Garden Lodge

"So, what do you think?" Monica asked.

Freddie stared at the new Austin Maestro parked in the yard of the Logan Mews, its red paintwork flashing underneath the garage and street lighting.

"...It's a bit ordinary, isn't it?" He murmured.

"Well, that's what we want," she said, "Something inconspicuous in the public eye"

He crossed his bare, goosebump arms under the summer evening breeze, "I'll stick to the merc and Royce then. I thought that Rover was supposed to be a dog's name"

"So much for my first ever car" Monica sighed just as Phoebe came out.

"Is this it? A big red?" He went to their side.

"Look, Phoebe! It's a box!" Freddie pointed.

"And since when did you start caring so much about cars when you can't even drive?" Monica put her hands on her hips.

"Yeah, Freddie! When did you you start caring so much about other people's cars?" Phoebe jabbed with a giggle.

"Does it at least have a sound system?" Freddie took a sharp drag of his cigarette.

Monica nodded, "A cassette player and everything!"

Just then did he nod in approval, "I guess that's something"-

"A space ship!" They heard a scream behind him.

The three adults turned to see Johnny, running out towards them in his pyjamas and bare feet, donning his smart new bowl haircut.

"Johnny, I thought that you were in bed!" Phoebe crossed his arms.

The little boy put his small hands on the bonnet, jumping up and down, "I want to ride it! I want to ride it!"

With an annoyed huff, Freddie threw away his cigarette and went over to pick him up, "You can have a go in it tomorrow. It's bedtime now"

"But the sun is still up!" the boy pouted as his father put him on his hip.

"It doesn't matter, you still need your sleep!" Monica said.

"I'll see you upstairs in a moment," Freddie said to the adults, "Say goodnight to mummy and Phoebe, Johnny"

"Goodnight to mummy and Phoebe, Johnny" he repeated sullenly.

Monica giggled and leaned over to kiss Johnny's cheek, "Sweet dreams, sweetheart"

Freddie began carrying him away into the back gate leading to the house, and Phoebe waved at him as he looked back over Freddie's shoulder, "Don't let the bedbugs bite"

Monica turned to Phoebe once they were alone, "If only Freddie was that nurturing towards them more"

"You know he puts on that tough facade to hide his heart of gold," he shook his head, buttoning up his chequered shirt, "By the way, I came down to tell you that I got the bubbles going in the jacuzzi"

"Really? Great! Thanks!" She smiled as she took her new car keys out, "Well in that case, I better reverse her into the garage and lock up for the night."

Phoebe watched as she climbed into her new mode of transport, more than happy that she would now, several years on, finally gain some liberty in the city she now called her home.

*****

"Will she give me a ride in it?" Johnny looked up at his dad pleadingly.

Freddie affectionately rubbed his son's forehead as he sat on the edge of his mattress, "Of course she will. Mummy never breaks her promises"

He got up, and went to the window to dim the room.

"My god, I need to update these tacky blinds... they aren't babies anymore" he pulled the landscape patterned shutter down, leaving only a crack of sunlight spilling at the bottom.

"Do you think she will let me drive?" Johnny squeaked.

"You're not allowed to start driving lessons until you're seventeen" Freddie went back to his bedside.

"But I'll be an old man then! Seventeen is hundreds of years away!" His son sulked.

"Johnny! Hundreds of years?!" Freddie scoffed.

"Why am I too little to do anything?" Johnny rolled away from him, hugging onto his teddy.

"You're not too little to do anything..." his father chuckled.

"You won't even teach me how to play piano" he spoke into his teddy.

"Because I don't have the time any more!" Freddie suddenly snapped.

He looked across the room to make sure Roshni was still asleep and had not been disturbed. Johnny silently stared at the wall across from him, a stiff upper lip.

He put a hand on the boy's back, "I've been so busy lately... too busy with this new album in fact, that mummy and I are considering finding you a piano teacher"

Johnny lifted his head off the pillow, a twinkle dancing in his eyes.

Freddie continued, "An even better one than I ever had... Who knows? Maybe one day you will be an excellent maestro, as good as Uncle Elton... better than me"

"When?!" A smile returned to his little face as he sat up.

"Soon enough," Freddie chuckled, then gently laid him down, "Now close your eyes and don't get out of bed again"

He tucked the duvet back around his son gently, and Johnny obeyed, "I'll think about playing the piano under a spotlight... like you"

Despite the stress, the hassle, the dedication, it was words like these that made Freddie so happy to be a father.

He leaned down and kissed his son's head, then sat up and crept over to Roshni's bedside to do the same.

He got to the door way and looked back at his two little resting angels in he dark once more, and gently shut the nursery for after himself.

"Work is over, time to have fun" He sighed in relief, and Phoebe was waiting for him in the corridor.

"Here's the envelope," Phoebe whispered as he handed over anniversary gift for Monica, "She went into the bedroom to call her parents"

Freddie nodded, "Thank you Phoebe... do you think Monica will like it?"

"Hard to say, you'll only find out when she opens it" he replied.

"God Phoebe, I hate the unknown" he gulped.

"Put it this way, at least she will know that you made an effort" he assured him.

"Yeah, well I could've at least remembered it for myself without you having to remind me" Freddie turned away in contempt, swallowing his nerves and making for the master bedroom suite.

"It pains me, but I have to agree" Phoebe watched his boss walk away.

*****

"6 years... and you haven't been back home since"

"I'm sorry mum, you know I've been busy" Monica uneasily fiddled with the telephone chord, reclining on her side of the mattress.

"I can't say I blame you for staying there anyway," her mother's voice dismissed her light apology on the other end, "Almost every other day there's a bomb blocking your dad's route to work..."

"Any news from Ballysillan?" Monica asked.

When she called home, she always made sure to ask if her hometown suburb was alright. As she grew older and The Troubles raged on in Northern Ireland, the loyalist paramilitary activity in Ballysillan had predominantly increased. She remembered one morning when she was walking to school and the kerbs were painted with red,blue and white whilst the Union Jack flew on each lamppost and bunting zig zagged across the streets and above her head.

"Nothing to report... how are the little ones?"

"In bed. But they did get a haircut today... and so did one of the cats" she giggled a bit, deciding to spare any more details.

"Do I want to know?" She asked, knowing well what her grandchildren were like.

"Another time" Monica dismissed, hearing the slider doors open behind her as Freddie entered the room.

"The man has too many cats anyway," She droned on the other end, "It's not good for two small children in the house"

"Well, in this case it's more like two small children aren't very good for the cats" she felt the bed sink around her as Freddie climbed onto the mattress.

"Hello, Patsy" he leaned over and interrupted.

"Oh, hello there. Freddie" her mother cooly replied.

"She says hello" Monica put her hand over the receiver.

"Get rid of the old bat" Freddie slipped his arms around her from behind.

"Shush, that's my mother!" Monica hissed as she felt his lips on the back of her neck.

"Hello? Monica? You still there?" Her mother was calling on the other end.

"Yes! I'm still here!" She answered as she struggled to keep composed.

"What are you two going to do then?" Her mother asked.

"W-What?" Monica squirmed as she felt Freddie's hands wander.

"You said that you and Freddie were going to do something nice tonight!"

"Yeah, well, the thing is yhhAAAAOW!" She yelped as she felt Freddie slip his large hand underneath the back of her denim jeans.

He giggled as her mother persisted, "Monica?! What is going on?"

"Nothing, and I hate to be rude but I do need to leave now" Monica tried to push him away as he continued trying to play with her.

Her mother stayed silent on the other end. Freddie paused and listened.

"...You sound more and more anglicised every day. You don't call me mam anymore, just mum... what has that man done to you?" was all she said.

"I don't know but he's being very annoying" Monica raised her voice as she felt Freddie putting his weight on top of her.

But that only seemed to make it worse, for he snatched the receiver out of Monica's hand and covered her mouth, "Well Patsy, it's been pleasant talking but I really do need to borrow your daughter tonight"

"Monica, where-"

"Goodnight, my dear" he put the phone down, and released his hand from her mouth.

"That was my mum!" Mildly annoyed, Monica pushed him off and fixed the back of her trousers.

"She was taking too long anyway" he rolled away.

"I suppose it doesn't matter. I got something for you anyway" she sat back up, about to head towards the bathroom.

"I did too... for our anniversary" he grabbed her wrist, thrusting an A5 envelope in her face.

"Freddie..." she put on a smile and pretended to be pleasantly surprised, and they briefly kissed each others lips, "Thank you"

He watched intently as she picked it open with her fingers, and a pamphlet peeped out from underneath.

"What's this?" She slipped it out and looked at the title and the accompanying pictures.

The Black Iris-oriental restaurant.

"Remember the club that we met at?" Freddie whispered.

"Yes" She murmured as she read the pamphlet further.

"Well, it's a private rooftop restaurant now," he explained, "I got us a reservation"

She could still feel something in the envelope, so she shook it and out fell a key with a number on the plastic tag attached, "What are these for?"

"Well, I know that the Montana hotel isn't exactly the Four Seasons or the Hilton," he purred, "But it just so happened that it's still running too, and it's still a nice quaint little place that I was hoping we could retire to after our evening meal."

Her heart fluttered, "Freddie, you remembered"

He giggled, "Check the room number... it's the same one that you and your friend Paula were living in"

She looked at the tag, "How did you find out?"

"I had a little word with the manager," he told her nonchalantly, "and he got his people to dig through the records of 1977 until they found the booking under your name"

It was then Monica realised Freddie wanted to recreate their first night together in all the same places. Where the first locked eyes, where they first kissed each other, where they first made love...

Her heart fluttered, "But what about about the children-"

He put his hand on her mouth to stop her, "Phoebe will be baby and housesitting for us until tomorrow"

"Oh Freddie... all this effort that you went through" she threw her arms around him.

The kissed as they embraced, and when they broke he gushed, "You have no idea how much I want to replay that night in my head"

She pressed her forehead to his, "I remember the moment you held my hand... You offered me a drink, and I was in a state of shock and the next thing I know you were by my side"

He chuckled, "The look on your little face... I was worried that I was making you uncomfortable"

Monica shook her head, "Not at all"

"Oh god, you were just a girl... you're a woman now" his thumb caressed her now defined face as he started back into her bright blue eyes.

"You've changed so much too... same man, different getup" she giggled, blinking the happy tears away.

They kissed again, and just before things could get any more heated she pulled away.

"Are you alright darling?" He whispered.

She nodded, "I need to show you something"

He smiled, "What is it?"

She got up onto her feet, tugging at his arm. And he let her lead the way.

"I had slightly different arrangements for us" she backed towards the slider doors, looking like she was about to leave.

"Baby?" His face fell, "Do you not like my gift?"

"No no, I love it!" She put her hand on the ensuite bathroom door knob.

She pushed the door open, and Freddie's jaw dropped at the sight of his jacuzzi bathtub filled to the brim with bubbles, a tray of chocolate with champagne flutes for two balanced on the edge, a bottle of Moët cooling in the ice bucket at the foot of the tub.

"Perhaps we could scrub up a bit before we go out and dine" she backed into the bathroom, biting her lip as her hand reached the top button of her cream blouse.

She could see the look in his eye turn from adoration to danger, and before she knew it he stormed towards her and caught her by the waist.

"Monica..." he breathed, sliding his tongue down her throat, his fingers tangled in her brown wavy locks.

Her eyes fluttered closed as she clung onto his muscular physique with all the strength she had, grabbing the back of his polo shirt.

He lifted his arms to let her pull it off and they passionately kissed again, finding it harder and harder to keep their hands off of each other, and the steam from the tub was only making it heavier.

"I want you... right now" she let out between kissed, digging her fingers into his hairy chest as hand pulled her thigh to his waist.

He grabbed her again and pushed her against the marble wall, kissing her neck as he started undoing her blouse button by button...

By the time he got to the last one they both heard incoming squeals of laughter.

"Oh fuck" Freddie hissed under his breath, and in ran his two small naked children.

They must've heard them running the taps from their beds, for they scrambled into the bubbling hot tub and made for the box of chocolates.

"What are you two doing in here?!" She exclaimed as they started splashing each other, quickly buttoning her shirt back up.

"Forget it!" Freddie murmured, lacing his hands over the tent in his trousers and quickly waddling out as Johnny and Roshni grabbed chocolates from the box and shovelled handfuls into their mouths.

They must've thought that they were in heaven, for there was a bath with chocolates waiting to be enjoyed and eaten.

"Hey hey! Those aren't yours!" Monica took the chocolate box away, and they both wailed.

"They've already killed the romance, Monica. Just-Just get them out of here otherwise we will never get to The Black Iris at this rate!" She heard him shout from the bedroom.

"Alright, get out and turn around, go on!" she ordered them, standing up to grab a towel each.

Johnny and Roshni obediently stepped out of the tub and let their mother wrap individual towels around them.

She turned around for one second to pick up the chocolates scattered on the tile floor, only for Johnny and Roshni to drop their towels and run out of the bathroom.

"Hey! Wait!" She rushed after them.

Freddie rested his chin on his hand as he sulked on the mattress, listening to the commotion.

"Please don't say my name, please don't say my name..." he thought with dread.

"Freddie!? Freddie can you help me?" He heard her plead.

He growled and hauled himself up, reluctantly following her on her hunt.

By the time he reached the corridor nobody was there to be seen. So went to the first place that he could think of, which was their nursery.

He folded his arms and leaned against the door way, "Right you two, enough messing around!"

He could hear Monica's footsteps downstairs, so that meant the other was being taken care of. He knew at least one of them was in the nursery for sure, for there was a lump under the duvet.

Freddie huffed and made his way over, tiptoeing across the carpet, ready to launch.

Holding his breath, he quietly crouched down to the head of the bed, ready to give the rascal a big fright.

But he was the one in for a shock, for he whipped the duvet back to reveal a bare bottom inches away from his face.

"GAAGHHH!" He roared in disgust and leapt after a hyperactive Roshni as she giggled and scrambled away across her mattress.

"Found one!" He heard Monica call from the corridor.

"SO DID I!" He shouted back as he grabbed his screeching daughter.

Flustered, Monica rushed into the nursery with Johnny flailing under her arm, Phoebe in tow.

"Let me help..." the poor man hectically picked their pyjamas up off the floor.

"Thank you Phoebe" Monica let out earnestly as she tried to pull Johnny's pyjama top over his head.

"Why can't we join in?" Roshni pouted as Phoebe helped her step into her briefs.

"Because sometimes daddy and I need time alone together," Monica sighed, feeding Johnny's feet into his pyjama bottoms one by one, "And you two ruined that"

"Does this mean I won't get any piano lessons?" The boy looked down sullenly.

"How did you know that daddy and I were going to find you piano lessons?" Monica paused, and turned to Freddie as he helped pull the nightgown over Roshni's head.

He simply widened his eyes, "I didn't know it was a secret"

"I thought we agreed that we'd surprise him" she lifted her son back onto his bed.

"Well, they ruined our surprise, so why should it be kept a secret from him?" He threw his hands up in the air.

"Alright, lets just tuck them both in" Phoebe cut across Monica before she could argue back.

"Alright. The cat's out of the bag. Let's worry about it another time and get one with the night" she went back over to Johnny's bedside, and Phoebe to Roshni's.

Freddie muttered, pointing at the two of them as they lay restlessly tucked under their blankets, "There's no bloody point, they're filled with sugar-"

"Freddie, just go wait in the bedroom and put your t shirt back on!" Monica exhaled, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Well, can't I kiss them goodnight?" His tone softened.

"In a moment... I'll come back for you when they get settled" she pressed.

With a huff, the man turned around and left the nursery.

"He reminds me of my mum when my aunt once brought her out-of-control yorkie to our house when I was little... and he can't stand my mum!" Monica murmured, and Phoebe giggled.

Outside, Tiffany was strutting past Freddie in her new fur coat.

"I know, Tiff," he reached down and cooed, "Those two cause so much havoc for daddy as well"

Tiffany head butted his leg gently, seeking his petting.

He picked her up, "I know, I know. Human babies are hard work. Kittens are much easier and more pleasant"

Tiffany purred, propping her paws up on his arm as he made his way back to the master suite.

"That's right, Tiffany. You cats are more sophisticated than us humans" he pat her head gently.

He paused when he reached the doorway of the marble bathroom, peering into the catastrophic bombshell of a state that Johnny and Roshni had left it in. Soapy suds and towels and chocolate scattered all across the floor.

Luckily, the Moët in the ice bucket, along with the two champagne flutes, were still intact.

"Thank god for that" he let Tiffany jump out of his arms as he went to salvage what was left.

"One day this nasty phase will end," he told himself, carrying the beverage to his bed and sitting on the corner of the mattress, "one day"