Chapter Seven

Lizzie felt a little better the following day. It was Friday, last day of the week. Nate was in school for one more day, then it was the week anniversary of her sister dying. She took a deep gasp of air. One whole week. The tears were still there, but Lizzie felt a little brighter. Or was that maybe a little less devastated. Today's task was surviving until lunchtime. But with nothing else on her agenda, nothing to distract her, she was left with too much time and too little to do. So she was taking the day hour by hour, rather than thinking about what tomorrow and more importantly next week would bring.

Mid morning she'd made the last of the phone calls that she hadn't already done, including speaking to her boss...which made her feel a little happier. When the doorbell rang, she wondered if it was Oscar. She half hoped it was, she liked his company, and he made her feel safe.

Safe.

That stopped her dead in her tracks. She hadn't had that sensation for as long as she could remember. Her life had been a mix of so many emotions and feelings, but none of them safe, secure. She'd always been battling to survive, to feel loved. Oscar threw all that up in the air. But that also scared her, he was a threat to everything she had left, and she had to bear that in mind too.

She chuckled to herself as she made for the door; she was at least wearing a bra under her t-shirt and jeans, that was a step up on the previous day. She was mortified to think that she'd let a man into her house when she was wearing her worst clothes and looking like death. For a moment Janis was there in her head chastising her, 'you have to always be prepared...you never know when you're going to meet Mr Right, don't let that be when you are wearing your worst underwear.' Worst underwear? Any underwear would have been a step up from none.

Poor Janis, she honestly did think that she'd meet the man who'd sweep her off her feet. But she died first. Pausing she digested the waft of devastation that hit her hard.

As she entered the hallway she instantly knew it wasn't Oscar on the doorstep. Pulling open the door she could barely contain her excitement.

"Vicky?" She gasped as she took in the woman on her doorstep. "You're back?"

Her best friend smiled, "I'm only a week early."

Lizzie wanted to chastise her friend for cutting short her mammoth trip to the US, it was a three month vacation that she'd saved months for. But now, here she was, in the flesh on her doorstep.

She wanted to say something, but words failed her, instead, Vicky pulled her into her arms and held her close.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't here for you babe, I wish you'd called me..."

Lizzie managed a small sob against her shoulder, "I didn't want to spoil your holiday."

She's met Vicky when they were at University in Liverpool. Her friend had stayed in the city whereas she had moved to the nearby City of Manchester to work. Despite the distance, they strived to meet up on at least a fortnightly basis, for coffee, wine or a sleep over. It was a huge irony that she's been on her long awaited trip when Janis had died. It was a trip that Lizzie was meant to go on, but didn't because she couldn't abandon Nate when Janis' work was unreliable. Her sister didn't seem to be able to hold down a single job, and the last job she'd had had been a hostess in a restaurant...all her hours were unsociable and there was no one to have Nate.

"You cut it short. I can't believe that...so you didn't get to Miami?" Lizzie lifted her head from Vicky's shoulder and frowned at her.

"Not at all. The weather in Atlanta was unexpectedly shit, so we left there after two nights. We headed to Miami early, and then when Marcus called me..."

She groaned, her neighbour was a star, he helped her out with so many things, but this was above and beyond anything expected of a friend. She had to go thank him soon; she hadn't seen him since the day she'd gone to her parents. She owed him a visit...but Oscar had been taking up all their time.

"He shouldn't have called you, not on your hols."

Vicky shook her head, "you're wrong. YOU should have called me, or messaged me. I would've been here sooner. Hell Lizzie, this is a living fucking hell, and not one you need to go through without your bestie."

She smiled sadly, "I've had better weeks."

They shut the front door, then headed into the lounge.

"You've got a bag," Lizzie offered a half smile.

Vicky nodded, "I'm here to look after you. Tell me everything that's been happening."

So she did. She had got as far as visiting her parents when there was another knock at the door. Giving an apologetic grimace, she made for the door, to find Oscar stood there.

He was wearing a cap over his blonde hair that was emblazoned with a logo saying Buffalo Sabres, a leather jacket and worn jeans. He looked fresh...and as strong as she had come to expect. He was smiling nervously.

"You ok?"

She grinned, "you looking out for broken plates or tears?"

He chuckled softly, "no, but I'm hoping that YOU aren't still broken."

"You're safe...I'm coping." She stepped back, "are you coming in?"

The nervousness was back, "I can't really stop...I've arranged to go to visit my parents."

"Oh." She really didn't know what to think about that. She'd got used to his presence the last few days, regardless of what that meant to her future.

He nodded, "my mother has found out that I'm back in the country...I haven't been back here for two years." He sighed, "though they've visited us in the States a few times."

She grimaced, "I bet she was over the moon to hear that you hadn't called her."

He laughed, "oh yes. I've been pestering you all week, you and Nate will probably be glad of some time without me." When she didn't answer he added, "I was just hoping that I could pick Nate up from school...spend a little time with him before I go."

She couldn't refuse him that, "you know the way?"

When he nodded she invited him in, "I'll have to call the school to let them know you're collecting...they're understandably tight on the security."

"Of course."

He followed her into the lounge, then froze when he spotted someone else sat in the room. The blonde woman was staring at him rather angrily; he offered a genial smile as Lizzie reached for the phone.

"Sorry Vicky...this is Oscar...he's Nate's father."

Oscar watched as she jumped to her feet almost in a mother lion protective mode, standing between him and Lizzie, "Nate's father? Turning up after all these years?" She eyed him suspiciously, but he wasn't bothered by that. He was glad to see that someone, finally, had her back.

"Vicky!" Lizzie shook her head, "Oscar this is my best friend Vicky, fresh back from her US sojourn."

He raised an eyebrow, "nice place to visit."

When Vicky growled at him, Lizzie sighed, "you two, quit it! Oscar lives somewhere in the US, where is it again?"

"Upstate New York. Were you up in that neck of the woods?"

She shook her head, "nope. San Francisco to Miami by car."

"That's a seriously impressive trip."

Vicky's defensive aggression eased slightly as she agreed, "it was amazing."

Lizzie sighed with relief and used the phone to call the school, walking into the kitchen to make the call.

Her friend was staring at her when his eyes left Lizzie's retreating figure, "an amazing trip that she should have come on."

That piqued Oscar's interest, "what do you mean? Lizzie didn't want to join you?"

Vicky's laugh was ironic, "she was desperate to, but she was too busy looking after YOUR son."

There wasn't a battle he really wanted to take on, though he couldn't blame her for her animosity. But then if he'd known about Nate he would have been more involved he knew that.

As he was about to formulate an answer, Lizzie re-entered the room.

"So they're expecting you. The password is Sunrise."

He nodded, "thanks."

"Are you coming straight home?"

There was the suggestion that he hadn't been able to make himself, "could I take him for food? Is that ok?"

Her smile lit up her face, "he'd love that. See you after that."

As soon as the door closed behind him, Vicky pounced on her, but then Lizzie had sensed that would happen.

"What the actual fuck Miss Breen?"

Lizzie hated that she blushed, but it was so complicated, she wasn't sure exactly what to explain, or where to start.

"Look, he's not a bad man...and I will tell you everything, but I need take away and wine first. You game?"
Vicky sighed, "you want me to accept that him appearing here - finally, is a good thing? I can't imagine what havoc he's going to cause..."

Lizzie pulled her into a hug that silenced her, "Vic, I love that you care. But honestly, he's ok. He didn't know where they were...I'll explain it all in a bit. But let me just tell you, he took on my mother...and won."

Vicky stepped back and whistled, "the dragon cowed? I cannot believe it!"

She mock swooned fanning herself, "she was eating out of his hand, you had better believe it."

Vicky laughed loudly, "ok, look in the top of my bag, there are two bottles of red wine, let's crack on and we can order some Chinese?"

Lizzie whooped, "my fave."

An hour later they'd had two large glasses of wine, and it wasn't yet five o'clock. But the story had come out in its entirety. Vicky wasn't as fully on board as she'd hoped, but when the door opened and Oscar walked in, hands linked with a happy smiling Nate. As soon as the boy spotted her friend, he flew across the room.

"Aunty Vic!" Oscar watched as his son flew across the room to the woman who'd been more than hostile towards him.

She scooped him up enthusiastically and smothered him in kisses.

He took in the scene for a moment, then smiled at Lizzie, "you want me to hang around and put him to bed?"

Lizzie followed his eyes to the glasses of wine, "we're not drunk...just relaxing."

He nodded, "didn't doubt that, just wondered if you wanted to go out together for an hour or two. I can travel to my parents later."

She shook her head, "we've got Chinese arriving, that will soak up what we've drunk, and we'll not finish this bottle until Nate's in bed."

"Ok." He gave her a smile, "I suppose I'll be off..."

With a dramatic sigh, she pulled him into a hug, which caught him completely off guard, "thanks, for offering...for helping. It's a long time since I had an offer of a night out."

Giving a half laugh, he returned the hug, "that's scandalous and I will rectify that when I'm back, ok?"

Stepping back he smiled at her, then at Vicky, Nate had disappeared. "I'll call you tomorrow, check how things are."

He didn't want to leave not really, but he had to see his parents, he owed them that. But as he backed up to the door, he wasn't sure who he felt needed him more, Lizzie or his son.

The door hadn't long closed, and Nate was pulling out another train set, when Vicky turned to Lizzie.

"So you are all 'he's Nate's father' yet I'm seeing all fluttery eyelashes," she kept the words to a hiss.

Lizzie felt the warmth of a blush sweep over her, the wine had made her looser with her affections, that was a given. But she knew where Oscar fitted into her life, she was sure of that.

Instead of protesting she rolled her eyes, "even if I fancied him...which I don't, I've just lost my sister...and I'm not into sloppy seconds, even if she had a lot of them."

"...and they're ALWAYS really hot."

She rolled her eyes again, "are you hear to cheer me up or to drag me down?"

Vicky smiled, "probably all of the above."

Then they were saved by the bell - literally, as the delivery man arrived.