Drunk on Love

Alicia nodded and sidled between Ben and Olivia to settle into her mother's lap. Between the pair of them, they would attempt to cheer her up.

Olivia was emotionally spent, and while she was sitting there cuddled with Alicia, she fell into an exhausted slumber. Ben covered them with a throw from the back of the sofa and sat in the opposite chair watching Olivia as she slept.

Eventually, Alicia slid off her mother's lap and came over to him.

"Are you my mummy's friend that she went out to dinner with?" she asked him.

"I am," he replied, "I like her very much, she's a very special person."

Alicia ran to her bedroom and came back with a compendium book. "Will you read to me?" she asked.

"Of course, I will," Ben replied. "Do you want to sit on the arm of the chair next to me, so you can follow while I read?"

Alicia nodded and climbed on. Ben started to read at the page that Alicia requested.

After about fifteen minutes, the story finished, Alicia and Ben were chatting away like great friends; he was making her giggle with silly jokes. Ben glanced over at Olivia who was now awake watching the pair with a small smile on her face. She had been watching them for about five minutes; Ben had a way with Alicia that was extremely sweet, and Alicia was responding to him where generally she didn't really take to men.

"How are you feeling Liv?" he asked.

"Much better thank you, I needed that brief rest. Thank you for looking after Alicia."

"It was a pleasure, she's an absolute sweetheart," he replied.

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The next few weeks were a mix of good and bad for Olivia. Ben came over most nights to spend time with her and Alicia, staying over a few times and leaving before her grandfather opened the agency in the mornings. Her grandparents were still a little cold towards her, always asking her if she had been seeing "that man" or quizzing Alicia, but they didn't actually harangue her anymore about his past. Ben and Olivia visited the Diner a few more times, this time taking Alicia with them. They were quickly becoming inseparable.

The day to move into the new house had arrived, Olivia, Ben and Alicia were packing boxes in her apartment. There was a palpable buzz of excitement from Alicia as for the first time in her life, she was going to have a garden to play in.

The new place was a sweet little cottage that had arrived on the agency's desk a few months ago. Olivia had gone to view the property and had instantly fallen in love with it. It was an old lockkeeper's house, and the canal was still in use. The cottage still had most of its original fixtures and fittings, including a proper old split-stable rear door to the garden. It had slight modernisations such as double-glazed windows and central heating, but it still had traditional features such as the inglenook fireplace with a wood-burning stove. It had a wonderful kitchen diner which led to a small, enclosed garden with mature shrubs and an apple tree.

It needed some work, especially to the upstairs bedrooms and bathroom but Olivia never shied away from a bit of hard grafting. This is why she bought it at such a reasonable price and was able to secure a good mortgage through her grandfather's connections via the agency. It had three bedrooms, so she could see it being a nice family home for the foreseeable future.

She took a few days from work to unpack boxes and make the place more homely while Alicia stayed with her grandparents for a few days. Ben offered to paint Alicia's bedroom in her favourite shade of apple green. It was a strange colour for a child to like so much, but Alicia wasn't your average child. She was thoughtful and considerate far beyond her eight years. She loved books and the natural world. It's probably why the colour green was her favourite as it was the colour of nature.

Alicia had been fascinated by the Giant Redwood panels on the wall of the Diner when she went with them, she had asked for something like that in her bedroom.

Ben secretly built her a bookshelf from some lengths of hewn tree trunk, which still retained its bark, that he had carved with leaves and varnished. He had also asked his joiner friend to make a name plaque for Alicia from wood to hang on the outside of her bedroom door.

Olivia was stunned at the gesture, she had no idea that he had this project in mind; it was something she knew that Alicia would love when she saw it.

A few days later, Olivia was just clearing up after a late lunch and Ben had come over again to help. He was clearing some dead shrubs in the garden when a car pulled up outside. It was her grandparents bringing Alicia to the new house for the first time. As soon as her grandfather had released her from the child restraints, Alicia had burst out of the car and came running full pelt into the house.

"Mummy, Muuuuuuuuuummy, where are you," she called.

Olivia could hear her feet on the stone floor as she came running through to the kitchen, giving her a big kiss.

"Slow down sweetie," she laughed as she caught Alicia at the kitchen doorway.

"I want to see the garden mummy," she added excitedly and ran out of the back door.

It felt like a little whirlwind had blown through the house, and Olivia felt everything was right with the world until her grandparents walked in.

"I see that man is here with you," her grandmother complained.

"I wouldn't have been able to do this move without him," Olivia snapped back, "he's bent over backwards to make sure I managed to get everything set up in time so that it was homely for when Alicia arrived."

Olivia took her grandparents on a tour around the little cottage, they looked around the house inspecting all the rooms and criticising things that they thought hadn't been done correctly before coming to Alicia's bedroom. Noticing the name plaque on the door, her grandmother commented on it.

"Ben had it made for Alicia by a friend of his" Olivia explained, then opening the door she continued "He also painted the walls and built this bookshelf for her."

For once, her grandmother didn't look annoyed at the mention of his name.

"Really?" she replied in a surprised voice.

They then heard loud and excitable laughter rising from the garden, with squeals of delight following that. All three moved to the bedroom window and looked down to the garden. There, they watched Ben chase Alicia around the bushes, pretending not to be able to catch her, then rounding the other way and swinging her off the floor. Olivia looked at her grandmother who seemed to have a small smile forming. She said nothing, thinking it for the best to let thoughts take their natural course.

They went back downstairs and had some tea and biscuits sat at the kitchen table. Olivia was musing about the work she would like to see done over the next few years. The conversation came back around to Ben. Olivia started to tense.

"It was nice to see Alicia play with your man friend in the garden," her grandmother stated, "I don't think I've ever seen her so happy and carefree than in that moment. It was a joy to watch."

"She's taken to Ben," replied Olivia, "I've not seen her take to many men apart from Grandad and a couple of the guys in the agency. And he adores her. Every time he comes over, it's him that reads a bedtime story. Alicia insists on it."

"Maybe we were too harsh with our condemnation of him; it was just a shock to us that first day when we found you asleep on the sofa," her grandmother continued in reflection, "maybe it's time we gave him the opportunity to prove himself."

"That is all I ask, Grandma. He has some incredible qualities. He is much younger than I am, but he is far more mature than normal guys of his age. I think the difficulties he had back when we met, made him grow up a lot faster than his peers."

Nothing more was said on the matter, and it was time for her grandparents to leave. She called Alicia to come to say goodbye and noticed her grandfather was now out in the garden. He walked right up to Ben and offered a handshake which Ben politely accepted. They chatted for a few minutes before another handshake and her grandfather returned to the house.

Not one for vocalising much, he said, "Seems like a nice chap."

Later, that evening, after Alicia went to bed, Olivia and Ben chatted about the day, especially about her grandparents.

"It was a productive day in more ways than one," Olivia mused. "A very moral corner was turned today as far as my grandparents are concerned. I think things could be a lot easier for our relationship from now on."

Ben grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "Yes, I hope so, your grandfather seemed sincere in his apology, on how they had treated me over the last few weeks, all he asked of me is that I didn't cause you pain. I could never bring myself to hurt you, Liv; not even if I wanted to."

Olivia smiled at him, got off the stool and walked around the table. She leant over and kissed him. He responded by standing up and placing her in a loving embrace while returning the kiss. Pulling apart, Olivia held his hand and led him upstairs, leaving the dishes where they were until the morning.

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Another few weeks passed; Ben was more at the house now than he was at his own apartment. He stayed over most nights and Olivia was used to having him around. She had already given him his own key. Their relationship had been an absolute whirlwind, only a few months ago had she bumped into him outside that deli.

Today, Olivia had sent Ben out on a special errand, he should be back soon just after Alicia would come home from school.

Olivia had taken a few hours off early to prepare, she wanted everything to be perfect.

It was a stroke of luck that the bus that collected and dropped Alicia off every school day was just across the road from the house, it was an easy feat in the mornings to get her ready for school, much better than the old apartment when her grandmother took her to and from school every day. Olivia looked at the clock, Alicia will be home any moment now; as soon as the thought left her mind, she heard the bus coming up the lane. Walking out of the house and quickly across the road, she stood at the shelter to welcome her off the bus.

Alicia jumped off, clothes and hair tousled as normal. "Hi Mummy," she said and gave Olivia a big hug.

"Good day at school sweetie?" Olivia asked as they walked back over the road to the house.

"Yep," came the reply.

Alicia ran to the refrigerator and opened it. Taking out the milk carton she carefully poured herself a glass, making the usual mess despite trying her best not to. Leaving the milk carton on the side out on the counter, she grabbed the cup and went to drink it outside in the garden. She loved it out there.

Olivia heard a noise behind her and turned. Ben was back with a big box. Olivia smiled broadly; she had been waiting for this for a long time. They both walked out into the garden and called to Alicia.

"We have something for you to play with," Ben said to her. "It's in the box, do you want to see?"

Alicia looked over at the box with curiosity.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Have a look," Olivia laughed.

She came running over and lifted the flaps, peering in she jumped back and squealed as a little head popped out.

"It's a puppy, a puppy, for me?" she cried. Alicia scooped the little bundle of fluff out of the box and held it to her chest. The pup wriggled excitedly and was licking Alicia's face with vigour.

Ben and Olivia stood back watching her, Olivia had promised her a puppy when the time was right, and that time had arrived. They could grow up together. But the surprises hadn't stopped just yet. She turned to Ben and smiled.

"You are here more often than not these days, and if you hadn't guessed it by now, we love having you here. It aches so much the times you have to go back to your place." Olivia started, "It would be the best thing ever if you would consider moving in here permanently..."

Ben started at Olivia, and a huge smile appeared on his face.

"I never thought you'd ask," and he grabbed her around the waist and kissed her passionately. "I love you Liv."

Olivia looked into those stunning green eyes; she had wanted so much to hear those words.

"I love you, too, Ben" she replied with her eyes welling up.

Alicia looked over; "Ewwww," she muttered under her breath and carried on playing with the puppy.

As they turned to walk into the house, Olivia said to Ben, "Oh, and there is one more surprise for you."

"What's that?" he asked.

She stopped, with the tears now falling and a smile on her face, turned to look at Ben and replied.

"I'm pregnant."

THE END (of the beginning)