Man's Best Friend Ch. 08

Greg was appalled at what he'd done. He'd fallen hopelessly in love with Alice in the short time that he'd known her, and it had all been going so well. She'd trusted him, bared her soul to him, and now he'd lost her, just because he'd been too selfish and blind to be honest with her, too wrapped up in his own problems. He'd ruined everything, and now he was paying the price. He was a broken man.

A mug of coffee went cold, unheeded, next to him as he stared into space. She shouldn't have been driving in that state. What if something had happened to her? Fear gripped his heart. He should check if she had got home safely. How long had it been? He had no idea how much time had elapsed since she had rushed out of his house in floods of tears, never looking back as he tried in vain to call to her.

A dozen times he picked up his mobile, and a dozen time he put it down again, having no idea what he could possibly say to her to make things right. No, he had to know that she was safe, at least. He picked it up again. No messages, no calls. He forced himself to look for the picture of her in his contacts and press the dial button.

He listened to it ring. And ring. And ring. When the automated voice kicked in to tell him that the number he had called was not answering, he sat there numbly, the 'phone pressed to his ear until it finally went dead. He could go round to hers, but he could imagine her reaction. No, he'd blown it, she didn't want to see him ever again.

The house seemed so empty, and he'd never felt more alone. Lunchtime came and went, but he couldn't face eating. He jumped as his mobile rang, unnatural loud in the gloomy silence. He snatched it up eagerly, then his face fell as he saw an unknown number. He didn't feel up to talking to anybody else, but it rang persistently, and he finally hit the answer button.

"Hello?"

"What the fuck is going on?"

Even though the words were whispered, as though the caller didn't want to be overheard, the anger in them was unmistakeable, as was the voice.

"Chloe? Is your Mum OK?"

She hissed at him.

"No, of course she's not OK. She picked me up from school in tears, never said a word, and now she's in pieces in the kitchen. What the hell did you say to her?"

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to upset her. She thought I was trying to break up with her."

"Were you?"

"No! It was a misunderstanding. I had a lot on my mind, and I said all the wrong things. I just thought it was wrong for her to tie herself to some old guy that she'd end up being a nursemaid for, or pushing around in a ..."

"A wheelchair, yeah. Thanks."

"Shit, I'm really sorry, Chloe. I can't say anything right today."

She almost felt sorry for him as he choked up.

"Obviously."

"Chloe, can you tell her that I didn't ..."

"No, I'm not telling her anything. Get round here and tell her yourself!"

He was dimly aware that he really shouldn't be letting a sixteen year old, even one who was a lot more mature than her years, tell him what to do, but he didn't care any more. He wanted Alice back. He knew with absolute certainty now that he couldn't bear to lose her.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, you idiot. Now!"

She hung up on him.

His heart was beating fast. Was there really a chance to make things right again? There was only one way to find out. He slung on a jacket, grabbed his car keys and set off for Alice's place. He was actually trembling a little when he rang her doorbell. After what seemed like an age, the door finally opened to reveal Chloe in her wheelchair, glowering at him.

"She's in the kitchen."

Sheepishly he followed her, to see Alice sitting at the kitchen table, her face streaked with tears. She looked up at him bleakly.

"What do you want? Come to finish me off?"

Her pain was unbearable to him, a dagger to his heart. He had to make this right.

"Alice, I'm so sorry, I love you."

"Is that why you want me to look for someone else?"

"No! I didn't mean that. I'd had a disturbing 'phone call just before you arrived, I was full of self-doubt, and when we, er," he looked across at Chloe, who had her arms folded and showed no sign of leaving them alone, "tried to, er, you know - anyway, I just thought that I was too old for you, and that you wouldn't want to be stuck with a geriatric like me."

"So what gives you the right to decide what I would want? Don't I get any say in that?"

"Of course! Alice, I wasn't trying to break up with you!"

"Oh. What were you trying to do, then?"

"I don't know. Do the right thing by you, I suppose, not pressurise you into a long-term commitment with someone who would be an old man while you were still in your prime. I love you so much, and I worry about your welfare. I just want you to be happy."

Her expression softened a little.

"You've never pressurised me, Greg, and I am committed already, because I want to be."

A flicker of hope flared up at the present tense, as she continued,

"I'd never seen you like that before. I just assumed that it was because of me. That you'd had enough of me."

"No! Never! I was still thinking about the 'phone call, it wasn't you at all."

"What was this 'phone call, then?"

He explained about his own daughter's cry for help, and his worries about her relationship and financial situation.

"Oh, Greg. You should have told me."

"I know, and I'm really sorry. Chloe's right, I am an idiot."

He could see Chloe frantically shaking her head at him behind her mother's back. He went on, hurriedly.

"The point is, I love you, Alice, and I don't want to lose you."

She stood up, a little shakily, and smiled for the first time since she'd left his house, a lifetime ago.

"Then come here and kiss me, you idiot."

He was well aware of the irony of the so-called dominant being bossed around by two of the women in his life, and it didn't bother him one little bit. All that he cared about right now was that Alice was back in his arms, her lips warm and soft against his. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Chloe wheeling herself off to her room, smiling contentedly, her work done.

Alice pulled away again.

"Are you sure you want to take on two neurotic women?"

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life. Are you sure you can put up with a depressive idiot?"

"How about we discuss that in the morning?"

Her mischievous grin was back, and he felt as though a massive weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He happily followed her up the stairs.

The change in atmosphere at the breakfast table was palpable. Chloe smiled to herself when she saw that Greg was still there, and noted her Mum's glowing cheeks and the way they looked at each other.

"So, I'm assuming that you guys are OK again?"

Alice blushed slightly.

"Um, yes, definitely. No problems at all."

She exchanged a warm, conspiratorial look with Greg which made Chloe roll her eyes again.

"Actually," said Greg, hastily changing the subject and trying not to think about last night's joyous make-up sex, "we were just talking about going on holiday together next year."

"Sounds like a good idea. Where will you go?"

"Where will *we* go?" Alice corrected her.

"Oh no, you don't want a third leg, or no legs, cramping your style. Go off and enjoy each other."

Greg frowned.

"Chloe, I'd really like you to come, too."

It was very tempting, but she could foresee all kinds of practical issues. The trouble was, Greg had an answer to every objection she raised. He really did want her along. She looked to her mother for support, and received none. Eventually she caved in, at least partially.

"OK, so if, and that's a big if, we all go, where did you have in mind?"

"Where do you fancy?" asked Greg. "The world is your lobster."

She was getting used to the terrible Dad jokes. Was this what it was like to have a proper father? Be a family? She supposed it could be a lot worse.

"The world?"

"Well, yes, within reason. Maybe not Australia or Abu Dhabi for your first flight."

Oh, they'd never been abroad, and she knew that it was one of her Mum's dreams. It was she who should be choosing, really.

"Somewhere warm and sunny?"

Alice excitedly concurred.

"Oh, yes, relaxing on a deserted beach somewhere!"

"OK," said Greg. "How about a short-ish flight then, to somewhere like France or Spain or Portugal?"

"Portugal sounds lovely," said Alice wistfully, "I've always wanted to go there - I imagine it being wild and beautiful."

Chloe immediately chipped in.

"Seconded!"

"Right, that's sorted. We'll stay away from the most touristy bits, and explore wild Portugal. If you let me know the best dates for you two, I'll do some digging and see what's available."

With that, it was time for Alice to take Chloe to college and then go on to work. She rushed upstairs to get ready, leaving Greg alone with her daughter.

"Chloe, I just want to say thank you. I owe you one. Well, several, in fact."

The teenager grinned at him.

"Yeah, you both do. Well, somebody has to look after the daft grown ups in this family. Just don't tell Mum I rang you, for God's sake, she'd kill me!"

He smiled.

"I doubt that very much, but we'll keep that as our secret."

"Are you sure about this holiday thing?"

"Yes. it's important to me that you're there."

What was that supposed to mean? Oh, well, it sounded like it could be fun, so she wasn't going to turn the offer down.

"Thank you," she said, a little shy now. "That means a lot."

Her grin returned.

"You know, for a geriatric idiot, you're not so bad!"

He was still chuckling when he fastened his seat belt and waved goodbye to the two women who meant the world to him now.

It was another week before he heard from Kim again, but that was far from unusual. His younger daughter was a free spirit, and not good at keeping in touch. The call was very early in the morning for her. She still sounded stressed, but not as miserable as the last time he'd spoken to her, when she'd asked for money and refused to tell him what was up.

"Dad, can I come home?"

"Of course you can, Kim. You're always welcome to visit, you know that."

"No, not a visit. Can I come home to live?"

That was a surprise. She'd left home over a year ago for the bright lights of London and the arms of her girlfriend, and he'd assumed that she had flown the nest for good.

"Yes, of course, sweetheart, your old room is yours, for as long as you want. Now are you going to tell me what's going on?"

She hesitated, then it all came pouring out.

"I've split up with Abby. It's been bad for a while, but I thought I could fix it, but it's just got worse and worse. She lost her job a couple of months ago and I've been supporting us both, working all hours at the café, while she just lay around getting high. I used to give her the money to pay the rent, and then last week I found out that she hadn't paid it for a couple of months, but had spent it all on drugs, and some of my things had gone missing. When I confronted her, she told me that she'd been sleeping with somebody else, that she didn't want to be tied to me ..."

She was sobbing now, and Greg wished he could put his arms around her. Anger flared - how dare someone treat his little girl that way?

"Oh, sweetheart, I'm so sorry. She doesn't deserve you. When can you come home?"

He could hear her blowing her nose noisily, trying to pull herself together.

"I could get the train today, but all my stuff is here. I've still got a week left before I have to get out, though, so I could go back and fetch it next week. Abby's gone, so it would be safe there."

"Do you need to give notice, or any money for the rent or anything?"

"No, I've resigned from my job, and the landlord has a queue of people waiting for a flat, so he was happy to waive the notice. The rent's all paid up. That's what I needed the money for last week. I'm sorry I didn't tell you then, but I wasn't sure whether I could still make things work. I will pay you back, I promise."

"We'll see about that. Why don't you just get your stuff sorted out, and I'll come and get you today?"

"Oh, that would be amazing! Are you sure you don't mind?"

"Of course not. I could be there in a couple of hours."

"Ummm, could you make it three or four? I need to do some cleaning up first!"

"I can imagine! OK, see you around three, then?"

"Perfect! Thanks, Dad, love you!"

In the car on the way up the motorway, he mused that it would be good to have at least one of his two daughters back home, although it might complicate things a bit with his relationship with Alice and her own daughter. Oh well, there was plenty of room - they'd make it work somehow.

The satnav took him through the outskirts of the metropolis to the address she'd given him. A scruffy suburb, but vibrant and multi-cultural, exactly what he'd have expected of her. He hoped that she wouldn't be bored in the less exciting, semi-rural surroundings back home, but then she knew what it was like there, and she probably needed a bit of peace and quiet for a bit, anyway.

He wasn't at all surprised to find the small flat far from tidy when she opened the door and flung her arms around him.

"Sorry, Dad, it's taking longer than I thought."

He smiled and they set to work together, filling the empty cardboard boxes he'd thought to bring with him. When they were done, the sum total of her possessions sat sadly in the hallway.

"It's not much to show for it, is it?"

"Hey, at least you still have your guitar."

The instrument was her most prized possession. He remembered buying it for her as an excited sixteen year old, only a year or so before Isobel passed away. It had been expensive, and he'd worried whether it would be a five minute wonder, like so many of his impulsive child's crazes, but to his surprise she'd persevered with it, and proved to be a talented player and songwriter.

"Oh, I'd never part with it. Even Abby knew that I'd kill her if she ever tried to sell that ..."

She was welling up again, and his heart went out to her. She must have been through hell, and he hadn't even known about it.

"Come on, Kim. Let's go home."

On the journey back, she was by turns excited and tearful.

"I can't believe I was so stupid. The signs were all there, but I just ignored them. It turned out that it wasn't just other girls she'd been sleeping around with, either. Now I'm going to have to get tested, I suppose. Sorry, too much information, I know."

"That's OK, you know you can talk to me about anything."

It was true. She'd always confided in her mother rather than him, but when Isobel died, it had brought them together, and they'd talked openly about everything, until she'd left home and thrown herself completely into her new life.

"I should have done this months ago, but I loved her, Dad."

"I know. It's hard to be rational when you're in love."

It was said with feeling, and she looked at him curiously, then leaned across and kissed him on the cheek.

"It's going to be weird, sleeping in my old room again."

"Yes, I suppose so, but it will be good to have you back."

"I'm really looking forward to it - a fresh start."

"Definitely. Talking of which, there's someone I want you to meet."

She turned to him, her eyes bright and questioning.

"Oooh, what have you been up to?!"

He coloured a little. If only she knew everything he and Alice had been up to!

"Er, I've met someone, and we've been seeing a fair bit of each other. She has a daughter, too, a bit younger than you."

"Hmmm, I don't have many friends around that way any more. Do you think she'd be the type to go out clubbing if we get on?"

"Maybe, but she's a bit young for that, and she's in a wheelchair."

"Oh, poor thing. What happened?"

"It's a congenital thing. She's not completely paralysed below the waist, but her muscles there are very weak, and she can't really walk at all."

Kim bombarded him with more questions as he ducked and dived, trying to manage her expectations and not to give too much away about how deeply he was already involved with Alice.

"How old?? So that's, what, more than twenty years younger? You old devil! Sure you can keep up?"

"No," he laughed, "but I'll try!"

"Is it serious?"

He avoided a direct answer, but she noted his hesitation.

"It's early days, still. I don't want to rush into anything ..."

"I get that. Nobody can replace Mum, but you're too young to be on your own forever, you know. You should have some fun. It sounds like it could be quite a responsibility, though, with her daughter and all."

"Yes, but I like that. I've only had to look after myself for the past couple of years, and it all felt a bit pointless. Now everything's different."

Kim hid a smile from him. He was clearly smitten, and she felt happy for him. She just hoped that his new love wasn't another Abby, a heartbreaker who was only out for what she could get. Time would tell.

Once Kim had had a few days to settle in, Greg rang Alice and asked whether she and Chloe would like to come over for the weekend and meet her. Alice was a little unsure.

"Do you think it's too early for that?"

"No, she's very keen to get to know you, and I'm sure you'll get on."

"You've told her all about us, then?"

"Well, not quite everything!"

She giggled.

"Glad to hear it! It would be nice, if you don't think we'd be in the way."

"Definitely not. Bring King and if the weather's good, we'll have a barbecue and a swim down the garden."

"OK, Chloe's dead keen on seeing your pool!"

"Can she swim?"

"Yes, it was part of her physio when she was a kid, and good for her confidence, too. She can't do much with her legs, of course, and we'd have to help her get in and out."

"No problem. See you both on Saturday, then!"

Alice was pleased that he'd asked both of them, even if she was a little nervous about what his own daughter would think of them. Chloe was delighted at the news.

"Brilliant! I finally get to see his place, and I haven't been swimming for ages. Can we get new costumes, please?"

Alice grinned. Any excuse for a shopping trip for clothes.

"Why not? I don't think I need a new one, though."

"Huh, yours are all ancient, and far too prim and proper. You could get something a bit more racy. Don't you want to look good for Greg?"

Alice laughed.

"I don't think he's too interested in costumes. He's a naturist."

"Yeah, you told me that he likes birdwatching."

"I meant ..."

Chloe smirked.

"I know what a naturist is, Mum. I'm teasing you. Hmmm, interesting. So he always swims in the nuddy?"

"Most of the time, yes. But he'll wear something when you're there, it wouldn't be appropriate."

"Yeah, that would be too weird."

Chloe's eyes suddenly opened wide.

"Hang on a minute! He was in the swimming pool when you first met, wasn't he?"

Alice smiled, reddening slightly.

"Yes. Yes, he was."

"Mum! You didn't?!"

Alice was giggling now.

"Um, yes, I did!"

"Oh, my God! I can't believe it!"

Chloe was chortling gleefully, seeing her Mum in a whole new light, as Alice protested feebly.

"Well, I didn't have a costume on me, did I?"

"No wonder he was smitten with you. OK, I'm officially impressed now, I didn't think you had it in you."

"Neither did I," Alice admitted candidly, "It just kind of happened."

"Yeah, right. Well, just don't forget your swimsuit at the weekend!"

"Hah, no fear of that, and you won't be able to check Greg out, either!"

"Nah, wrong gender, remember!"

The pair of them burst into another fit of giggles. They really were more like sisters than mother and daughter sometimes. Alice found herself looking forward to the weekend, in spite of her misgivings.

The day of the barbecue turned out bright and sunny. Alice and Chloe arrived at Greg's house early, largely because of Chloe's eagerness to see the place on her first visit, having heard so much about it from her mother. They were greeted at the door by a tall-ish girl with wild blonde hair, clothes which reminded Alice of old hippy films, and an infectious smile.