Easy As Falling Off A Bike.
by Angharad
part 331

"Where have you been?" Tom looked at me, "You've been crying, is everything all right?"

"No it isn't." I slumped on to a chair in the kitchen and held my face in my hands.

"Are you going to tell me about it?" he sat down opposite me.

"I've blown it."

"Blown what?"

"My chance of a happy ever after life."

"Why, what happened?"

"Simon and me, we're finished. Kaput, finis."

"Oh, a lover's tiff?"

"Yeah, a terminal one."

"Come on have a cuppa, you'll feel better."

"Not if you make it, I won't." I think I've mentioned before that Tom should not be allowed near a tea bag.

"There's gratitude for you! Huh! Make it your-bloody-self then!"

"I will, do you want one?"

"Well as you're asking, no. I have a glass of a perfectly good Merlot here, so I shall just sit here and listen to your latest crisis while the antioxidants unclog my arteries." He sipped his drink while I switched the kettle on.

"I had a hunch about Simon."

"And..."

"For some reason, I don't know why, but I felt he might be at his cottage. I drove there and he was, with Monica."

"His step-mother?"

"Yes, the very same. He told me she had left Henry and I wasn't to tell him if he rang, that I'd seen her. According to Simon, the only reason his father rang earlier was looking for Monica."

"All sounds a bit OTT to me," said Tom.

"Yeah, but they're like that plus I suppose the gossip columns would love to get wind of it."

"I suppose so, but it still seems a bit too much for me. If they got wind of your split up, it would make even more noise."

"Oh hell, I hadn't thought of that, plus Des is coming next week."

"Do you have to tell him?"

"No, but I can hardly wear this, can I?" I pointed to my ring.

"Why not, he won't know."

"Am I not by tradition, supposed to send this back to Simon?"

"I thought Stella told you to keep it if that happened. Now more importantly, what is she going to think? Remember the wedding was supposed to be her life line."

"Oh no, I'd forgotten all about that..."

"I think you'd better try and patch things up with Simon or devise some way of not telling her for some time."

"Oh poo, what do I do oh, father figure?"

"How should I know?"

"You're the professor, profess something!"

"Okay, I profess that I don't have a clue."

"That was a great help, thanks for nothing." I sipped my tea.

"I shall consult with Simon, stay here and behave yourself." With that he upped and left me sitting in the kitchen feeling queasy with worry. If Stella had been well, she'd have sorted us out, without her we were a bit like an uncontrolled experiment in relationships, failed variety.

I finished my cuppa, I could hear Tom's voice droning in the distance and I wondered what they were saying. He was easing into the paternal relationship with me more than my own father ever had.

I thought back over the last twenty four hours, we were both such fools and as it says in the old saw, pride comes before a fall. Certainly It did for me, but would Simon feel the same? I'd never know unless I asked him and I couldn't do that. At the same time I worried about Stella. I did love her so, and having her as a sister was so special for me. I know that even if Simon and I parted, she and I would have a special relationship anyway. We really had bonded as sisters.

What was going on with Henry and Monica, or Monica and Simon? Surely, Simon wasn't doing anything with her was he? Ugh! What a thought - a horrible one - blurgh! I almost felt sick for a moment until I rid my mind of such blasphemies.

Yet niggling in my mind was Monica's reputation and the pass she had made at me, it did not invite a sense of calm, rather the opposite. I was still playing these silly mind bending games with myself when Tom returned with two glasses of wine, one of which he placed in front of me.

"Are you fortifying me for bad news?" I said looking at the glass.

"No lassie, just sharing my largesse with you."

"So, what happened?"

"I poured myself another glass and there was one left for you." His eyes twinkled, and I sighed at him. "Oh that, yes, that was more complicated." He stopped and sipped his wine, "Well aren't you going to try some?"

"I would like you to stop messing about and tell me straight what happened."

"So you can drink it all down at once?"

"Maybe, yes!"

"That is an eight pound a bottle, wine; savour it don't guzzle it!"

"Just tell me what is going to happen, Tom."

"Who do you think I am, Mystic Meg?"

"You know what I mean."

"I cannot predict what will happen, that is between you and Simon to sort out. He is coming over tomorrow to see you and talk it over, with me as referee."

"I thought we'd do that between just him and me."

"You did that earlier, didn't you?"

"Erm, yeah, so?"

"It got you a long way towards sorting things by the look of it."

"Well that was his fault..."

"Cathy, it takes two to tango, relationships need give and take on both parts, you are both acting like children. If you don't change things and quickly, it isn't going to work."

"But Simon is the one who walked off and..."

"And nothing, he felt you walked off on him, twice. Once this morning and again this evening."

"But I went shopping this morning."

"Did you tell him?"

"No, he should have known that."

"Maybe you could have told him all the same?"

"How could I, we weren't talking."

"Is that how you think adults usually act?"

"Yes, my parents did!" I pouted.

"That explains a few things."

"Such as?"

"Never mind. You will meet with Simon tomorrow morning and I will be there to make sure neither of you act like spoilt brats. Now drink your wine and calm down."

I sat and sulked, not touching the wine. How dare he insult my parents, neither of whom were able to defend themselves against his accusations. Maybe he wasn't such a good father figure.

"I think I'm going to have an early night," I said sulkily.

"What about your wine?"

I felt like saying, what about it? Instead I said, "I'll take it with me it might help me sleep."

"Okay, good night, Cathy, sleep well."

"Thank you." I turned to walk away, then doubled back and kissed him on the cheek, "and thank you."

He smiled at me and put his arm around my waist, "I really do want to see you happy you know."

"I know, Tom, I just feel so upside down at the moment. Nothing makes sense and whatever I do, makes things worse."

"Your intuition led you to Simon, because you are close to him. Just allow it to work for you, do nothing, just be."

Completely confused by what he was saying, "What do you mean?"

"There is an old saying which goes something like, 'Men do - women are.'

"What is that supposed to mean, the sound of one hand clapping, huh?"

"Go off to bed and think about it." He patted me on the bum and pushed me towards the door. Are all men crazy or just the ones I know?