Plight(66)

A sea of eyes were suddenly cast my way, wide with anticipation, except for Elliot's, whose were boring into his sister's head and hers into his. My God, it was reminiscent of Parker Pizza Friday Nights. The two of them would fight, every time, over stupid crap. Elliot hated it, but I'd always found it amusing, partly because family scuffles weren't something I ever got to experience, unless they involved my mother, and when they did, she'd always be the victor.

It sucked.

Sitting here in my childhood home, with my mum and my childhood adopted family, I felt happy and 'mostly' amused by Laura's antics. "Is Chris my new fiancé? Nooooo." I continued to eat, unperturbed by her provocation. "He's too messy for me. Plus, he's not a fan of Dudley."

"Who's Dudley?"

I forked potato salad into my mouth. "The love of my life."

Elliot smirked, his tension easing, and forked some salad into his mouth, too.

"You like him, don't ya, Lots?"

"Oh, I love Pug- I mean Dudley. He makes himself right at home."

I burst into laughter.

"Who is Dudley?" Laura asked again.

"My dog." I carried on eating, waiting for her to strike again. She obviously had a point to make, and something told me she hadn't made it yet.

"So, you and Chris have never been an item?"

"Nope."

"Not even a little bit?"

"Laura, what's your point?" Elliot snapped. "If you've got one, make it."

She held her hands up in defence. "What? I just thought they looked good together today, that's all."

"Laura, that's enough," Helen added.

"Riiiiiiiight. Anyone want dessert?" Mum asked as she stood up, smiling and trying to keep the peace. "I've got Pavlova and some ice cream for the little guy."

"Sheesh. Why are you all so uptight? It's not as if Danielle and Elliot are in love with each other and too stubborn to admit it, right?" She smiled satisfactorily at us both. "Right?"

Annnnnnnd there it is.

I narrowed my eyes at her then shrugged it off, standing from the table. "Right." Picking up my plate, I picked up Elliot's as well. "Elliot knows I love him. Always have. Always will. What he does with that piece of information is entirely up to him."

I fired her the same satisfactory grin, bigger, in fact, and left the room to help Mum.





"She's a bit of a bulldog," Mum said under her breath as she prepared the Pavlova.

"Who? Laura?" I dipped my finger in the whipped cream and licked it.

Mum swiped at me. "Yes."

"Na, she just has a particular way of getting her point across."

"Particular way?" she scoffed. "I can see that." She kept smearing cream on top of the Pavlova. "She was right, though."



       
         
       
        

"I know."

Placing her spatula down, she turned to me. "So why can't you both figure it out?"

"We can."

"You can or you will?"

I smiled. "Both."

"When?"

"When the time is right." I leaned over and kissed her cheek. "I'm just gonna go outside for a little bit, okay?"

She hovered her hand over my forehead, a concerned look in her eyes. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. It's been a big day. I just want some cool air."

"Okay. Do me a favour and bring in some lemons?"

Nodding, I opened the back door and entered the cool night air, letting it tame the heated embarrassment I'd kept at bay during Laura's attack. I'd known she'd had an objective; I just hadn't realised it was that. Yeah, she was right; we were stubborn, and I loved him and he loved me. But sometimes that wasn't enough. Sometimes, there were niches we held onto or hid behind, because they kept us safe from the fear of letting go.

Sometimes, that fear took precedence.

Over the past week, I'd realised I no longer wanted my fear of losing the ones I loved to rule my heart. I didn't want it shackling me from the greatest happiness I may ever experience. That notion, alone, was more terrifying than taking a leap out of my safety zone.

Sitting down at the base of our lemon tree, I rotated one of the yellow fruits in my hand just as the back door opened and Elliot stepped out to join me, his hands behind his back, his posture sheepish.

"You all right?" he asked, squatting down in front of me.

"Yeah, of course." I tossed the lemon and caught it. "Your sister is harmless. She means well in a not so well kinda way."

"Tell me about it. Still, I want to apologise for her taking aim like that."