Tina

“Ah good, that makes it easy,” said the person at the door. “You’re coming with me,” he said, stepping forward and reaching for me.

Luke stepped out of the door and across the front of me so he was in his way, “No she’s not and you need to leave right now.”

“You make choices for her now? She your property, huh?”

“Look, you’ve been drinking, don’t do anything you’ll regret.”

“I’m sober enough. You think you own her? Can tell her what to do?”

“I don’t own her, she’s free to do as she will.”

“You won’t fight me for her?”

“If it’s her choice to go with you, no. As it won’t be.” He left the thought hanging.

“Fuck! You really are a pussy!” He started laughing and looking at his two friends.

“Who the fuck are you?” said Rob as he arrived on the scene.

“Oh, you need back up, huh?”

“Some basic principles of invading someone else’s property,” interrupted Andy, as he ducked out of the door. “Don’t expect them to play by the rules you have in your head, if they outnumber you ten to one, expect them to utilise it. Anyway, I count three of you and unless your pals were going to take on the girls, then I say we have just balanced things up.”

I hadn’t noticed at first, but Idiot and his two friends had taken several steps back as Andy spoke to them, only to be followed by us. I was clinging tight to Luke’s arm to make sure he knew I was there. As I looked back, not only was Diane there, Sam was being held by her mother and more people were coming to see what was going on.

“Please lads, it’s New Year, let's not start it with violence,” said Daddy, trying to be the peacemaker. This fell on deaf ears and he turned to the others that had come out looking for support. Mr Evans went over to Daddy and looked like he was asking what he knew. Mummy and Mrs Evans started gathering people to bring them inside, I also found out Mrs Evans had called the police too.

“Does he need back up? A quick word of advice, Luke frightens me,” said Andy. “Where others lose their rag, Luke remains in control all the time.”

“Tina, you want anything to do with him?” Luke asked.

I shook my head and gripped his arm tighter and said out loud, “No!”

“Okay, she made her choice, she chose the pussy over the big man. Go. Now!”

“Or fucking what?”

“Or I’ll have you arrested for trespassing,” said Mr Evans.

“Shut up old man, come on then little man, show Tina how you deserve her.”

Luke stepped forward, blocking his father and getting up close to Idiot.

“An impossible task, no one deserves her. I’ve tried to show I’m most worthy.”

The Saturday Luke had been hit by the other rugby player, he had spun around to absorb the blow better. When Idiot hit him, his head flicked to one side, his eyes closed, he opened them and looked at me. The scariest thing happened before turning back, the smile that broke out across his face. The look this created made him for all intent and purpose, look like he had gone mad. Then Idiot made a grab for me, Luke pushed me back, then enveloped Idiot’s hand in his, squeezing and twisting it. I swear I heard what sounded like someone stepping on sticks.

I cried out, “Luke no, please.”

He paused and looked back, “I promised you, nothing silly.”

Sam put her hands on my shoulders and led me to Diane and my parents, then ran after Luke, who was now frog-marching Idiot to the end of the drive. His friends were no use, being fully occupied by Andy and Rob and led to the road too. At the end of the drive, Luke pushed him back, releasing his hand at the same time, making him stagger and nearly fall over. I noticed he was holding his hand at a strange angle.

“Go home, just, go home,” there was no emotion in his voice.

He went striding up to Luke and pushed him, “Fuck you, Tina’s mine, she’s coming with me.”

I could see Luke look down to where he had been pushed. As I looked down, I saw Luke had braced his feet like I had many times before, watching him play.

Andy laughed at him, “You slap a hooker with a limp fish and expect him to move? Fuck me, now I know why they call you Idiot.

“Don’t, fucking don’t,” Andy finished as he turned to the person he had marched out, then with a shove pushed him back off the drive.

“You make choices for her now? She your property, huh?” Luke asked repeating his words back to him.

“Tina?” Luke called.

I was terrified, not for Luke being hurt, but for this to break him, through my tears I replied, “Yours, always yours.”

Without turning to me he said, “Go home and sober up.”

I saw Idiot pull back for another punch, then Sam stepped forward and with all her might, she swung her foot. She put so much into it, I swear her back foot left the ground. Luke pulled Sam away as Idiot fell to the ground.

“Don’t you fucking come here again, next time I’ll stamp on you and fucking keep stamping. You’re a worthless piece of shit, you’re not worthy to clean a toilet bowl with your tongue after Tina’s shit in it, now fuck off you cunt!” I could hear she was crying through her screams, because of how angry she was. She then collapsed into Luke’s arms as she finished her tirade.

My only thought in that particular instant was that Mrs Evans would not be happy with the language Sam had used.

Luke took a half step forward and leant over Idiot, “Upset anyone in my life again and I’ll upset everyone in yours.”

There was only malice and threat in Luke’s voice now. I pulled to go to him, but Diane held me. When I looked at his parents, his dad went to move but was held by his mum, she looked up at him shaking her head.

Andy finished with, “Your pal might want to reconsider coming here again, he could barely make Luke flinch and then felled by a tiny woman. I think he’s the pussy and is close to getting fucked, hard.”

In all this, I hadn’t noticed Rob since they reached the end of the drive. When I looked around, he was standing with his foot on the chest of Idiot’s other friend. Apparently, he had swung at Rob, who ducked under it and used a move from rugby, lifting him and dumping him on his back, knocking all the wind out. Rob was almost nonchalant in how he appeared to be observing, but I could see tiny flexes of his fists as he stood, otherwise, motionless.

Luke picked up Sam after and carried her like a toddler towards us, his face totally impassive. As he passed our group, he took hold of my arm and without a word to or from the others, pulled me after him. He led us to her room, where he asked me to help him get her in bed. As I took off her dress, he disappeared, returning wearing a pair of jogging bottoms, carrying his shirt from tonight and a pair of knickers. Once Sam was in bed, he gave me my nightclothes and told me to get into the other side of the bed. Climbing into bed I noticed the time, seven minutes past midnight, all this must have taken no more than five minutes to happen.

In a voice, the opposite of the last I heard outside, a voice full of love and care, Luke said, “I still want to take that dress off you, but Sam needs us more tonight.”

He leant over Sam and kissed me. He put his arm over her and held onto me. I held onto his arm and we fell asleep protecting my new sister.

To cut a long story short, after we went in, the police arrived and made several arrests. Mr Evans pressed charges against them for trespassing and Luke pressed charges for assault. Restraining orders were placed on them not to contact either of our families. They were eventually found guilty and given fines and community service. Luke would not allow any concession for them being at university and insisted they carry out their service close in the locale of the processing court. This forced them to travel home at weekends, curtailing their social lives for the second half of the next academic year.

Luke

I awoke to soft voices.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Tina asked.

“I am, years of anger and frustration and worry, all came out.”

“Anger? Not at Luke?”

“No, no, at the wankers that sent him to his own, personal, hell, the same ones that dragged me to watch through a window, so close, but so impotent to help. Angry at those fools last night that pushed him close again.”

“You were always there for him, though.”

“Yes, but the stubborn bastard kept me shut out a lot of the time and I was the one he was the most open with, other than maybe his counsellor, I think.”

“Do you know why he didn’t open up with you?”

“He once told me to describe what it was like standing on the edge of a cliff, looking down, seeing the waves crashing against the base, but imagine he had never seen a cliff before, let alone looked over. Every time I started, he pulled me on something,  what does wind feel like when it’s blowing in your face, what does grass look like, describe green.

“I mean how the fuck are you supposed to do that?

“He then asked me to try again, but this time he was blind and deaf as well as never having been outside. I did say, if he was deaf, it was no point talking.”

Tina giggled, it was tinged with nerves as if she did not know how to react, I could tell she had been stopped.

Sam went on, “He told me that proved his point. I was the deaf person, I couldn’t hear or see what he did and he couldn’t describe it as we had no common frame of reference. That’s why he struggles to open up about it.

“Imagine feeling sad, imagine feeling so sad there is nothing, all your nerves are dead, there is no one to turn to. Then imagine magnifying that feeling ten-fold. He told me I might just be scratching the surface.”

“How do you know that he was pushed close last night, sorry, I just want to try and understand, to recognise some signs so I can help if I need.”

“A few things, when he grimaced at you, he was slipping, already fighting his own battle.”

“I thought he was smiling.”

“The speed he moved when he grabbed that twat’s hand, it was all instinct, he looked on auto-pilot. I know he moves fast on the pitch and his reactions are quick too, but that was something different, he was struggling with his control.

“The one great thing, through it all he kept talking, even the threat at the end was good, sort of. In the past he’s just remained silent, last night he seemed to remain focused on you.”

“Us, I watched as he gathered you in, then picked you up. When he spoke of upsetting people he was referring more to you than anyone.” Tina and Sam started to hug.

To break the mood I slapped Sam’s bum as hard as I could.

“Ow, fuck me! Luke! You bastard.”

“Morning sis, how ya feeling?”

“Apart from my arse being on fire, fine.”

I leant over and kissed Tina, “Morning beautiful,” then kissed Sam on the cheek, “Morning second most beautiful.”

“And this,” she said to Tina, “is why I don’t like him being behind me. If it’s not flicking my arse with a towel, it’s slapping it or kicking it.”

She then turned her head to look at me, “Talking of kicking arse, did Tina say she thinks my foot came off the floor when I kicked that twat last night.”

“Well dear, that’s how kicking usually works.”

“No, dipshit, my back foot, the one that was supposed to stay on the floor.”

“Ha! Nice one, sis.” I kissed her cheek again and slipped out of bed, “Breakfast?”

They both agreed, as I got to the door Tina asked me to pass Sam’s robe, she then asked me to get my dressing gown.

“What’s the difference?” I asked.

“What, between a robe and a dressing gown? A robe is light and thin, just a modesty item often. A dressing gown is thick, woolen generally, but made to help keep you warm.”

“Oh, to go out with someone with breeding, you are going to have to brush up on your social etiquette, bruv. Either that or Tina’s going to have to get her Rottweiler a collar and lead.”

“Now that sounds like a plan,” Tina laughed, just before the robe landed on her face causing both her and Sam to break down in a fit of giggles.

“Yeah, that would suit Sam, I think,” I left before there was any response.

I held the ‘dressing gown’ for Tina to slip her arms in and encircled her with my arms kissing her neck. I got a punch in the ribs for my efforts.

“Come on bruv, enough canoodling, you promised us breakfast.”

“I was going to do breakfast in bed, but you didn’t want that, you know where the kitchen is. Now, if you’ll excuse us.”

“Get out, just get out of my room, you’re not soiling my sheets.”

We nearly bowled Mrs C over, as we fell, laughing, out of Sam’s bedroom.

“Mummy!”

“Hello mush, hello girls. How you feeling this morning?”

Not that I felt awkward, nearly knocking my girlfriend’s mother over, as I left a bedroom with no top on, with her daughter in tow. This was only compounded by the fact that Mrs C had put her hand on my chest as she spoke.

“Err, I’m good thanks, Mrs C, we’re just going for breakfast.”

“A night with two beautiful women and not had your fill then?”

“Mummy!” I also heard Sam choke beside me.

They say the best defence is a good offence, so I went that route, “It would have been perfect, but there were no sheep.”

Sam choked again along with Tina this time. Mrs C just burst out laughing, “Oh you are a beaut, Luke, I loves you.”

Tina tugged my arm and Sam pushed me, so we left Mrs C heading toward the spare room as we went downstairs. When we got to the hall, Sam pulled us to a halt.

“She’s now going to think, well, you and me.”

“Let her think what she likes. Tina, your mother is a wind-up merchant of the first order. No offence and I love the result, but how did your dad pull her?”

Tina was smirking at all this still, “Sheep? Really?”

“Only cos she’s Welsh, I had to come back with something worse than she was suggesting. I win.”

Tina

And with that Luke took our hands again and strolled toward the kitchen. He pushed us before him when we got to the door. What Mummy said, got me thinking and I knew I had to have a conversation with Luke, not because I suspected anything, just curious about a few things.

When we entered the kitchen, it was like midnight again, we were swamped. Daddy and Diane came straight to me on one side. Luke’s mum and dad, went to Sam on the other, but with stern looks at Luke. Rob, Andy, and Cara all went to Luke who had reached out and taken my hand.

“You okay, butt?” Mummy had come up behind and put her arms around my neck.

“Yes Mummy, we’re all fine.”

I heard similar conversations starting to take place, when Mr Evans spoke up, quieting the room.

“You three, sit! Anne, please can you get some food for them. The rest of us,” he looked at Luke, “were concerned. Last night you took both of them and disappeared without a word. I know you Luke, but I’m like the rest of the mortals, I worry. I worry about Sam and you and I worried about how Tina was, it was a hell of a day for her.”

“I’m good, Dad, honest, I needed to get out of there last night, Luke knew it. I was ready to explode again. But I was also drained, I released a lot on that poor sod.”

“Poor?” Diane butted in, “That poor sod deserved everything he got and more. I hope they throw the book at him.”

“They were talking of arresting you and Sam last night, Luke,” he put his hands up to silence us, “standard procedure. Andy and Rob were interviewed under caution and the rest of us had statements taken.

“I suggested it might be more prudent to let you sleep and you’ll go in today.”

Luke nodded.

“Yeah, sorry man, I may have tarnished your name. I implied you’d beat the shit out of them if they tried to arrest you.”

“Yeah,” said Andy, “his usual eloquent self, ‘F that shit, I’d hate to be in your shoes if you go up and try and get shit from him now, he’ll tear you a new one’, so subtle.”

“Well, the fuckwits!”

“Ahem! Robert!”

“Sorry, Anne. But seriously, they know where he lives; his dad promised he’ll come in. It’s obvious they are both rattled and he’s been hyper-protective of the two girls and they want to poke the beehive? Bloody numpties!”

“See all that and not a single F or C,” Mrs Evans smiled.

“Thanks, Rob, I think. I’m not sure how I would cope without you as my wingman. You didn’t swing your dick in their faces per-chance?”

I looked at Mummy and Daddy. She had a smirk on her face, Daddy looked uncomfortable, but there was a guilty look too. I wondered if he actually found the interaction fun, but just couldn’t let himself go.

“What’s that then, what did Rob do to someone’s face?” Mummy asked.

Luke told the story of what had happened after the first time we went to rugby. It was the first time I heard the story too.

“Well, I only hope you washed your hands after,” she said. Which got everyone, including daddy, laughing.

When questioned, it turned out that after we had gone upstairs, the police had done their thing. After they finished arresting and taking primary statements and the details of all the others, it was past three in the morning. Mrs Evans invited Mummy and Daddy to stay the night, especially as the spare room was empty now. They had taken the spare room and Cara, Andy, Diane, and Rob were in Luke’s. I couldn’t help looking at Daddy during a lot of this, seeing how he reacted to everything that went on and me sleeping with Luke.

After breakfast, I found out. Daddy asked if we could have a chat, so I went and threw on some clothes, we topped up our coffees and took a walk in the garden. I had to stifle a laugh when we sat in the chairs Cara and Andy had used the previous night on the sun deck, to have our talk.

“Well, last night was interesting,” he started, “Luke’s parents are lovely and his sister is going to make someone a wonderful wife.” He smiled, “God help anyone that thinks to try and take her kids from her. Did your mother tell you he was taken to the hospital?”

“No.”

“Cracked pelvis, dislocated elbow and two broken fingers, apparently.”

When I looked at him questioningly, he explained, “I felt it was my duty to make sure his parents knew where he was, so borrowed David’s phone to call them. His father was threatening all sorts of action and that we should tell the truth, it wasn’t right, etcetera.”

I giggled and said, “Sorry, you sounded like the king out of The King and I, etcetera, etcetera,” I said with a flourish.

“Anyway, I told them how he had come around before Christmas and what I found out then and then the truth of last night. I must go to confession because I would not turn the other cheek, I told him if his son or anyone, laid a hand on you there would be hell to pay.”

“And after that, Luke would turn up and make it seem like they’d just had a picnic?”

“No, petal. About Luke and last night, what happened, when you disappeared?”

“Daddy! I hope you’re not prying again.” After what Mummy had implied, I was satisfied when I saw him blush.

“What did you think happened?”

“I don’t know,” his eyes opened wide at the possible implication. “No, nothing like that, just what had happened to Samantha for her to be like that. She seemed to faint, but neither her mother nor father stepped in to help.”

“She didn’t faint, though she wasn’t fully conscious. She was emotionally drained, but she and Luke have a special bond, that I’m not at liberty to tell you about.” I put my hand up to stop him.

“As far as I know and I have no reason to not trust Luke, Sam, or my instincts, their relationship is perfectly legal and correct. However, it is much closer than most brothers and sisters, I would imagine.

“Luke had me help Sam get undressed and got us some bedclothes and we held her while she went to sleep. A lot happened yesterday, Daddy, I found out some things that were very tiring for all three of us, Luke and I fell asleep holding her. This morning Sam and I had a long old chat before Luke woke up and then we came down for breakfast. I don’t know why his mum and dad didn’t step in.

“I spoke with David this morning. He told me they were close and he would trust Luke with Sam’s life, Anne the same. His instinct was to step in; you know how it is with fathers and daughters? Anne said it would be alright leaving it until today.

“I know you know what was said on Sunday. He scares me in a whole new way and those friends of his. Yesterday he offered to bring a whole bunch more up if your ex caused us problems. Luke on his own is formidable; he just ignored what was being done to him. And his friends, one was thrown to the ground like he was a bag of spuds, the other tumbled over at what looked like a tiny push. What was frightening was the speed Luke moved when your ex made a grab for you. First, you were moved out of harm's way, next he was in an arm lock and all in the blink of an eye.”

“It’s probably not going to happen today, but you should come and watch them playing rugby. Thirty men of similar size crashing into each other, can you imagine any of those three being knocked over?”

Daddy shook his head, “Nor I, until I saw it. And, by people smaller than those three last night. You know Rob?”

“Yes, the smaller of Luke’s friends,” he waved his fingers for imaginary inverted commas.

“He called me a firecracker yesterday, for them, it’s not about physical size; they know the smallest person can be the strongest. I’ve not met one player, on either side, that is a bully. Yet those three, supposedly well bought up boys, last night, were nothing but bullies.”

“Luke, well all three of them, gained my respect last night. Looking at how they dealt with them. It was obvious they could have hurt them quite badly and been justified, but they were restrained, all of them. I didn’t see a single punch thrown by any of the three. Then this morning, before you got up, both of the boys said they were only taking their lead from Luke and had it been them your ex would have been put in the hospital almost straight away, along with his friends.”

It felt like Daddy was looking for an explanation of why Luke didn’t fight as a first choice. “He will only fight as a last resort, it doesn’t mean he would let me be hurt, look what he did in the woods last week. It’s just that he would look for other options first. He hates it when he is left no option and from what I’ve seen, it will always be over quickly. As I said, he has his reasons and hopefully one day, I’ll be at liberty to share them so you’ll understand, fully.”

“I’ve lost you, haven’t I, petal?”

I jumped onto daddy’s lap and hugged him, “No, never, you’ll always be my daddy.”

“But not always the number one man in your life. I knew it would happen, just didn’t expect to come out of left field and so fast.”

He was right, in that sense, he had lost me, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry or both.

“He’s a good man, but even if it takes a car, I will hurt him if he hurts you.”

Daddy! That’s not very Christian of you, besides, I think he would punish himself more than anyone else could. I just don’t think he realises it yet, the big oaf.”

“Okay, how about, I’ll go all Old Testament on his arse?” I nearly wet myself laughing, I’d never heard Daddy speak like this.

“Alright? What you two up to then?” Mummy was walking down the garden.

“Just catching up on some of yesterday. Also trying to accept I’ve lost my little girl.”

“Of course you have. You did such a bloody good job on her, that just as soon as the right one come along, she’d be snapped up. Take it as a compliment on a job well done. We haven’t so much lost a daughter, but gained a spare bedroom.”

“Mummy!” I was shocked, people talk about me being timid, I always thought I got it from my mother. That was, until that holiday, she seemed to change totally in those couple of weeks.

“Daddy?” I put on a pout as I got up and stood with hands on hips, pretending to be angry at him laughing.

“Well then, I know where I stand. Luke, oh Luke, lover boy,” I called as I skipped down the garden. I turned when I was about halfway to stick my tongue out at them and saw Mummy was now sitting in Daddy’s lap. I smiled to myself as I carried on toward the house.

Luke

“Are they even bloody open today?” I asked.

“They said to come to the station today, or they would come here,” my dad replied.

“Well that would save you a drive, Luke,” chimed in Sam.

“Come to arrest you all.”

“Do they need to see all of us? Do we need a solicitor?”

“Yes, including Tina and no, it’s really just taking statements at this stage.”

When Tina came in we explained and her and Sam went up to shower while I had another coffee and spoke with Rob and Andy.

“Do me a favour?” They both nodded their assent, “Tell Matt what you learnt yesterday.”

“What, that you can take a smack in the mouth without it affecting your IQ? he knows,” said Rob.

“Fuck you very much.”

“Oh, wouldn’t you love to?”

Andy took that moment to hit Rob, “We’ve got your back. I presume, sworn to just the house and while you’re not about?” I nodded.

“Shit time?”

“Very.”

“Rough going through it again?”

“Every single time I’ve had to tell it. That, I think, was the hardest. It felt like I was telling Tina, even though I knew you lot were all being nosey and didn’t know when to leave the room.”

“But, Sam,” Rob started.

I smiled and continued, “I’m sure she did. You guys mean a lot to me and recently I had been trying to work out when I would tell the three of you and separately Tina. I wish Matt had been here too, but I’m glad I did it with Sam and Mum and Dad about.

“They’ve been wanting me to be more open about it and I think some of Sam’s reaction this morning, was relief that she wasn’t the sole person carrying the burden.”

“Your mum and dad knew though?” Andy asked.

“They did, but we shut them out. Sam being with me when I woke up bonded us in a way I can’t describe. I always turned to her when things were looking black. It was part of her reaction when I came home for the holidays, she could see I was okay and would smother me. Then bringing Tina, I think shook her, but she’ll never replace Sam as my sister.”

“Thanks for letting us in,” said Andy, always the one with less bravado, “and if there’s anything you need. I know you’ll go to Tina or phone Sam, but I’ll be a willing third choice if you need.”

“Count me in too. I’ll even let you hold my cock again.”

Just as we were about to get too emotional and touchy-feely, Rob made a smart-arsed comment and then Sam shouted that the bathroom was free.

“Mum’s room, we haven’t got time for you and Tina to shower together. Look how long it took yesterday.”

It was still not ten in the morning when we were ready to leave. I mentioned that if we were back in time, we might at least go along to the club today. Rob and Andy were up for a game if they could be fitted in.

“Always got a spare kit in my boot, especially when visiting my thugs, I mean, friends who play, you never know when you might get called upon. I told Andy to sling his in the boot too, you know, just in case.”

Sam and I were arrested as active participants and all three had our statements taken. Both Sam and I would be investigated further, but the officer was confident no charges would be brought, given the circumstances. I could tell, from what she told me, that they had used certain wording and key phrases in her statement to help her, just as they had with me. As it happened, no charges were brought and we were officially de-arrested about a month later.

The statements took an age to complete and it was just gone noon when we arrived home. We decided as a group that we would at least go and watch the match today, so we left in three cars. Mr C driving Mrs C, mum and dad, Rob driving Diane, Cara and Andy and I took Tina and Sam.

I searched out Stuart and found him in the first-team changing room.

“Ooh, cleaning boots or a promotion?”

“Cheeky git, New Year’s Day, always loads to watch, fewer to play. You here for a game?”

“Actually, I come as three. Got room for a prop, hooker and second row? Two friends from the uni first team,” I finished to head off his questions.

“You’d like to be on the same team?”

“We know how we play and they don’t know anyone else.”

“It’s okay, we’ve got a few dragged up from the third team, who I think would be happy to drop back down.”

So Stuart gathered various people, I extolled their virtues and within a few minutes, some shuffles had been made and I was introducing Rob and Andy to the rest of the first fifteen, that I knew.

Tina

To put it how Mummy would, she was buzzing, Daddy, not so much. The four parents were walking and chatting together. It was great that they got on well, it must be horrible, as a couple, to have parents that don’t get along. Sam was doing to me what I had done to Luke the night before and was walking arm in arm with me, Diane was no better. Cara disappeared for a while and came back about five minutes before the start with little holly crowns for us. She had made them from leaves and berries joined much like daisy chains.

When the teams came out, we merged a little as a group, Mummy and Daddy came up to me and I heard Daddy mutter, “Damn, Luke looks small.”

I looked around and smiled at Daddy.

“But I see what you mean about seeing them in shorts,” commented Mummy.

Along with Daddy’s quip about the Old Testament earlier, I swear my parents were trying to give me a heart attack to start the year. As the game went on, I tried to point out some things, Sam seemed to have a good idea of what was going on and helped too. At the end of it, Luke’s team had won and it looked quite comfortable too. After three cheers and shaking of hands, the three turned to come over and meet us.

“Drinks and food being served in the clubhouse, we’re grabbing a shower, then we’ll be in,” said Luke

“So long as that’s all you’re grabbing,” said Mrs Evans. Which, after the story at breakfast, had Mummy giggling again.

“I can go and keep an eye, make sure they behave,” volunteered Diane.

“Ooh, me too,” suddenly Cara was alert.

Sam put her arm through mine, “Perhaps all four of us could go, see what we’re missing out on, or not.” She looked at me as she finished.

Fortunately, we went into the bar and got some drinks and plates of food. Various people recognised Luke’s family and came and talked and were introduced. Steve saw me and ran over to say hello and asked if I knew the new person that was playing with his dad.

“His name is Andy and he’s a very special friend of Luke, my boyfriend. His girlfriend is Cara,” I pointed to her.

“This is Steve, he was asking about Andy.” Cara and Steve were chatting for about ten minutes. She looked really comfortable with him and their conversation seemed quite animated. I thought then that she would be a good mother. Soon after, the players started to enter the bar.

We had been sitting and talking about the game. Apparently, they were slated to lose this one and quite heavily, so Luke, Andy and Rob were welcome additions. Daddy had made various comments supporting our talk this morning, like how big everyone looked, making Luke look ordinary or even small, not realising quite how big they were under their clothes, seeing them being knocked down was eye-opening, etcetera, etcetera.

Then I wanted the world to swallow me whole, someone asked if there was anyone who could lead the singing. Luke had looked at Andy and Rob and shook his head slowly, unfortunately, Mummy didn’t see that.

I was struggling pin pointing my way forward, along with his invaluable proofreading cbears52 also helped me with the focus I needed this chapter.

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