Please Don't Forget About Me

One Fine Day

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"What have you done now, son?" Pale sighs, looking at Allan who is feeling sorry for himself. "Wallace and I had an argument, it's fine though he will get over it," Allan replies, looking defeated. "You guys are best friends, he's going to need some space and once he's cooled down he will call you," Nicole replies, reassuringly. He tilts his head from side to side feeling a tension headache coming on. "We're here!" Cece exclaims as she walks in with a bottle of white wine with Charity in tow carrying a New York Cheesecake. "Hey, now my little family is complete," Pale beams looking at them both, his thoughts suddenly go back to Anna, she should be here too. God knows how much he misses not waking up to her every single morning, and with her blocking his number he has no way of knowing how she is doing or what she's up to. "Where's Larry?" Charity asks scanning the room. "He had to work tonight," Pale yawns. "How's it going?" Allan asks Charity handing her a glass of wine. "Not too bad, just ticking along," she replies, as she gives him a kiss on the cheek. "Pale has told us that you've got a new guy. I want to hear all about him!" Nicole grins excitedly as she greets Charity with a hug. "Well, I'll fill you in soon. First I want to hear what y'all have to say!" Charity exclaims, knowing full well what Allan and Nicole are about to announce. Allan drapes his arm around Nicole's shoulder and giggles nervously. "What have you done now?" Pale asks suspiciously. "We've only been married a matter of weeks and it's very early days but myself, Alan and Cece, come over here," Nicole reaches out taking Cece's hand as her eyes well up with tears. "We are both pregnant!" Nicole exclaims jumping up and down with Allan who is staring at her with so much love in his eyes. "No way," Pale gasps, his mouth dropping to the floor in shock. "Yes way, here's your grandchild," Cece hands Pale the ultrasound and he traces his index finger along the image. "I'm only four weeks along, but we've done eight tests and every single one came back positive," Nicole says taking out a test and placing it in Pales freehand. He stares down at the scan and the positive test, the single most best news he has had in a long time. "I'm going to be a grandad again, three grandkids!" He exclaims, holding out his arms initiating a group hug with all of them. Charity stands next to Pale and holds him close, touched that he still includes her son as one of his grandchildren. "It's going to be an expensive year!" Allan jokes, "I can't believe my little sis is going to be a mama." Cece laughs, "It's almost like we planned this altogether." Pale tries to compose himself not wanting his children to see him cry, he's always kept his cards firmly close to his chest. "I can't tell you all what you have done for me today," he mumbles, as he forces the lump down his throat. "I am so proud to call all three of you my children, no matter what's going on at the moment this is the light in the dark cloud and I'm so excited to be a grandad again."  He looks over at Charity giving her the warmest of smiles. "I love you," she whispers. "I love all of you and I can't wait to take on the role of cool auntie so I can spoil them both rotten and then give them back to y'all at the end of the day," she chuckles as they disperse from their group hug. "Man, I'm a pregnant hormonal lady and I'm famished. Let's eat," Cece pipes up, making a beeline to the dining room table which has an enormous buffet with an assortment of food laid out. Her phone buzzes with a message from Philip, she almost drops her phone in shock, finally! "Hey baby mama! Sorry I've been so quiet, the reception here in London is a joke. Hope you are doing okay, how did your scan go?! Xxx"
Relief sweeps through her, finally feeling like she can relax and stop being so paranoid. Philip is not cheating on her, he has a perfectly reasonable explanation for his absence and that Samantha girl is just some desperado trying to flirt up a storm with her man. "It's been the best day of my life, the only flaw was your absence. You have to come to the next one with me, I love you, babe. xxx" She responds instantaneously, butterflies swarming in her stomach with happiness and reassurance.
There is a sudden knock on the door, Allan quickly goes to answer it as Charity whispers to Cece, "All good in the hood?" Cece squeals, "Yes, it was just a minor miscommunication. He still loves me and is excited at the idea of being a dad." Charity rubs her back, "See, I told you. All that worrying for nothing." Allan opens the door and a familiar voice shocks Cece, "Is there any room for one more?" She spins around to see Philip standing in the doorway with his suitcase, he must of just come from the airport. "Philip! Oh my God, I can't believe you're here!" She screams, running over to him and nearly rugby tackles him to the floor. "Easy tiger, I've just got off an 8 hour flight so I'm pretty fragile," he laughs, giving her peck on the lips. "Hey folks, enjoying the show?" He waves smugly to the rest of them. What a cocky moron, Charity thinks to herself unimpressed at his attitude as of late. Bad WiFi connection my arse, she wouldn't put it past him to cheat on Cece, especially since he did the dirty on his fiancé with her sister. But for the sake of Cece and her unborn niece or nephew she decides to keep shtum for now. "Altman," Pale says sharply as he approaches him. "Oh, Mr Engle. What's occurring?" He grins as he extends his hand. Pale shakes it tentatively and leans into him subtly, "Listen here you, don't you dare fuck with my daughter or grandchild. If you do you'll have me and my gun to deal with, you got it?" He hisses in his ear, remembering how he messed Cece around for years as they were growing up. "Sure thing," Philip replies, giving Pale a sarcastic look. Charity looks him up and down, making sure that he knows that she is aware of his playboy behaviour. Her phone rings, it's Adam. She immediately picks it up, "Hi, how's it going?" He coughs on the other end, "Good babe, missing you loads today though." His sweet disposition makes her heart melt yet again, how can one man be so freaking cute and violently sexy at the same time? "I miss you too, but if you're free tomorrow you can come over," she suggests, hoping he will say yes. "I'm actually outside now, just on my way to work. Can you quickly come and see me, I just want to give you a good night kiss?" He groans, his voice oozing with sexiness. "Give me a sec," she hangs up, grabbing her jacket and runs down the fire exit steps.

He is pacing up and down the sidewalk, hands in his pockets, wearing his work attire. He still looks hot though, Charity smiles as she watches him, he's unaware of her presence as of yet. She notices he has something in his hand, a box. Intrigued, she walks over to him, his fresh, sporty scent hits her and she wishes she could drag him up the stairs to her bedroom. She pokes him in the shoulder blade and he jumps in shock, beaming as soon as he realises it's her. "Sexy lady," he smiles giving her an alluring look as he kisses her passionately. "Sexy man," she responds gently biting down on his plump lower lip. "I'm sorry I can't stay long, but I just wanted to give this to you. I saw your post earlier on Facebook and I stumbled across this in a shop window," he smiles nervously as he hands her a royal blue square box with a neat white bow on the top. "Actually, wait until I've gone before you open it. I just wanted to say that I think you're incredible and I'm so honoured to be part of your life," he says, gently rubbing her shoulders. "Well, I'm glad you spilled coffee on me that day. It was a pretty fortunate accident," she chuckles, gazing up into his piercing brown eyes. "I hate to leave you, but I gotta go. Say hi to Chuck and Larry won't you?" He laughs, as he gives her a sweet kiss. "Of course, I will. See you soon," she beams as he reluctantly lets go of her hand and sprints to the other side of the road. She waits until he is out of sight and carefully unties the ribbon. A little card pokes out from the side, she pulls it out and it's reads, "After I saw your memory on Facebook this morning I found this and I knew it was meant to be. I know how much you loved Ezra and your son, this is a small token from me to you. Lots of love, Adam. x"
The note in itself makes Charity cry, how many men out there would be so thoughtful and caring like he is? She opens the box and her heart stops with what she finds inside. It's a beautiful charm necklace with an angle wing, a baby blue diamond and an heart engraved with the words, Forever by my Side. So touched by his kind gesture she quickly sends him a thank you message. As she walks back in the building her heart feels the fullest and happiest that it has felt in a very long time.

What Charity didn't notice was Ezra's presence outside, he saw the moment between her and Adam. Skeptical at first Ezra thought Adam was a typical guy, using her for a quick shag and then he would be off like the majority of men would be. Seeing how happy he makes her and the kindness that he has shown since they have met, Ezra knows that he is the man Charity is meant to be with. He casually walks alongside Adam who is completely oblivious and unassuming with his headphones in with some rap music blaring from them. He's also chewing very loudly on his bubblegum, a total free spirited guy who goes his own way and doesn't give a shit about what people think of him. It was true what he said before, Ezra and Adam would have definitely got on if they had known each other. Ezra grins and whispers to him, "Do you know what, you're one of the soundest guys I've ever come across?" Giving Adam his silent seal of approval.