Count On Me

Part Five

Chapter Five

They'd created at least five different loops with the wooden train set that Nate had pulled out when Oscar had walked in the house. Two bridges, one either side of the TV stand, a forest under the dining table, and several sets of points between the two. Nate was grinning as he slid a variety of well loved wooden trains along the tracks, making the cutest 'chuff-chuff' sounds that melted Oscar's heart. He sat back on his heels and couldn't wipe the smile off his face. When he looked up, Lizzie was stood in the doorway watching them play, and her face was a mask of emotions. None of which he could make out easily.

He offered her a half smile, and she reciprocated, "there's only so many times you can play with a train set in a day...or week."

"You spend a lot of time with him."

He pulled himself up into standing and took the glass of wine she offered with a smile.

Lizzie was silent for a moment, watching Nate play, "Janis worked a lot, weekends...evenings...hospitality runs at those hours."

"So you were left holding my baby."

It was a deliberate play on terms and he watched her cheeks flush anxiously, "it wasn't...I didn't..."

He laughed, "that was my attempt at a joke...a bad one."

She stared at him for a long moment, then nodded, "dinner will be about half an hour. You want to wind up the playing in fifteen minutes? Wash hands?"

He grinned then gave her a salute, before turning back to the intriguing train game.

Nate was giggling as he let Oscar help him with dinner and it both warmed Lizzie's heart and sent a cloud of dread through her. Already they were best friends in just a few days, and the thought of Nate moving on...the pain was almost physical in its intensity. Instead of talking, she sat wallowing in her self pity...and drinking wine. She'd had a few glasses and was starting to feel a little tipsy.

And it was at that point that her phone rang...her parents. Not what she wanted, but she couldn't put it off anymore. They were anticipating a funeral back in their village, Janis had planned for it here, in the suburb of Manchester that they lived in. This was a fight she wouldn't lose, but she knew it wouldn't be easy.

"I just need to take this call..." she excused herself as she put the phone to her ear and left the room. "Hi Mum."

"Lizzie, Father Matthews has said he's more than happy to perform the funeral service, and give Janis a full catholic mass. Even though she turned her back on the faith."

She tried to swallow the grief, the anger and the anxiety that seemed to accompany each other so frequently. She seemed to have a permanent lump in her throat, but she couldn't let that influence this, her parents were used to emotionally bullying her. This was a time when she couldn't lose. Her sister wanted what her sister wanted. She wasn't about to forget that.

"The catholic church can't afford to turn the trade away." Before her mother could respond in a hurt way, she added, "but there's no need. Janis has left her funeral plans. She wants the crematorium, a few miles away, and a non religious funeral."

Screeching and wailing along the phone line almost deafened her, but rather than enter into a verbal war, she hung up.

Standing there, it took several long minutes until she even began to feel ready to return to Nate and Oscar. Her head was pounding, her heart pumping as though she'd run a marathon...and the prickles of the tears that were constantly threatening her eyes. All because she stood up to her mother, finally.