Dear Darling (3 page)

“If The Dog & Bone will give you enough time off, you could always come to Manchester with me? I’m sure my parents wouldn’t mind an extra plate at the table.” He had only been working there for a little over a month but I was sure they would have enough staff to cover the Christmas period.

“Are you sure? I wouldn’t want to intrude. I’ll be fine here if it’s a problem.” The hope in his voice caused my heart to splinter, and a teardrop fell from the corner of my eye. He still hadn’t told me about his family or why he didn’t have any contact with them, but I knew he would tell me when he was ready.

“Yeah, I’ll call them in the morning and confirm it.” He gripped my hand tightly, staring into the sky with the biggest smile I’d ever seen on his face.

“Did you know there’s no dark side of the moon? It’s a myth that there’s no light on the opposite side of it. In fact, the entire moon sees the same amount of light, even if we can only ever see one side of it. So, Pink Floyd were wrong.” He turned his head and winked.

“No, I didn’t know that.” I loved his geekiness, it always made me smile. His eyes lit up every single time he spoke about space, especially the moon. He was incredibly smart, but he didn’t look like the typical space nerds you would imagine. He was fashionable, but in a dark, mystic style. His dark brown hair was always neat, and he was all man. Incredibly fit, with bulging biceps and thighs made of steel. I was a lucky girl.

* * *

“Hi, Mum,” I said, shivering in the corridor. The heating in the dorms was busted and it was freezing outside.

“Hi, love. How are things?

“Everything is wonderful. Listen, I need to be quick. Is it okay if I bring Elias for Christmas dinner?” I had already told Mum about Eli.

“Yeah, sure. You know he is always welcome.” I could hear the smile in her voice. She was dying to meet the boy that had captured my heart.

“I need to book a bed and breakfast for on our way back, do you know anywhere that would still have rooms?”

“Ah.” That one word spoke volumes. She knew without me having to tell her how serious I was about Elias. It was one of the things I loved most in the world about my mum. “There’s that little cottage in Cheshire where your father and I stayed for our wedding anniversary. You could try there. If you have a pen, I have the number here in my address book.”

“Perfect, thank you.” I wrote down the number as she rattled it off. “I’ll see you soon, love you, Mum.”

“Love you, sweetheart. Have a safe journey.” I hung up with her and dialled the number she gave me. After two rings, a pleasant voice rang over the line.

“Good afternoon, thank you for calling Forest Farm. How may I help you today?”

“I would like to find out if you have any availability for New Year’s Day.”

I bounced from foot to foot as the woman checked, and when she assured me they had an opening, I started pacing. My nervous energy was bubbling over everywhere. I gave her all the details she asked for, and assure her I would call if I had any questions or needed to cancel my booking. When we hung up, I stared at the phone for a moment, willing my heart to slow before heading back to my room. I grabbed my jacket and headed across campus. No, I wasn’t going to tell Eli about my plans, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t on the tip of my tongue. Two weeks was a long time for me to keep a secret. I made it across campus in record time, taking the steps to his floor two at a time before knocking on his door with three rapid taps. Seconds later, Chris opened the door and stepped back to let me in.

“Hey, Chris, is Eli in?” I asked hopefully.

“He’s in there. I’m off. See ya later,” Chris called as he walked past me, a sly grin on his face.

Their room was a mirror image of mine, but instead of Mel’s posters everywhere they had everything from Metallica, to The Beatles, to Beethoven.

“Hey, what are you up to?” My tone changed to concern when I saw him lying on the bed staring at the ceiling. His eyes were glazed over and a tear sat stagnant in the corner.

“Nothing, just resting.” It looked like a whole lot more than resting, but I didn’t push.

“Well, I spoke to Mum, and she’s happy to have you come for Christmas. She’s excited to meet you.” He looked up and gave me the biggest smile I’d ever seen. Then he stood and scooped me into his arms, swinging me around as I giggled with joy. His soft lips brushed against my neck, and I had to squeeze my legs together to stop the unfamiliar tingling sensation that gathered there. His lips made a trail all the way up my throat until they found my quivering lips. Pressing hard against my soft skin, his tongue entered my mouth as my lips parted, and I let out a little moan.

“I love the way you taste,” he mumbled against my lips, the sound reverberating across my skin. I couldn’t form coherent words; his kiss had literally taken my breath away. It wasn’t the first time that he had kissed me, but it was the first time there was this much passion in it. It made all the doubt, which had been creeping into my mind, disappear. So what if we didn’t have much in common, did it matter? I was falling hard for this boy.

Those first few months were so perfect. You taught me about the moon and the stars. The way you spoke when you learned something new melted my heart. You made me fall more in love with you with every passing second. The magnetic force that pulled us together was so strong it was almost like the moon’s gravitational pull on the earth. And, like the moon and the earth, it was as if we were meant to be.

“Stop shaking,” I urged, gripping hold of Eli’s leg to stop it from bouncing.

“But what if they don’t like me? I mean they might hate me, and then you’ll dump me, and it will all be over.”

“Eli, they will love you, just like I do. Even if they didn’t, I wouldn’t dump you because of it.” He smiled as I gripped hold of his hand.

“I can’t wait to see Manchester. Can we take a trip to Liverpool, too? I want to see where The Beatles came from. I’ve never been up north before.” His words came in a rambling rush of excitement, and I relaxed in my seat. Leaving the smog filled capital behind was refreshing. It had been my home for the last few months but I was excited to finally breathe again in my hometown. I loved how excited Eli was about all of the new things he was finally going to be able to see.

“Yeah, sure. We can go across to Liverpool on Friday.” He smiled and looked out the window, watching the countryside pass us by. The rest of the train ride passed in relative silence. Every once in a while Elias would point out something on the horizon or ask a question about my parents. Before I knew it, I was turning the doorknob to my childhood home and walking into the porch, where both my parents were waiting.

“Hi, Mrs Rose, Mr Rose,” Eli nervously said.

“Very nice to meet you, Elias,” my mum greeted him with a warm smile. We entered the house, everything was exactly the same as when I’d left. My eyes flicked around the living room, dancing from the old brick fireplace with log burner, to the two sofas, and then to the bulky television in the corner. I took a deep breath, inhaling the familiar scent of apples and cinnamon my mum liked to fill the house with during the holidays. It was cosy in the evenings when the fire roared and all the candles were lit; it was home. My dad shook Eli’s hand and welcomed him with a smile. I knew my dad, though, and I knew that he knew what my mum knew. They didn’t keep secrets from one another. Apparently, whatever he decided about the boy I was in love with was good, because when their handshake broke, my dad clapped Eli on the shoulder and steered him around.

“Son, what do you know about golf?” he asked Eli as they disappeared out the back door, making both my mum and me smile and shake our heads. Eli was going to do fine.

* * *

“Where to first?” I asked, as we got off the train at Liverpool Station.

“I haven’t got a clue, you guide me.”

“Follow me.” I grinned, taking his hand and leading him out of the station and into the city centre. We walked hand in hand through the crowds of people, some doing their last minute shopping while others were on their way to Christmas parties in the pubs and clubs. Luckily, I knew my way around, otherwise I would have been lost in the sea of people rushing around us.

I led him towards the docks to watch all the cargo ships and boats load and unload and took some pictures of Elias with the sea as the backdrop. We wandered around the Maritime museum, which was unusually quiet, and I took even more pictures of him, capturing the look of awe as he took in the art around him.

“Hey, Saff, come and look at this,” Eli whisper-shouted.

“What is it?”

“It says there is a Beatles museum down the road, can we go?” I couldn’t say no to the hope in his voice.

“Of course, come on let’s go.” We left the Maritime museum after only seeing half of it and headed along the docks to The Beatles Story.

“Wow, this is amazing,” Eli said, his mouth opened when he looked at all the historical Beatles merchandise inside, not even noticing that I was snapping away. I lowered the camera and watched him in silence, taking in every reaction and sound. I’d never been a fan of The Beatles, but watching Eli’s reaction to it made me love them. As we ended the tour, I decided to give him one final treat before we headed back to the train station.

“Do you fancy going for a drink before we get the train back?”

“That sounds like a great idea.” He took hold of my hand tightly, lifting it up to kiss it before putting his arm around my shoulders and walking us back towards the town centre.

If he knew where we were going, he didn’t show it, and as we walked the cobbled streets, I watched him closely. When we drew closer to what awaited him, I let go of his hand and turned my camera on. Then he stopped, and I rose the camera. His eyes sparkled and his lips curved up into that sexy smile I’d seen so much of lately.

Snap.

Snap.

Snap
.

I clicked the shutter furiously, trying to capture every single nuance of his expression.

“Oh my gosh, Saff, I can’t believe I’m where The Beatles used to perform,” he said as he turned back to me and pointed to the sign that read: The Cavern.

“Well, come on. You aren’t going to get the full experience hanging out on the street!” My smile was bright as I linked my fingers back through his and let him lead me through the door. He stopped along the way to look at all the photographs on the bare cavern walls. I left him to explore while I ordered us some drinks and found a table in the corner near the stage where a group of musicians were setting up. I sat back and watched Eli as he looked at the writing on the walls and spoke to an employee. When he looked up, he saw me and beamed.

“I got you a drink,” I said as he sat on the stool next to me.

“Thank you so much, Saff. Today has been amazing. I’ll never forget it.” I loved how he was so appreciative of the little things.

“You’re welcome.” I took his hand, stroking the back of it as the band started to play. We spent the night drinking and listening to music before heading back for the train home.

Christmas day was wonderful. Mum made the biggest turkey ever with all the trimmings.

“What’s this?” Eli asked, sticking his fork in the stuffing and twirling it around.

“It’s stuffing. Have you never had stuffing before?” He looked at it like it was about to attack him. “It’s good; try it.” I scooped up some on my fork and ate it, over exaggerating the yummy noises that were coming from my mouth. I watched with a smug grin as he scooped up the tiniest bit and put it in his mouth.

“
Hmm
, it’s not bad.” He grimaced. I could tell he didn’t like it, but didn’t want to insult my mother’s cooking. Mum laughed at our exchange.

“Let’s make a toast to family,” Mum said, holding up her glass. I noticed Eli flinch slightly, but then he relaxed as I tapped his glass with mine.

“To family,” we both said in unison, smiling at each other. We ate and my parents recounted all their most favourite memories of me growing up. Eli, who didn’t touch another bit of stuffing, listened like every word they spoke held the keys to the universe. When they told him about the time I fell off my bike at five years old, he reached up, stroking the small scar at the side of my forehead. His eyes looked longingly into mine and I almost forgot where we were.

“Present time,” My dad announced excitedly. Dad had always loved Christmas. Even though I was well past the age of believing in Santa, my dad still made a big deal about it. It was something I hoped he would never stop doing. We left the kitchen, leaving the dishes for later and headed into the warmth of the living room. The fire was roaring, the sound of spitting wood shattering the silence.

We sat on the sofa and my hands shook with panic hoping that Eli would like his present. Mel and I had spent hours walking around Oxford Street, trying to find something that was perfect for him, but I was unsure that he would like it.

“Can I go first?” I didn’t wait for anyone to answer, instead I jumped up from my spot on the sofa and gathered all the gifts I had placed under the tree. I handed my mum and dad theirs first, before kneeling in front of Eli and handing him his. He was so slow about opening it, turning it each time he opened a fold in the paper, completely oblivious to the nervousness churning in my stomach.

“Oh wow. Oh Saff, this is . . . I have no words. Thank you so much.” He slid from the couch so he could kneel in front of me and wrap his arms around me. His voice was full of awe, and his grin was bigger than I’d ever seen it. It was as if no one had ever given him a gift before, and it warmed my heart and made me incredibly sad to know that he was delighted. He held the frame tightly, examining every inch of the picture it contained. It was a reproduction of a vintage telescopic view of the moon. It had a list with the names of all the craters at the bottom. I wasn’t sure if he would like it when I first saw it, but as soon as I saw his face light up I knew it was the right choice.

“Do you like it? I wasn’t sure . . .”

“I absolutely love it. No one has ever given me anything so precious before. Thank you.” He hugged me again, and when he pulled back, there was a small glint in his eyes.

“Thank you, Saffron. This is lovely, and just what I needed,” Mum said, stroking the woollen scarf I’d bought her. She leaned over to give me a peck on the cheek.

“Yes, thanks, Saff. I love it.” He was holding up the pint glass that read World’s Best Dad with pride. It wasn’t much, but we had never been a big present family. Christmas was always about spending time with each other, not the gifts.

“Our turn,” my mother announced. She handed me a small present, and then she surprised Eli by handing him one as well. His face was priceless, and I wished I had my camera. He wasn’t expecting gifts, and I wondered if he’d ever had a proper family Christmas before. Not for the first time I wondered what his childhood was like and if he would ever tell me about it.

Mum had bought me a pair of diamond earrings and a gift card for some new clothes, which would make Mel happy. Elias opened some socks and aftershave. Even though it was a small offering, he was so grateful.

“My turn.” He bit his lip nervously as he reached around the side of the sofa and produced a package. I carefully unwrapped the paper and revealed a small black velvet box. I snuck a quick glance in his direction, but his eyes were pinned nervously on where my hand rested on the lid of the box. I had no idea what was inside, but he was so nervous that he was making me nervous. I carefully lifted the lid and breathed a sigh of relief when I saw a beautiful necklace. Attached to it was a heart locket with:
My heart forever next to yours
inscribed on the front
.
I gently opened the latch to find a picture of Elias and me that Mel had taken a few weeks ago. It was a beautiful gift and I loved it so much.

“It’s amazing. Thank you.” I hugged him tightly, and he whispered, “Merry Christmas” against my neck. Fully aware that my parents were in the room, I pulled away, smiling. “This has been the best Christmas ever.” And it had been.

New Year’s Eve was quiet but special. Special because it was our first. We stayed in and watched the countdown on the television and then listened to the fireworks outside as we snuggled together. Buster, my parents’ dog, had his head crammed between us, and every time another firework went off, he managed to dig himself deeper into the small space.

The next morning, we said our goodbyes and headed to the train station, well that was what Eli thought we were doing. I made sure to jump in the taxi while he was still collecting the bags so I could give the actual address to the driver before Eli slid into the seat next to me. I was grateful that Eli had no idea where we were going, as the train station was in the opposite direction. As we pulled up to Forest Farm, I smiled. It looked exactly like the pictures my mum had shown me. From the front it looked like a little cottage with a thatched roof, white exterior, and tiny gnomes adorning the pathway that led to the front door.

“This isn’t the train station,” he said, looking at me with the cutest confused expression.

“We’re not going back to London tonight. I’ve booked us a room here for the night.” His smile was slight and bordered on an uncertain grimace. “I thought it would be nice to spend some time alone before we went back.” I shrugged.