All You Need Is Love

The drive back home from the airport was dreadful and Tre couldn’t forget the pained look on Gabrielle’s face as she turned and left him to begin her long journey home.

He knew she was holding back because Frankito was also with them at the airport and Tre’s heart bled as Gabrielle bent down to his little son and told him that she’d see him very soon and to make sure that he kept his fire truck polished and shiny.

Then she stood up and hugged Tre. He could feel her fingers tightly gripping onto his jacket and he didn’t want to let her go.

In the car, Frankito was extremely quiet then when Tre glanced at him in the rear view mirror he could see him crying silently and that was unusual in itself because Frankito always cried loudly making sure that everyone could hear him.

“What is it monkey?” said Tre glancing back and forth in the mirror as he drove along.

But Frankito didn’t answer him straight away, just kept on staring out of his window. Tre decided to leave him be, they would be home soon and he could talk to his son then.

Then suddenly a little voice from the back of the car could be heard.

“Dad, I’ve eaten Gabby’s legs,” he said.

”What was that sweetheart?” said Tre, frowning.

“The gingerbread people, I ate Gabby’s legs and I’m so sorry Daddy,” Frankito said, tears falling down his little red chubby cheeks.

“Hey, its fine Frankito, I don’t mind and Gabby definitely won’t mind,” said Tre trying to comfort his son but all Frankito did was sniff.

Frankito couldn’t wait to see Gabby again, she was nice to him and he couldn’t wait to tell his Mom all about her.

Poor Frankito, thought Tre glancing back into the rear view once more. He does like Gabby and so does Ramona who had refused to come to the airport and Tre knew the reason. She wouldn’t have wanted to be seen crying in public so she’d said her goodbyes to Gabby at home, then ran off to her room.

Gabby was too late. Her father had died before she even got there, her wonderful Pops who had always been there for her, had gone and she’d missed his going.

She was devastated and Beth was worried for her, especially after all she’d been through and now this.

It was the early hours of the morning when Beth had brought Gabby home from the hospital, the doctor had given her some pills to aid sleep and Beth had insisted on staying with her for the night. David had offered to take Lily so that she could concentrate on her friend. Both women were exhausted. They’d been at the hospital all day and had long discussions with the doctors and it had turned out that Pops had a major heart problem but had kept it from Gabby knowing that his daughter had been through so much, not wanting to worry her.

Beth was surprised at how well Gabby was coping, worried that she hadn’t really broken down yet. She knew her old friend would get through it and she’d always be there for her just like she always had she thought as she settled herself onto the sofa with the spare blanket and pillow that she’d so often used before.

Beth was just dozing off when she heard a vibrating noise coming from Gabrielle’s jacket that was slung over the back of the armchair. Just as she reached the source of the vibrating, Gabby’s phone, it stopped but she checked anyway to see who had been calling and Tre’s name popped up.

Beth was tempted to call him back knowing that Gabrielle hadn’t contacted him herself yet then she had second thoughts may be she would just leave it she thought as she slipped the phone back into Gabrielle’s jacket pocket.

Then as she settled herself under the blanket she changed her mind once more and decided to go ahead and call Tre up, he must be wondering how things were and Beth thought it wouldn’t be fair to let him wait much longer for the news.

It was an hour and a half later when Beth came off the phone to Tre.

On the Monday Tre got a flight straight out to Gabby, he’d waited for Claudia to get home then he flew off to her knowing that he just had to be with her. He had to but before he left he made sure that he’d got Gabrielle’s locket tucked into the inside pocket of his jacket. She’d left it on his bedside while they were making love and had rushed off, leaving it there. He was so tempted to check inside, see if she had a photograph of anyone in there but he didn’t, he couldn’t bring himself to look.

Beth answered the door of Gabrielle’s flat to him and let him straight in. She was glad he had come, he was a good, decent guy and she hoped it worked out for both of them.

Gabrielle was lounging in her huge bath, full to the brim with bubbles. It had been a difficult day as she’d had to arrange her father’s funeral and it had drained her completely. Later on she was going to the cottage to sort through his things but the strange thing was that Lorna asked if she could come along too, of course she didn’t mind, she liked Lorna and if this helped her too then why not?

There was a gentle knock at the bathroom door.

“It’s OK Beth, come in, I’m under the bubbles and anyway, you’ve seen everything before,” Gabrielle said laying her head back against the bath and trying to relax after the strain of everything.

“So have I,” said Tre peering round the door.

She glanced up at him and her smile said it all, her dimpled face lighting up as she saw him and he knew he was right to come and be with her.

Then suddenly her dimples disappeared and she started crying so he went to her and leant over the bath as she clung to him, soaking his t-shirt in the process but he didn’t care one bit about that.

“Actually,” said Tre, “can I get in? It may be a little easier.”

Gabrielle just nodded as she sat back and watched this man who’d she’d fallen for whip off his damp T-shirt and fling it onto the floor, she watched him unbuckle his jeans, pulling them down over his hips and step out of them, leaving everything in a heap on her bathroom floor.

Then he was standing there in his bright yellow boxers, which were soon flung from his body and she smiled a small smile as she watched him step into the bath and into the warm bubbly water, his legs nudging against hers.

“Come here,” he said as he pulled her towards him and she lay herself onto his chest as together they tried to wash away the pain.

Later Gabby took Tre with her to her father’s cottage and she suddenly felt stronger knowing the reason was Tre, that he was with her and this helped her immensely. If only he could always be here she thought.

Lorna was sitting in her own car when they pulled up and she immediately got out to meet them. Gabby realised how awful Lorna looked, even worse than she did. Poor Lorna, she must be going through hell too.

The two women hugged and Tre noticed that their hair colour was very similar then Gabby turned and introduced them to each other.

“Lorna, this is Tre, he’s a very good friend of mine.” Said Gabrielle almost proudly.

“Hi,” said Tre, “good to met you Lorna,” he said going to the frail looking woman and holding his hand out.

“Hello Tre,” said Lorna as she shook his strong hand. So this was the American guy that Pops had mentioned, he’d told Lorna that his daughter was more than friendly with him and he also said that Tre was a decent chap. She remembered his exact words. “Lorna this American guy, Tre that Gabrielle has been seeing a lot of, I believe he is a decent chap and will do her good.” His exact words, she must make a point of telling Gabrielle at some point.

They all walked into the cottage and Tre offered to go and fix them all a drink. He liked it here at the cottage and he remembered those few days that they had spent together here, walking on the sand, the carpet picnics, shared baths, naked frolics until… then he glanced over at the CD player remembering also how she’d got upset by that Beatles song.

He got out three mugs from a cupboard trying to forget that song but for some reason ever since that night it had often come to his mind.

Gabrielle noticed that Lorna was clutching a photograph album; it was quite dog-eared as though it had a good going through and it looked very old and worn.

“Gabby I need to show you this,” said Lorna aware that Gabrielle was looking at the album.

“Oh… OK,” said Gabby.

“Here, take a look,” said Lorna coming over and sitting next to her and holding out the dog-eared album to her.

Gabby took it and opened the first page as Tre came in with the coffees.

“Oh… can I see?” Asked Tre glancing over.

“Of course,” said Gabrielle gazing up at him and patting the seat on the other side of her.

She looked down at the first page that she’d opened and smiled.

“Dad when he was younger. Wasn’t he handsome?” she said turning to another page.

“…and Mum.”

“Hey she was pretty,” said Tre taking a sip from his coffee.

“Very,” said Gabby agreeing with him.

“Hey this is you in this picture, this is when you knew them,” said Gabby turning to Lorna, “this was some time ago, one of my regular guests thought he recognised you and thought you all knew one another many years ago. How?” Asked Gabby looking into Lorna’s green eyes.

“I used to work with your mother, she was so good to me, they both were, they were very good friends of mine,” said Lorna reminiscing. “Very good friends.”

“So how come I don’t remember you then? I don’t remember seeing you at all Lorna when I was younger.” Tre noticed the frown on Gabby’s face as if trying to remember this woman.

“Listen Gabby,” Lorna said, putting her hand out onto the younger girl’s arm. “There is something you must know, your father and I were going to tell you on our return from France but you’d already left for America,” she said glancing over at Tre. “Its important and your father had made the decision that you should know.”

“What? What did Dad want me to know?”

Lorna sighed.

“Gabby it just that, I’m… I’m your birth mother,” she said extremely quietly then glanced away.

For some reason, this didn’t come as a complete surprise to Tre.