All You Need Is Love

It was two days after the funeral and Tre had been staying with Gabrielle for the past week but they both knew that tomorrow he was going home. They tried to ignore the fact but it was there just hanging in front of them.

The funeral had been dreadful but Gabrielle had been strong especially in the light of what had been told to her about Lorna.

Tre glanced at Gabby who had fallen asleep on him. They’d put on a movie but he knew half way through by her gentle snore and her heavy weight that she’d fallen asleep. He’d continued watching the film, not wanting to wake her, as he knew she was exhausted lately from everything that had happened but now he badly needed to take a piss and would have to move her. Shifting slightly he managed to lift her without disturbing her, move from underneath her and then laid her gently back down onto the sofa before he crept off.

--

Gabrielle woke and Tre wasn’t there and for an instant she felt panic. Where the hell had he gone? Sitting up she glanced around the room and noticed the credits of the film that she’d hardly seen still rolling then she heard the toilet flush and knew where he was and relaxed slightly. She was beginning to get attached to him, she knew this and she was sure he did too but he had to leave tomorrow as he was doing a few shows near home and he had to see his family and she wasn’t sure when she would see him again. He’d been so strong for her, she’d leant on him this past week and he had been so understanding,

“Hey,” she heard a voice. “I’m sorry if I woke you, I needed to pee so badly, I’ve been holding it for sometime now,” he said standing in the doorway. She could look at him all night.

He made her stomach dance just watching him standing there with his T-shirt half hanging out as usual and his hair now flat on one side where he’d laid against the sofa.

“Shall we hit the sack?” Said Gabrielle yawning and stretching and swinging her legs around to get off the sofa.

“Yes, I’ll lock up, you go on up,” he said. She’d had it tough and part of him didn’t want to go home tomorrow and leave her. He wanted to be with Gabby, he loved her after all. He loved her and wanted to be with her quite desperately but at that moment he didn’t know what to do about it. His children lived in America; it was bad enough that he hardly saw Ramona and he felt like he spent half his week on a plane as it was, living out of a holdall and this was without having a girlfriend on the other side of the world. How could it work? Brushing those thoughts aside he thought he’d contemplate this later but for now he thought as he switched off the TV and checked some of the plug sockets, for now he’d just take things as they came.

--

She loved this moment after they’d made love when he just held her close to him, so tightly to him she just didn’t want it to end, luxuriating in the feeling of his warm breath against her cheek and his strong arms just holding her. She could hardly breath sometimes he held her so tight but it was fine, it was perfect in fact.

As he loosened his hold on her she knew he’d fallen asleep so she shifted slightly moving out from his grip and moved his arm so that she could settle herself down alongside him, resting her head on the pillow and watched him as he slept. He was such a good man and she sometimes felt she didn’t deserve him as she hadn’t told him yet. So much had happened and even though she’d begun telling him while she was at his house she still hadn’t finished the story, well practically hadn’t started it, there was so much to tell.

Rolling over onto her back she looked up at the ceiling remembering what Lorna, her birth mother had told her. The story of how she came to be. It still didn’t seem real and she didn’t think she’d ever view Lorna as her mother. It was Judith, her father’s wife that was her true mother, she’d brought her up, looked after and cared for her, not this flame haired woman who’d only just come into her life.

She knew her mother was ill, had always known, she was weak and sickly and hardly did as much as all the other mothers had done, there were always excuses not to go swimming with her, always reasons not to attend sports days but she was always there, always at home, reading, drawing with her, sitting watching TV and talking, helping her with homework, doing her hair, showing her how to put make up on. But she hardly ever left the house and then she gradually grew sicker and sicker until they took her away to a hospice and she didn’t come home and it had been just her and her father ever since.

She hadn’t realised that her mother couldn’t have children, and hadn’t realised that her father and her mother only stayed together because of her, Gabrielle. Had never realised that her father had an affair with the flame haired woman called Lorna who had worked with her mother before she gave up work. They’d all been friends but her father and this Lorna had fallen in love and her mother had found out about them. Then Lorna got pregnant by her father but she didn’t want to keep it. Her real mother hadn’t wanted her but Judith had and that’s how it was, Lorna gave up her daughter to the only man she had ever loved and his wife, kind of a repayment for breaking up their marriage. She’d given her baby up and had gone to live in France with her dogs, cats and an assortment of other animals.

She’d asked Lorna how her mother had put up with it, how she’d coped and Lorna just said that Judith had loved her like she was her own because she couldn’t have her own and she’d even sent regular photographs to Lorna without Pops knowing.

Then Judith had died, years ago and that’s when Lorna knew Judith had died because the photographs stopped coming.

She’d come back to Brighton for a visit and had stayed at the hotel and bumped into Pops. She hadn’t realised that Gabby owned the hotel and it was a total coincidence that they’d got back together.

Sighing Gabrielle turned to look at Tre one more, she gently put her fingers up to touch his face then bent and kissed his lips.

I love you she thought, I love you so much but I’m scared because I want you to understand all about me and what happened in my past. I think you will.

--

That was the worst goodbye ever thought Tre as he sat on the plane unable to concentrate on anything. He was glad he was going to see his kids soon as he missed them so much, he always missed them. Sometimes he just wished he had a 9-5 job and saw his kids morning and evening like most fathers but this was his life, his music, touring, travelling, two kids by different women in different parts of the country and now a girlfriend the other side of the world. I have to think about this, I have to think whether this will work or not. I’m getting too old to leap on planes twice a week. I love Gabby but I don’t know how I’m going to make it work.

--

Ramona loved it here at her father’s house even when he wasn’t here. Claudia was good to her and she loved being with Frankito even though he did annoy her sometimes. It felt like a family here. At home it was just her and her mother who was always busy with her photography, so more often than not she was left to her own devices but here she loved doing things with Frankito and her Dad but he’d been gone for ages it seemed and he’d promised to spend loads of time with her this holidays but then Gabby’s father went and died and her Dad had gone to be with her. She wasn’t jealous and she liked Gabby and felt sorry for her but was this what it was going to be like, her dad leaving her once again to go and visit his girlfriend all the time? She did like Gabby but she didn’t like the fact that she had to see less of her father.

There was a ring on the doorbell so she glanced quickly out of the window and saw a taxi parked up at the end of the driveway.

Sighing she walked out of her room as the doorbell rang again. Someone’s impatient thought Ramona.

She opened the door and it was that woman from the TV the one that Claudia always said had false boobies, Meg something or other.

”Hi you must be Tre’s daughter?” Said this woman.

“Yes I am and I recognise you from the breakfast TV,” said Ramona.

“That’s right. Is Tre here?” This Meg said.

“No, but he’ll be here later, he’s flying back in from England,” she replied wondering what Meg wanted with her father. Some of her friends in New York said that they had friends who thought her father was hot. That grossed her out slightly because she just couldn’t see it. Her father was old, what did young girls see in him? Sometimes they came up to him when they were out and Dad had to sign things, sometimes he’d had to sign their arms and they were always giggling and laughing and red faced. Weird.

“Oh, well would you be able to give this to him?” Said Meg. “I think its something that he should see,” she said handing over an A4 sized brown envelope that Ramona noticed was slightly open.

“Of course,” Ramona said taking it from the woman who had already left and was headed off down the drive without even saying goodbye or thanks.

Going back into the house Ramona was tempted to look inside the envelope. Claudia was out with Frankito and wouldn’t be back for another half hour at least. It would be easy just to take a little peek. It couldn’t be that important after all otherwise that Meg woman from the breakfast TV would have sealed it up properly wouldn’t she?

--

“What on earth are you doing here?” Said Beth glancing over at Gabby as she let herself into the back of the reception area.

“I can’t stay at home pondering, I need to keep busy,” she said. Gabby had called Beth up just after Tre had left and explained everything, everything about her parents and Lorna. Beth was just as shocked as Gabby had been.

“Well if you need to go home, just go, if it gets too much for you,” said Beth.

“I will,” said Gabby heading off into the backroom to check her post. Opening the drawer the first thing she saw was the magazine with Tre in it and she glanced immediately at his hands, those hands of his that she loved, his eyes and his cheeky smile. She loved him dearly and she had made her mind up about something. She wasn’t going to let this one go she was going to see him as soon as it was possible and tell him everything and she wanted it to be soon.

She hoped he would understand. She was sure he would because if she knew him like she knew what she’d seen of him already then he’d definitely understand but she needed to explain all about it first.

She put her hand up to her neck then, the automatic reaction to touching her locket but realised it wasn’t there and she kept meaning to take it from Tre who told her he’d brought it with him and it was in his top pocket of his jacket, the jacket he’d packed away in his suitcase, the locket forgotten what with all that had happened again. She must remember to get it from him and was sure he’d keep it safe for her then her heart beat slightly faster wondering if he’d taken a look inside and if he had, what would he think?

“Hey remember tomorrow its Lily’s party. I hope you can still come,” said Beth her head peeping around the door.

“Of course I’m coming. I admit, I had forgotten but I’ll be there. Does she still like playing with Barbie dolls? Shall I get her one for her birthday?”

“Of course, everything has to be Barbie at that age from slippers, pyjamas and even the plate she eats off of. Barbie is everywhere; she’s going to take over the world one day,” said Beth laughing.

“Is David going?” Gabby asked as she opened yet another envelope.

“Yes, he said he’d be there. That is if he can put his own Barbie doll away for ten minutes.” Said Beth glancing away.

“Are you sure he’s seeing someone?” Gabby asked.

“Well, according to Lily he is.” Beth responded, shrugging.

“I’m not so sure, I don’t think David would see anyone in front of Lily, it’s too soon.”

“Well… we shall see.” Beth said solemnly.

“I’m glad David will be there, there is something I need to ask him.”

“Oh and what’s that?” said Beth as she watched her friend, intrigued now.

Gabby just patted her nose. “Nothing for you to worry your pretty little self about,” she said as the bell at the desk pinged and Beth disappeared to see to the guest.

--

“Dad, you’re early,” said Ramona. Claudia and Frankito weren’t in yet and it had only been about 15 minutes since that Meg woman had left. She’d looked in the envelope and felt sick. She wanted to show her Dad but didn’t want to upset him and knew that this would.

“How’s Gabby?” She asked. Her mind still half on the envelope and its contents.

“She’s a little better.” Said Tre. “Actually, she’s doing quite well, I’m surprised.”

“You really like her Dad don’t you?” Ramona said.

“Yes, I really like her. Hey what’s that you’ve got there?” Said Tre eyeing up the envelope that Ramona had in her hand.

“Oh yes. Its for you, that Meg woman from the breakfast TV came by with it, I didn’t know you knew her,” said Ramona.

“She interviewed me once, remember?” What the fuck did Meg want now? Hadn’t she got the message? He was taking Gabby to the awards and that was final.

Tre went off to his study to open the envelope in private, it was slightly open and he had a feeling that Ramona had looked inside but what the hell, it couldn’t be that important.

Sitting on the computer seat that swivelled around Tre ripped open the envelope and saw what this was all about immediately.

Inside was what looked like old newspaper clippings and news articles that had been found on the Internet and had been printed out.

The main headline that jumped out at him was of an English newspaper, dated just over seven years ago and in huge black letters he read the headline:

DRUNK DRIVER KILLS OWN CHILD