CH 135
Calvin
He’d seen Marilyn go quiet about halfway through lunch and wondered what she was thinking, then her eyes he noted were only on the boys for a time, and he wondered if she recalled having a family dinner with him
like this before. They’d never done that here in this house, it was always at his parents‘ home.
He wasn’t the only one to notice it either. He saw his mother frown at her, and then when lunch was over, she shooed everyone away bar himself and his father, to help her clear up the dishes and clean up. Marilyn walked out of the room with the boys in tow, and he sighed to himself.
“Just give her time, son,” his father stated.
He’d not said anything at all, and his mother kept them busy in the kitchen for well over an hour and then just latched onto him after his father left the room. “Give the girl some space, Calvin, I don’t think she is at all used to having a meal like this, a bit on the overwhelming side, for her. The boys are very happy, but that I think is to be expected. It’s not only their first Christmas with you and all of us. It’s something they clearly wanted, and she is allowing, maybe she’s not actually ready to do this herself, but pushes through with it for the boys, for you even, trying to… maybe make up for lost years for the three of you.”
“Something she has not had in eight years; it’s always just been her and the twins.” He nodded. “Again, something that is my fault.”
“I don’t know if she thinks that is your fault. She just probably needs to spend some time alone with either
dle, all of us a herself or just the boys. That would be her normal everyday thing. This family, we’re a lot t family–orientated and get along, and she’s had to deal with us since yesterday as well. Might just need a moment to herself this afternoon.”
He nodded. “If that is what she wants, I’ll give it to her.” Calvin nodded. There was nothing more that he could
- do.
“May I ask Calvin, why are she and the twins in the guesthouse? This was her home.” She was frowning up at
him now.
“It’s where she wants to be. Told me she’s not Marrin. This was never her house. I couldn’t argue with that, and unless she gets her memories back, that’s likely how it will stay.” And he knew it was. She might recall the house, but he had no idea what memories she held from her time here. “Though I think she picked something up during lunch, I don’t know what. I don’t even know if I should ask her either.”
“Maybe son, just leave it alone for now. She’s doing you a solid right now, by being here… what are you doing for New Year’s?” she suddenly changed the subject.
He stared at her for a moment and then answered her question, “Nothing, I will be here,”
“You have a party to attend though, I believe,” she commented, reminding him that he did.
“I’ll drop it, no one will really miss me.” he shook his head. “And I think being here with the twins and Marilyn for New Year’s would be better.”
“Perhaps son, you should ask her to accompany you to your New Year’s event She did that with you for three years, was on your arm for the ring in. Maybe that might help regain some of her memories
< CH 135
“I doubt she’ll willingly be on my arm mother, has kept it completely formal, and only called me Calvin once
since getting here.”
“Ask the girl on a date. It couldn’t hurt, and what’s the worst that could happen? She says no.” his mother patted him on the arm, “Don’t leave it too late, or it’ll seem like a last–minute thought, or that your current date has ditched you.”
“I haven’t dated in six months,” he stated. “Then there is how would I explain her on my arm, after all that happened.” It was a very good question, not even he knew how to explain that to those around him. Sure, he could say Marilyn was in fact Marrin, but then, after what happened, why she was on his arm would still be
asked.
He didn’t know how it was going to work, how to explain what he’d done and who she really was. People were going to judge not only him and his crazy behaviour once more, something they’d finally let go of. But also her if she accepted him after all he’d done. Even more so if they understood she was actually Marrin. He scrubbed a hand over his face and sighed; difficult it could be.
But he could ask her. There was no harm in that, then he realised that would leave the twins alone. “I can’t, we have the twins to think about.”
“I’ll take the twins for the night if you can get her to say yes. If she does, buy the girl a beautiful dress and do not step away from her to talk business with anyone.” She pointed right at him. “I mean that, she’s my daughter–in–law, and you’re not going to screw it up a second time around. Do you understand me? On your arm, means all night long.”
it up and deal with him right in the
“Yes mother,” he stated, though there was a lazy smile on his face now, “you might want to help me with her.” “Oh no, that is not going to happen. I just want her to be happy. So, you, Calvin, will the consequences, politely so, mind you. Be the gentleman I know is in there,” she po chest, “beneath the cranky demeanour you’ve had the past eight years. And I mean at all times around that girl,” she stated, “Now I’m going to round everyone up, and we’re going to leave. Because I think she needs a little time on her own.”
He saw them all off an hour later and watched as the twins waved and yelled goodbye. Marilyn was already at the guesthouse. She’d said goodbye to his mother and father, sisters before heading off herself. “Is your mother alright?” he asked the boys.
“Got a headache.” Vincent told him, “She gets them all the time, some are bad.”
That made him frown. He’d seen the list of the side effects that she’d had, and headaches were on the list. She might not get dizzy anymore, but still had headaches. Maybe her quiet demeanour was as simple as she was trying not to show she was in pain. He sighed to himself. If she’d said something earlier, he could have escorted her to her room and made sure she had something for the pain.
“Come on let’s go and check on your mum.” He murmured, as his parent’s car left the estate. The boys were gone, off running down the path to the back of the house. He trailed them in a much calmer manner, and found her walking barefooted out on the grassed area just beyond the gardens, talking on her phone.
She looked at him and then the boys running towards her, and she smiled at her boys and told them it was Aunty Lisa, calling to wish them a happy Christmas. He stopped walking as she handed the phone to them, and she looked at him. “It won’t take long.” She stated simply. “Then they are yours for the afternoon, I’ll take a walk and get some fresh air.”
< CH 135
“Vincent stated you have a headache?” he questioned, though he didn’t need her to give him time with the boys alone, but left that alone. She was still trying to be good to her word and his mother thought she might need to be alone; it was what she was used to.
“Mm, a minor one,” she nodded “It’ll pass on its own, or I’ll take something for it, if it doesn’t. Don’t concern yourself with it. Headaches are just part of my everyday life now. I’m kind of used to them.” She told him and turned to look at the boys, trying to hand the phone back to her. “Go and hang out with your father for the afternoon.” She told them and waved them over to him.
He sighed as she walked away from him, off up towards the cliff, just strolled casually along the stepping stone pathway. He looked to the boys. “What would you like to do?” he asked. “Play with your new toys or watch a movie?”
“Grandma said she left brownies in the fridge,” Callum stated, “Can we eat them and watch a movie?”
“You may.” He nodded and turned to go inside. “Your grandma also plated up leftovers from lunch, for dinner. So, when it’s time to eat, we don’t have to cook anything.”
“Cool, were there any baked potatoes left?” Vincent asked him.
“Mm, there were. Your mum made a lot of extras,” he stated, and she had peeled and cut up a lot of them. There was a massive amount left over.
“She likes to eat them cold with salt.” Vincent shook his head. “She’s weird sometimes.”
his head, but it was nice Calvin smiled at his boys as they walked inside. “That was something she always did, even back when she was Marrin. I never understood it, and she never really explained it to me.” He st to know that, even as Marilyn, some of the things that she did without knowing it, were things she’d done before her amnesia had come about, a little bit of Marrin was still in there somewhere.
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