Page 44 of Lilly
“Tous.”
Lucas
To sayI was dubious about taking Lilly to my house would be an understatement. It’s a place that I hardly ever go, and one I would never take another person. My parents have only been here once. The only person who is here regularly is Sylvie, and that’s only because she’s cleaning the place and filling up the fridge, only to throw it all away again the followingweek.
Sylvie originally worked for my mum and dad, but since they downsized they didn’t need her as much so I made up her hours when I bought this place. Sylvie was a huge part of my teenage years. She’s kind of like a much older sister. She was there to listen to me when I needed it. I was horrible to her at times as I tried to vent what I was going through but she took it all. She just seemed to understand what I needed and allowed my anger run its course. She was always there when my mum and dad were away on business to make sure I made it to school and ate properly. I think it’s safe to say that when I left home, she was the one that I missed the most. I thought often about getting in touch, but I knew how disappointed she’d be in me for the life I was living, so I always stopped myself from reaching out. I don’t see her a lot these days but I know she is here trying to do her little bit for me, and it makes me happy that I can make her life a little easier since her husband passed away a few yearsago.
“I’m making you breakfast,” I state when Lilly appears in the living room the next morning, once again dressed in one of myshirts.
“You can cook?” she asks, lookingsceptical.
“Uh…can’t be thathard.”
She gives me a look that is half amused, half questioning, but I slide a cup of tea towards her and ignoreit.
She perches herself on the bar stool as I start rummaging in the fridge to see what I canfind.
Twenty minutes later, it’s clear I really can’t fucking cook. The bacon is like a fucking crisp, whereas the sausages are raw. What the fuck? It can’t be this hard to make a fry up. Lilly kept trying to stick her nose in so I banished her to the living room to give me some peace, but I’m now wishing she stayed and tookover.
“Lucas, I can smell burn…oh,” she says, looking worried as she rushes into thekitchen.
“Looks like I can’t cook. Shall we goout?”
“Nonsense,” I hear shouted loudly from the bottom of thestairs.
I don’t have time to think about whether I want Sylvie and Lilly to meet, because it’s toolate.
“Oh my days! Lucas, you’ve got a girlfriend?” Sylvie asks the second she claps eyes on a barely-cladLilly.
“Good morning, Sylvie,” I say as I go over to kiss her cheek. She has aged quite a bit since I saw her last and it hits me hard that I haven’t made time for her. Especially now she’s alone. She never had any kids of her own; I think it’s why she made so much time forme.
“Lucas,” she snaps, but she’s too gentle to ever be mean. “Introduceus.”
“Sylvie, this is Lilly,my…”
“Friend,” Lilly helpfullyadds.
“Right, I see,” Sylvie says, giving Lilly a wink. “My Jerry and I were friends like that once. Those were goodtimes.”
I can’t help but smile, seeing the happiness on Sylvie’s face as she thinks back to her latehusband.
“Lucas, get out of the kitchen and let an expert take over. He thinks he’s good at everything, this boy,” she says, looking over at Lilly. “Just because he can run a hotel or two doesn’t mean he can run a kitchen. Out of the way, boy,” she says again as she whips a tea towel in mydirection.
Thirty minutes later and the three of us are sat around the dining table, eating a properly cooked fryup.
“That is how it’s done, Lucas. I hope you took notes so next time you can make the lovely Lilly here breakfastyourself.”
“Yes, Ma’am,” I say with asalute.
Sylvie tried to sneak away once breakfast was made, but I wasn’t having any of it. She wasn’t cooking for us then disappearing once the job wasdone.
Sylvie and Lilly lose themselves in a conversation about the house, but I lose focus on the conversation. I’m too enthralled watching Lilly interact with another person I care about. It’s like she’s known Sylvie for years with the way they are talking. I thought letting Lilly meet my small circle was going to be weird. I don’t bring new people into my small network, ever, but she fits in so well and makes every effort to be interested in them—I presume just because they are important tome.
As I look at Lilly laughing at something Sylvie said, I feel something I don’t think I’ve ever felt before. I feel at home, like I’ve found somewhere I belong. It has nothing to do with the fact that we’re in my house and everything to do with being with her. I think I could be anywhere in the world and I would feel like I was home, as long as she was with me. It’s the oddest feeling after a lifetime of feeling like I don’t really fit in. I couldn’t have asked for better parents than Christopher and Elaine, but I never really felt like it was my hometoo.
* * *
We spendthe afternoon cuddled up on the sofa watching old black and white westerns on the TV, as the weather had changed. I can’t focus on them though; I’m too close to Lilly for my brain to think about anything but her. If I’m not thinking of all the places around this house that I would like to fuck her, then I’m trying not to think about how much she has come to mean to me in such a short space of time. If I allow myself to think about it too much, I’m worried I’ll do something stupid to put her right and show her the selfish bastard I reallyam.
