was worth a few intimacy points, but – “
“It’s all right,” Ellie insists, though she’s still reeling a bit. “As you can see, I’ve not really thought about it. Fred was still a baby when ---- and then, after that…”
“I understand.” And it seems like she does.
“We hadn’t exactly planned on Fred either, as it happens, so.”
“Sure.”
Ellie stares into her glass, then decides to chug the rest of it. Tess smiles despite herself, recognizing the feeling.
“When I was a girl, I thought I’d have a whole mess of children. Probably for the best it didn’t work out, but…” Ellie blinks back the moisture that’s building in her eyes. She will not allow this conversation to go this way. “Anyway, work being the way it is, I’m not sure it would’ve been responsible of me to have any more children.”
Tess raises her glass in recognition. “Now that I can relate to.”
Ellie smiles gratefully.
Tess finishes her drink, and Ellie is impressed.
“Alec seems happy,” Tess says, finally. “And he deserves that, so I thank you.”
“Please, no need for that.” Ellie waves her off.
There’s a bit of a cacophany heard in the kitchen, and both of their ears perk up a bit. Before long, Alec appears in the doorway of the living room, holding Fred upside down.
“Look what I found, just hangin’ about in the garden!” Alec announces.
Fred is giggling uncontrollably, and Ellie suddenly feels like her heart will beat its way out of her chest cavity. She stands up, her face fully lit up.
“Now where’d this little monkey come from?!” She exclaims, tickling Fred.
“I swing in the trees!!!” Fred yells happily.
Ellie blows a raspberry on his stomach and Fred giggles louder. Alec lowers him slowly by the ankles until his head lightly touches the floor, then helps him right himself. Fred immediately begins climbing Alec again until Alec picks him up properly.
“RAWR!” Fred growls, holding up two faux paws.
“Thought you were a monkey!”
“Lion now!” Fred notices Tess for the first time, and smiles a bit shyly at her. “You can be a cheetah if you want.”
Ellie is beaming at her boys and has almost forgotten about Tess until this moment.
“D’you know who this is, Mr. Lion?” Alec points to Tess.
“Daisy’s mum,” Fred replies, quite proud of himself.
“That’s right, that’s Daisy’s mum, Miss Henchard.”
“Hi,” he says to her.
Tess stands. She’s a little wobbly. The sight before her has been a bit much for her to take in. “Hi there.”
Fred squirms a bit and Alec puts him down. “You were Alec’s wife before Mumma,” he says, reaching out his hand to her.
All three adults exchange slightly uncomfortable glances. Tess gives him her hand, but doesn’t say anything. Ellie kneels down. “Love, you’re right, Miss Henchard was Alec’s wife.” She fusses with his hair. “But you know Mumma’s not his wife now. Right?”
Fred nods. “Alec is Mumma’s boyfriend.” That Fred knows for sure.
“Good lad,” Alec says, steadying himself from the shock of the last thirty seconds.
“Boyfriend comes before wife,” Fred continues. “NO, HUSBAND! Boyfriend comes before husband. Girlfriend comes before wife.”
Ellie takes a breath, determined to remain unflustered by her son’s innocent misunderstandings. “That’s right. For a lot of people, that’s true.”
Fred ignores her and looks at Tess, tugging on her hand until she kneels down beside him as well. “Alec loves Mumma now.”
Tess honestly can’t help laughing. She is, against all odds, charmed by the little boy holding her hand.
“Fred – “ Ellie tries to interject.
“S’okay,” Tess says. “You’re right, Fred.”
“But Mumma says love doesn’t go away so I bet he still loves you too,” the child says, flashing Tess a reassuring smile.
Tess smiles back at him. Ellie looks behind her at Alec, both of them red in the face.
“It’s important,” Tess says, nodding intently at Fred. “To always keep love in your heart for people even once you don’t see them every day, and you can’t live together.”
“Yeah,” Fred agrees, very seriously. “My daddy loves me even though he can’t live with me.”
Ellie’s heart shatters into a million pieces but she doesn’t have a chance to feel it because Fred’s big eyes are looking at her for confirmation. “Oh yes, my sweet. Your daddy loves you so much. So, so much.”
Even Tess looks like she might cry.
“But it’s okay,” Fred says, almost as if he’s comforting her. “Because Alec is here.”
All three adults are damn near beside themselves. Tess nods at him, and squeezes his hand. “You know, Fred, I bet lunch is about ready. Should we go see if Daisy and Tom will help us lay the table?”
Fred jumps up and down. “I do the cups!”
Tess allows herself to be led out of the room by the boy, flashing a teary smile at Alec in a way that is both accidental and necessary. Ellie, who has been kneeling, lowers herself all the way to the ground. Alec, a little gobsmacked himself, goes to her, and a bit painstakingly sits on his knees beside her. She says nothing, only leans into him, and he wraps his arms around her. Against her strongest will, she starts crying into his shirt, and once she starts, she cries hard. He holds her tighter and kisses her hair until she relaxes into his embrace.
“’S all right, love,” he whispers. “You’re all right. He’s all right. He’s happy.”
She nods, but she can’t stop crying.
*
After lunch, Fred goes back to Beth’s, Ellie heads over to Alec’s old place with Brian, while Tom heads over with Nige. Alec stays where he is to work on unpacking, and Tess takes Daisy for a 99, as predicted. Lucy shows up around half two and helps Daisy paint her room while everyone else unloads – a color that Alec refers to as “green,” though Daisy insists it’s “seafoam mint,” as if that makes any sense.
Sometime after three, Alec and Tess find themselves in the garden, deciding where to place what little outdoor furniture he has to contribute. Once they’ve done so, they sit side by side in plastic outdoor chairs, taking a breath.
“Turns out you’ve got mates here, who knew,” Tess says with a smirk.
“Ellie’s friends,” he clarifies. “I only ride her coattails.”
After a moment of quiet, Tess says, “She’s lovely, Alec.”
He turns to look at her. “Who, El?”
Tess rolls her eyes. “El, yes.”
“Sorry.” He clears his throat. “Yeah, isn’t she?”
“Well done you.”
Alec glances at her dubiously. “Easy now.”
“I mean it. You’ve done all right for yourself,” Tess tells him. “Have to admit, for a while there, I worried you never would. But I ought’ve known. Moment I met Ellie.” Alec snorts. She knows the sound well. “Yes, all right, I thought you were shaggin’ her, but outside of that. You two have something. I guess I’d hoped you’d just be friends and that would be enough, but…this works too.”
Alec nods, grateful for her words but unable to articulate it.
“I’m glad for you,” she says, after a moment.
He looks down at his hands in his lap. “Thanks. Means a lot to Daiz, I think. You bein’ here.” He can sense his ex-wife’s disbelief without any proof of it. “She may not let on. But I know she wants you to be on board with this. She loves Ellie. But Ellie will never replace you.”
Tess runs her fingers through her hair, much in the same way Alec does when he’s anxious. “I know that. But thank you.”
“This town is good for her,” Alec says earnestly. “Ellie’s boys are good for her.”
“Good for you too, it seems.” Tess smiles at him, and he believes it’s genuine.
“They’re good boys."
They hear some noise from inside, and soon Fred comes sprinting outside, while Tom stands in the doorway.
“Alec!” The child cries out, running toward him.
“Fred,” Tom sighs with exasperation. “We’re meant to be helping Mum inside.”
But Fred is already climbing up on Alec’s lap. Then he looks at Tess and smiles. “Miss Henchard.”
Tess leans forward and winks at him. “You can call me Tess.”
“Tess,” Fred repeats, before turning his attention to Alec. “Alec. Will you do Wild Things tonight?”
Alec pretends not to feel Tess smirk.
“Of course, my wee lad.” He ruffles Fred’s hair. “And maybe tomorrow your mum will let us watch Star Wars.”
“KYLO REN!” Fred yells.
“…Reckon she’ll prefer a different one.”
“Want Kylo.”
“I’ll work on your mum for you,” Alec concedes.
Fred grins and throws his little arms around Alec’s neck. Tess watches, thoroughly bemused.
“Oi!” Ellie appears in the doorway. “Come on back now, little love. Nige has brought his old Batman costume over for you.”
Fred reacts to Alec as if he can’t hardly believe it. Alec mimicks his expression back at him. Then the boy crawls off his lap and runs toward his mother. Ellie shrugs animatedly toward Alec and Tess, then follows Fred inside.
Tess is smiling at Alec. He can’t quite look at her.
“Alec,” she says finally, beckoning him to look at her.
“Hm?” He does.
She has tears in her eyes, which he’s very much not used to seeing. He blinks, waiting intently for her to say something. A half-smile reappears on her face.
“What?” he asks.
“Sorry.” She shakes her head as if she’s trying to shake away the tears. “It’s just…” She looks away briefly, then looks him straight in the eyes.
“You two should have a baby.”
***