Our Time Will Come - An After Story

32

"Of course you can make the 'guest' cheesy pasta bake, she's not queen Elizabeth" he mocks. He Hardin, he. "Hardin please go and put on a clean T-shirt and a pair of jeans, make yourself look presentable" I fuss. He looks at me like I've gone crazy and I probably have. "Okay, okay" he raises his hands in defence.

I head on down to the kitchen and throw on my favourite apron, the one with the Dalmatian print. I begin to prepare dinner, cooking the pasta on the stove, when Hardin joins me in the kitchen. "Let me help you baby" he says. I couldn't think of anything worse right now. "No offence babe.. but you'll just get under my feet" I huff.

"Seriously babe, you can start the dessert and I'll finish the Pasta bake, we'll be done in no time. Teamwork makes the dream work" he remarks. I can't help but laugh because of the cringe. I oblige and make a start on a blueberry pie. I start by rolling out some pie dough and before I know it, it's filled with blueberries, a mixture of sugar, cornstarch, allspice, cinnamon, salt, and a little lemon zest and placed into the oven. Hardin's pasta bake is cooking nicely on the bottom shelf and he is now in the sitting room, I catch him laughing at the cartoons but he turns them off when he notices me standing there.

"Hardin, get the fancy plates, glasses and cutlery out. We have guests!" I scoff. "Guests? Babe, we have one fifteen / sixteen year old girl coming over for dinner. Calm down Tessa!" He snaps. "Hardin!" I glare at him and he shoots up to go and collect them from the loft.

"Make sure louie stays in the sitting room babe. I don't know if Charlie likes dogs!" I nag as he finishes laying the table. "Okay okay, but If this new friend of Em's doesn't like dogs then she can swivel because louie is a part of our family" he rambles. "Hardin, I never said that Charlie doesn't like dogs, it's just incase he doesn't!" I yell. Oh shit, I just said 'he'.

"He?" Hardin's jaw drops to the floor and stays there when Emery and her new friend walk through the door. "Hi mom, hi dad" she smiles. "This is Charlie" she introduces the young man.

His hair is blonde and he's wearing a little too much gel, in an adorable way. He has a lovely tan. His jeans are so tight that his legs look like two pieces of string and he's wearing an oversized football jersey. "It's lovely to meet you Charlie!" I shake his hand and he smiles a cheesy grin, revealing a mouth full of metal. "You too mrs Scott" his voice is small. I get the impression that Charlie is quite the shy kid. "You can call me Tessa" I tell him and he gives me a small smile.

Hardin doesn't say a word, doesn't even introduce himself as Emery takes Charlie into our living room. "You like dogs right?" I hear her say. "I love them! I've got two at home" he smiles, as excitable as ever. Typical.

"Hardin! You could have said hi" I scold him. "He's- he's a guy" he mumbles. "He is, but Emery says he's just a little friend. So please be nice!" I plead, he nods in agreement. "I can't promise anything, but I'll try" he adds. "You could have bloody told me!!" He scoffs.

"Emery! Dinners ready" I yell and two minutes later, her and Charlie take a seat at the dining room table. Hardin is being overly friendly and I can't help but smirk fo myself. "So Callum! Where are you from!" He puts on his best fatherly voice. I glare at him, warning him to not start with his 'imma pretend I don't know your name' skit. "Oops, I mean Charlie" he corrects himself, as sarcastic as ever. "I'm from Brooklyn, I actually live just a few streets away from here Mr Scott" the kid chimes. "Oh I see. So what are your intentions with my daughter?" He blurts, causing Emery to break into a fit of coughs and Charlie to drop a fork onto his plate. He scurries to pick it up and silently apologises. Why on earth did he spring that on him so quickly?

"I enjoy spending time with Emery and getting to know her, Mr Scott" he loses eye contact with Hardin. "Just ignore him Charlie" I tell him and he gives me an award smile. "So, you aren't going to use her then?" Hardin mumbles. "What? No! Of course not!" Charlie's eyes widen. "Good!" Hardin over enthusiastically yells.

"This pasta bake is lovely Mrs Scott" he smiles to me, I find it adorable that he's trying to make an effort. "Actually, Mr Scott made it" Hardin obnoxiously whispers. "It's really good" Charlie repeats.

"So, what do your parents do, Connor?" Hardin changes the subject. He's clearly finding himself
Too hilarious with the whole name thing. The young man ignores Hardin's ridiculous attempt to intimidate him. "My dad's a psychiatrist and my mom's a nurse" he asserts. The look on Hardin's face is a picture, I just know that he was hoping Charlie would say his dad's a drug addict and his mom's a stripper or something along those lines.

"Impressive!" I raise my eyebrows."yeah, it is I guess but it kinda sucks. They work all kinds of hours and with me being an only child and all, it gets kind of lonely, mam" he lowers his head. Poor kid.

"See, he's a good kid" I whisper low enough for only Hardin to hear me. "Just because his parents are good people, doesn't mean he is, Tessa" he whispers, louder than he should have. Emery shoots a deep glare across the table, she can clearly sense the tension. "Hardin, he's a fifteen year old kid!" I scold him, again, quietly enough for only him to hear me.

Emery and Charlie are talking amongst themselves when the oven timer starts to beep. "Oh, that will be my blueberry pie!" I beam, standing up from my seat to go collect it. "I'll get it" Hardin intervenes, forcing me sit down. "You see Charlie, he thinks that because I'm pregnant, I can't do anything" I giggle, causing the young man to join me.

"So, do you have any other siblings or just the baby that's on the way?" He asks Emery. The way he's looking at her is so sweet. "You mean babies? It's twins in there" she tells him, giggling at his shocked reaction. "It is?" his eyes widen and she nods to confirm. "I have a younger brother named Auden but he's over at our Aunt and uncle's place for dinner tonight. He'd love you, he loves to play musical instruments, just like you but he's only nine" she explains. "Aw cool, maybe I'll meet him some time soon" he smiles goofily.

Hardin eventually dishes out the blueberry pie with a scoop of ice cream on the side. The polite young man can't compliment it enough. He thanks Hardin and I for dinner and tells us that he can't remember the last time he sat down to eat dinner with his own parents. This boy is really tugging on my heart strings. In fact, he reminds me of a certain someone,
my first ever boyfriend, Noah. I better not tell Hardin that though, jeez.

I get up to wash the pots and give them some privacy and notice that Hardin is watching them like a hawk. "Hardin" I yell to distract him and he retreats into the kitchen. "So, what do you think?" I ask him. "He's alright, I guess. Bit of a square" he remarks. "He's lovely! Would you rather her date someone like Charlie who has a good head on his shoulders, or would you prefer her to go after someone like Blake Priestley!" I snap and it dawns on his face that he's being a dick.

"Well she's fifteen so I'd prefer it if she didn't date anyone at all, but i suppose you're right. I'd let her date him any day over any of those Damn Priestley boys" he finally admits. "I just want her to stay my baby girl forever though" he pouts. I dry my hands on a tea towel to comfort him. "She'll always be our baby girl Hardin" I stroke his cheek with my hand. "But she's growing up and that's just a part of life, honey" I bury my head into his chest as he places a kiss into my hair. "He's a nice kid, I suppose" He finally admits.