Wrath pt3
It is only minutes before we are all sat back down with a cup of tea each, and I am grateful when Sheila starts to get some of her colour back, but brace myself for the next barrage. When it doesn't come forth, I glance at Alex, but all he does is purse his lips together. Clearly, he is as clueless as me.
We are both startled when Sheila speaks again, her voice gentler now. "Oh, Alex, you sook. That stuff about Becca, it was just to rile you up, you idiot."
"What the fuck, Mum?" I gasp at Alex's use of the F-word and I look over as he stares at his mother with a look of pure incredulity.
"Don't you use that word with me, Alexander Edward Davenport!" she snaps. "You refuse to ever bring women to meet us. You never talk about who you are dating. I know for a fact you are not gay. You are thirty-six years old and I don't know if you have ever been in a relationship. I was trying to bait you into saying something, anything. I seriously didn't expect you to go and get married."
Both Alex and I stare at Sheila with mouths open. What the hell? I suddenly see a twinkle in her eye. "Besides, I don't think Becca would probably ever go near you again…not after you left her tied to a tree in the orchard."
I have seen Domly Alex, I have seen passionate Alex, I have seen cold Alex, but I think it is safe to say that I have never seen Alex so thoroughly embarrassed. Yet his cheeks are tinged red through his tan and he is currently beating his head against the countertop.
"You knew about that?" Alex rasps out, unable to look his mother directly in the eye, and I quickly swallow down the giggle that is threatening to escape. This is so not the time to laugh and it comes out as a soft snort instead.
"Yes, Alex. I think most of the town knew about that. Mothers know everything. I thought you would have learnt that by now." I can see Sheila is trying to hold back a laugh herself.
"Fuck!" The word is said so softly and I see Alex tense as it slips out, but I guess Sheila chooses not to hear it and says nothing. Instead, she narrows her eyes at me and I wait to see what is coming next. Yet all she does is watch me. Eventually, though, she speaks up, her words soft. "Do you love my son, Olivia?" I am Olivia rather than Liv, so I know I am not in her good graces, but her tone is even.
"Very much, Sheila. Alex saved me. Literally. He is the most amazing person I have ever met." I feel shaky, but my voice is strong.
A look of approval crosses Sheila's face and then she turns to Alex. "And what about Olivia? Do you love her?"
Alex's expression softens as he looks at me. "Yes, Mum, I love her with all my heart. I knew she was the one for me before I even knew her name." Sheila stares at her son in wonder for a moment, before a smile crosses her face.
"All right then…" Sheila seems to sway a little. "I think I need to have a sleep. Didn't get a wink on the plane."
"Yeah, because you were probably spending sixteen hours planning on how you were going to rip me a new one, Mum?" Alex says snidely.
"Precisely," snaps Sheila, but there is no malice. "Righto, I am going to have a nap and then we are going for some dinner. Alex, can you bring my bags up?" I leave Alex to escort his mum up to the guest suite that, not so long ago, I had been occupying.
I am emotionally exhausted by everything that has just happened, but in a really strange way, I am grateful that Sheila knows the truth. I hate lying full stop, and the deception that I have played a part in has always sat uncomfortably with me. I lay my head down on the cool countertop as I try to collect myself, allowing the silence to soothe me. After a couple of minutes, I realise that Alex has not come downstairs, so I make my way up to the first floor to see if he is in our room. There is no sign of Alex, so I surmise that he is probably with his mum and, not wanting to intrude, I decide to lie down on the bed and wait for him to come down and find me.