“Go, greet
your parents. I will bring the bags. Come
on, wake up!” and gave a pat on her bottom.
“
Okay, okay! I’m awake now,
no need for violence.”
“
Such a grouch when you wake up.”
S
he walked off
into the house.
George was waiting at the door, happy to see his
daughter after her ordeal some two weeks ago. He made her turn
around while he inspected her and then gave her a huge hug. He held
her so tightly, she complained.
“
Dad! I am fine, truly. Hello, where is Mum?”
“Right here darling! Oh my baby, I am sooo pleased
to see you!”
She grabbed her daughter from her husband.
Back off, old man, my baby is here.
Your baby, what, you made her yourself? She looks so
wonderful.
I know. That Clayton has made quite a difference. I can
hardly believe they actually did it.
Yes, especially because they took so long to get anything
right.
“Clayton, my boy, it is good to see
you in one piece.”
George
hugged
Clayton as he came in.
“
Yes, it is good to see you too.”
Clayton was touched by the gesture. His own father had
never hugged him
. He felt like he had come home. It was a
good feeling.
He
hugged Rowena and they went inside.
They sat on the patio and ate a delightful meal prepared
for them. Clayton was very content. Afterwards, he pulled Rebecca
to him and made her lean on him. She
was looking so
tired.
“
Do you want to go to bed, Princess?”
“
Yes, no. I want to chat first. I haven’t seen them for a
while.”
“
Okay, do you want to be alone with them?”
“No, it is okay. Thank you for asking. Come let’s make some
coffee. Those two are having
one of their
arguments.”
Clayton put the kettle on and chatted to her about work. He
looked so comfortable here,
so at home
, she thought.
I can’t bear not to sleep in the same bed with him
tonight. It is going to be awful.
“I
know,” he said. “I am probably
going to spend the whole
night pacing, thinking about you, sleeping all alone. I don’t think
I can do it, Rebecca.”
“Stop reading my mind. Of course you can do it. I just
can’t bear the thought of facing my parents tomorrow morning, if
you and I sleep in t
he same bed. It seems wrong, especially
since my father still thinks I am five.”
“
I know, but it does not make it easier.”
“
Make what easier?” George asked from the door.
“
Nothing, Dad. That was private. Go back and have a silent
fight with your wife.”
“Not
a chance. I think I am already in too much
trouble. I have to try and charm my way into our bed
tonight.”
His eyes
twinkled.
“
Dad, please. I do not want to know about that,
okay?”
“Alright Sweetpea. Stop being such a grouch. You are in a
mood today
. Just woke up?”
“
Yes. I was having a wonderful sleep before this tiger woke me
up.”
“She is such a complete pain in the morning, isn’t she? I
don’t know how you put up with her, Clayton. She used to complain
and moan until she got to school,
everyday
. ‘Daddy, I don’t want to
wake up yet, I want to go back to bed and I want to be left alone’.
She never grew out of it.”
“
Dad, leave me alone. Stop telling Clayton all my
secrets.”
“Oh,
that
was not a secret. Wait until we go to the hotel for drinks tomorrow
afternoon. I will have him all to myself and boy, do I have stories
to tell.”
Clayton
was laughing at her horrified expression.
“This is
going to be very interesting. I am so looking forward to
it.”
She glared at both of them, which made them laugh even
m
ore.
“
Go away, both of you. I will make the coffee. Go and charm
Mum, if you dare.”
They left her in the kitchen, laughing at her.
Men! Clayton is
just like my father. Over-protective, but feeling entitled to taunt
me themselves.
When she brought
the coffee, her mother was sitting
close to Clayton, whispering something and laughing. Her father was
standing on the balcony, pretending not to listen.
“Thank you dear
,” her mother said.
Rebecca took two cups of coffee and went to the balcony to
her fat
her.
“
Dad, I want to thank you for everything. You have been so
patient when I have been so stubborn lately. Thank you.”
“Sweetpea, you have been a little stubborn, but mostly you
have been brave. You know, your mother and I were saying how you
never complained
during this difficult time. You simply got
on with the job. We are proud of you, Sweetpea.”
“
Dad, is there anything wrong between you and Mum?”
“No, just the usual
stuff. I want to assist in an interesting trial, running in
a few weeks’ time. She does not
want me to. She thinks I
need to relax and stop worrying about others. It is the same
argument we have had for a few years now. Eventually, she will
agree, but I have to climb this mountain first. You know how she
fusses. We are alright, really.”
“You both
look a bit strained, so I wondered if
there was something else.”
“No, I guess we were stressed about you and then we spent
the next week feeling guilty, worried and relieved that things
turned out all right. We spent one whole week talking about nothing
else
, wanting to phone you every day. We wanted to be sure
it was gone. We phoned one night and Clayton said you had gone to
bed. He told us that you were tired a lot and needed to sleep. Are
you alright now?”
“Yes, Dad, for about six or seven days, my body
simply
couldn’t stay awake for long. Clayton was wonderful.
He cooked for me and has basically been spoiling me. He was also
tired and while I slept, he stayed awake, because he couldn’t
really sleep on his back. But, we are fine now.”
“Dad, after you did it,
how did you feel, about
Mum?”
He was
silent for a while.
“At first I was so relieved she was alive, I didn’t really
think about it. Then, I started to realize how lucky we were to
have each other. I know we fight a lot, but Sweetpea, every day I
wake
up and think how lucky I was to have met her that day.
I loved her then and always will. Why do you ask?”
“
Did you ever feel, well, obligated or burdened by having to
be her Protector?”
“Never, Sweetpea. I felt quite privileged to be the one who
was so
special to her. I guess, a man likes to know he can
take care of business, no matter how liberated he is. I liked the
fact that she needed me, you know?”
“
Even when you were in pain?”
“Especially when I was in all that pain. I felt I had done
something wonderful
for that beautiful elusive woman, who
kept so much of herself away from me. Rebecca, Clayton will not
feel obligated or burdened. You see, if he did not love you, or
need to protect you, one or both of you would have been dead now.
Sweetpea, he needs to protect you. Okay?”
“Okay, but it just seems so unfair Dad. You know, he takes
his role very seriously. He does not even reali
ze he is doing it. If we walk in the
street and somebody is about to bump into me, he gets me out of the
way. When we are with other
people, he talks to them, but
still keeps an eye on me. I don’t know. It seems like a
burden.”
“
But how do you feel about it?”
“I
like knowing that he is around. I sleep better at night and I have
finally been convinced that it has gone. Yes, I like
it, but
sometimes he is a bit possessive and we fight, but I like it,
overall.”
“
So why are you bothered about it?”
“It just
seems he did not have a choice in the matter.”
“Did
you, Sweetpea?”
“
Okay, I get your point.”
“Rebecca, why haven’t you
discussed this with
him?”
“
Because he gets angry when I say these things. He thinks it
is because I don’t trust him. So, we go round in circles about
it.”
“With time, Rebecca, you will accept things as they are.
You want your fantasy of a normal relationship
, like
everybody else. But you should know that everybody else has their
own problems and doubts. These are not different, you know. You do
have a normal
relationship
.
”
“You sound just like Clayton. He says that all the time.
But you are right. I don’t know
what I am talking
about.”
“Rebecca, Clayton is a good boy. But I must tell you, being
a Protector is not something objective, out there that he does as a
job. It is a way of life where he shows you he loves you. You must
not forget that, Sweetpea. You seem
to think he is working
for you. Well, he is not. He is simply showing you how much he
loves you and you must show the same love. Otherwise, he will feel
rejected and hurt. Remember that he has needs too.”
She
hugged her father.
“Thank you, Dad, I needed
to hear that. You are
right. Okay, let us go join those whispering two there.”
“
Okay, you two, what is all this whispering about?”
“
No, Princess, nothing. Come join us.”
Rowena
had a sparkle in her eye.
“George, are you ready to apologize to
me?
”
“
Yes, my love, but certainly not in front of the
children.”
“
Oh Dad!”
“
We’ll see you children in the morning. Rebecca, thank you so
much for coming and for bringing your charming young man.
Goodnight.”
Rowena
breezed out of the room.
“Well, kids,
that’s my cue. Sleep tight.”
Clayton
was laughing, because Rebecca was so embarrassed.
“I
don’t think they are embarrassed about these things Rebecca.
You
need to realize that you are
not their five-year old daughter anymore.”
“What were you two whispering so
deliciously
about?”
“
Oh nothing, this and that.” He smiled knowingly.
“
Oh, you are so impossible sometimes. Shall we go to
bed?”
“Okay, but
we
are not going
to bed, are we? You are sleeping away from me.”
He
sounded really upset.
“
Clayton, stop it. It is just for two days.”
“
Two whole nights. That’s too painful to think about. Distract
me, please Princess.”
“
Okay, once upon a time, there were three bears...”
He
tickled her.
Rebecca
woke to the sound of Clayton coming into her room. It seemed
ridiculously early.
“
Good morning, Clayton, is that coffee I smell?”
“
Yes, but I want my reward before you get the coffee,
deal?”
“
Deal, come here.”
She
kissed him on his cheek and laughed.
“Very brave, aren’t you
?”
“
Yes, my parents are downstairs, remember?” she said
smugly.
Clayton
sat next to her on the bed.
“
Now, I am giving you one last chance .Give me a proper
reward, or you will pay double.”
“
Okay”, and pecked him on the cheek again.
He
turned his face to he
r and kissed her. Gently and then
suddenly, he was kissing her, demanding all of her. He was taking
control, very quickly. He pushed her back onto the pillows and
caressed her breast.
“
Clayton, behave, okay? My parents are......”
“Not, here, my dear. The
y left a few minutes
ago.”
“Oops, I walked into that one, didn’t
I?”
“Hmm, shhh. I want my full, double reward now.
Shhh
.”
He
lifted the t-shirt she was wearing and gently stroked her
body.
“
Oh Clayton.....”
“Hmmm, give me some of that life force, that
balance
you always talk about...”
“Okay,
but Clayton?”