Aria Graice - 32. Chapter 32

“Just wait a bit. I know you’re anxious to get on your way, but I’ve got some help coming.”

“Help?” Drew asked suspiciously. His mother looked altogether too smug.

“I called Anne. She’s working this evening. She’s rounding up the boys and sending them down. They’ve got a presentation tonight so both teams are up there.”

“Boys?” Aria asked sounding nervous.

“Rugby boys, love. They love a good tackle.”

Drew groaned. “They love a good fight too, and that’s the last thing we want.”

“You worry too much. They’re going to create a diversion, that’s all. Go take the van for a drive, love,” she said to Cerrian. Make sure you lose anyone who follows you, then meet us up the new houses in half an hour. Round the back of number four where the kids got their den.”

“Right you are.” Cerrian grinned at Drew as she grabbed her coat and keys. “See ya.”

“You’re not supposed to be enjoying this,” Drew grumbled, and she flipped him off as she disappeared through the door. The front door slammed behind her and voices rose in the street outside. Cerrian’s rose over them all. “Get that bloody van out of my way or I’m rammin’ it.”

“She would too,” Drew’s mother said with a smile that was way too feral for Drew’s liking. Mothers were supposed to be sweet. He almost snorted at that.

“At least we know for sure they’re out there,” Aria said, his voice shaking. He hovered by the window trying to see out through the nets without moving them.

Drew’s mother wrapped her arms around him and moved him away from the window. “Close the curtains, Drew,” she said. “Come on you.” She hugged Aria then let him go. You’ve got mashing to do. We could all do with a good meal before we do this.”

“But…”

“I couldn’t eat,” Amara said. He sounded exhausted. Drew’s mother left Aria and crouched by the sofa where he was lying, hugging a pillow.

She brushed hair out of his face. “Won’t you try just a bit? Your brother’s going to work hard to whip those potatoes up. Will you try a bit just for him?”

Amara’s eyes slid past her to rest on Aria. He sighed and drew his gaze back. “A little.”

“That’s the boy. You make sure you eat right when you’re with your grandmother, you hear? You need to keep your strength up and neither of you look like you eat properly. When the dust settles, our Drew is to bring you back for me to get some proper home cooking in you. I’ll soon bring the colour back to that pretty face. A few days of good mountain air and proper food and you’ll be a different man in no time.”

Amara gave her a wan smiled. “I’d like that,” he murmured.

“You’re family now. That means a lot to us. I know you’ve got that big fancy life out there, but if it gets too much you’ve got a home here, and always will. Understand?”

Amara nodded slowly and she patted his shoulder. “Good boy.” Getting to her feet, she motioned Aria toward the kitchen. “Go on then. Those potatoes won’t mash themselves.”

“Your mam’s great,” Jay said, smiling toward the kitchen. There was a certain wistfulness in their voice that tugged at Drew’s heart.

“You know she meant you, too, right?” he said.

“What?” Jay looked startled.

“She likes you. It’s obvious, and there’s nothing she loves more than mothering waifs and strays. Trust me, she’ll be fussing around you just as much as these two.” He moved to sit next to the sofa, where he could take Amara’s hand. He was crying softly and Drew decided to give him a moment. It wasn’t hurting him, and Drew had a feeling that some of it was the ice around his heart melting.

“Do you really think so?” Jay asked, their eyes shining, moving between Drew and the kitchen door. “I definitely fit the description of waif and stray.”

“You’re not a stray,” Amara said, sniffing. “You never have been. You hold us together.”

“I think that’s the other way around, darling, but I’ll take it.”

“You’d better.”

“Seriously, though, I’m not sure it’s a good idea for me to go to your grandmother’s. You know she hates me.”

“That’s mainly because you won’t keep your mouth shut around her.”

Jay grinned, their eyes glittering. “I consider it a game. She hates me, she thinks I’m scum and not good enough to lick her boots. I consider her to be a shrivelled up old cow with a stick up her arse.”

Amara sighed. “I know, and I don’t blame you, but you could stop mouthing off at her all the time.”

“When she stops treating me like shit. Do you expect me to just take it?” Jay began to get agitated. Even though they seemed to be joking around, it was obvious to Drew that they wasn’t as cool about the whole thing as they tried to appear. Jay was taking it all to hear and Drew couldn’t say he blamed them. It was the exact reaction he’d have had himself. Hadn’t he been angry when he first turned up at the Graice house, and that was because of an expectation, not the actual experience Jay’d had.

“To be honest, Amara, I don’t take kindly to that kind of treatment myself. I have difficulty with the “better than you because I have money” attitude. I think I have enough maturity not to rise to it, but don’t expect me to be best friends with her.”

“I wouldn’t,” Amara said. “I’m not best friends either. She hates Mother, considers her vulgar and a gold digger, which is pretty much true, but she says terrible things about her even when she knows it hurts Aria.”

And you too, even though you’d never admit to it. “That’s not acceptable. I don’t think I could keep my mouth shut if she does that. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m pretty protective of people I care about.”

Amara groaned. “This is going to be a lot of fun. We’ll stick to the flat as much as we can.”

Ten minutes later, Aria emerged from the kitchen holding two plates of steaming sausage, mash, peas and gravy, which he proudly handed to Drew and Jay. “I helped stir the gravy too. I know how to make it properly now. Not out of some box.” He beamed, and it made Drew smile too. In all probability Aria had no idea what the words he’d just spoken actually meant, but he was so sincere, it was impossible not to feel warmed by them.

“Aren’t we going to sit by the table or something?” Jay asked.

“You can do if you want,” Drew’s mother said coming out of the kitchen with a smaller plate. “I didn’t think we’d have time for all the trimmings. You can rest it on your knees or take it out the kitchen and sit at the table. It’s entirely up to you.”

She set the plate on the coffee table and helped Amara sit up, nudging Drew out of the way and almost spilling his gravy all over him. He didn’t say anything because the expression of wonder on Amara’s face as his mother fussed around him was more than worth a bit of spilled meat juice. Instead, he got to his feet and motioned Jay to the kitchen where Aria was already sitting at the table.

“Your mother hasn’t put a plate for herself,” Aria said, sounding confused and concerned.

“She will, once she’s got Amara sorted.”

“But why?”

“If she put up a plate now it would get cold by the time she makes sure Amara’s eaten something.”

“Is she always like that?”

“When one of us needs her, yes.” Drew frowned. “I’ve never appreciated that enough.”

“We don’t appreciate things we’re used to,” Jay said, gazing at their food thoughtfully. “I think I’ve got too used to some things myself.”

“Like what?” Aria asked, then shovelled more mash into his mouth. He was eating more vigorously and with more enjoyment that Drew had ever seen with the beautifully presented, and probably highly nutritious, meals provided by Emma and the various fancy restaurants they’d eaten at.

“Just stuff. Hey, this mash is awesome. Good job.”

Aria beamed at Jay, but there was a gleam in his eyes and a shrewd expression that suggested he hadn’t been as thoroughly diverted as Jay had hoped. Drew had a feeling it wasn’t the last time he’d be exploring this subject with Jay. Drew didn’t blame him. For all that Jay swore they were over their past, there was a deep sadness behind his bounce and sparkle that was sometimes painfully evident. Given how perceptive Aria was it was impossible he wouldn’t have seen it.

Drew tucked into his own meal and had to admit it was good. He missed his mother’s cooking, and knowing Aria had a hand in it was just the spice to top it off.

For a while, they munched in silence and the sheer joy on Aria’s face brought a bubble of happiness through Drew that made him forget, for a moment, the circus setting up on his doorstep.

A sharp rap on the door had them all sniffing the air tensely. They hardly breathed until Drew heard a very familiar voice.

“Would you believe they had the cheek to knock my door. I told them straight – if they knock again, or dare to knock you, I’ll phone the police, and I would too. Stuck a bloody mic in my face they did, and me only coming next door. I told him if I had to call my Alan he’d stuff the bloody thing where the sun don’t shine.” Presumably spotting Amara the entire tone of voice changed to a coo. “Aww, who’s this little lamb? A friend of your Drew’s is it?”

“Mrs. Pugh,” Drew said in relief. “My mother’s next door neighbour.” He’d never been so happy to hear the old busybody. The relief didn’t last long though, when the woman appeared in the doorway.

“Well would you look at that. Duw, duw there’s two of them.” She put a covered plate on the counter. “Thought your mother might like some. I’ve been having a baking day. Are you not going to introduce me to your friends then?”

Drew groaned inwardly. Like hell was she bringing treats out of the goodness of her heart. She was just desperately nosy about what was going on. Nevertheless, he plastered on a smile. “This is Jay,” he said nodding toward Jay. “They’re a close friend.” Oh well, let’s get this over with once and for all. The whole village will know by the next time I come down. He took a deep breath. “This is Aria.” He reached out and brushed a strand of hair behind Aria’s ear, allowing the backs of his fingers to linger, stroking Arias cheek. “His brother is Amara and they’re the lights of my life.”

Whatever reaction he might have expected wasn’t the one he got. Mrs Pugh snorted. “Your mother told me. They’re smaller than I expected, but I knew when I saw you on the news you had something going on. It was the way you were looking at him.” She paused. “Or the other one. Whichever. It’s about time you got a proper boyfriend. Your mother’s been worried. Although, I must say I was a bit surprised you got two. Couldn’t make up your mind?”

Drew opened his mouth, then shut it, his mind a blank.

“Oh, he couldn’t do that,” Aria said, beaming in his sweet innocent way, but with a wicked gleam in his eyes. “We both love him, and he loves us both. We wouldn’t let him choose.”

Mrs, Pugh snorted and sat down in the last remaining chair at the table. “I bet he’s gonna have his hands full with you two,” she said with the soft smile Drew had almost forgotten. She’d given it to him plenty of times when he was a kid. “See if you can’t persuade him to come home a bit more often and not leave his poor mother to worry.”

“She worries about him?” Aria’s eyes widened and he gave Drew a sharp glance that made him groan inside.

“Well of course. She worries about all her children, and with Drew and that Cerrian, she’s had plenty to worry about. You make sure you keep him safe and stop him going off half-cocked on some crazy whim.”

“I am present, Mrs. Pugh,” Drew said. “And that “crazy whim” as you call it, was joining the army.”

“Yes, and worrying your mother to death, especially when you got blown up. She was beside herself and you never came back, just went straight into that bodyguard business which isn’t any safer.”

“But if he hadn’t, we wouldn’t have met him,” Aria said softly, “and I’m really glad we did.”

Mr. Pugh gave him that smile again and patted his hand. “Well, it’s nice to see some good came of it, but you should make sure he comes to see his mother more often.”

“Oh, I will,” Aria said enthusiastically. “Mothers are important, and Drew’s got a good one, not like mine.”

“That’s what I thought,” she said nodding. “I’ve got not time for those fancy Hollywood types. All fur and no knickers, that one. I said to my Alan when we were watching it on telly, if she was any kind of mother she’d be holding your hands not talking to some reporter hundreds of miles away, and all about herself.”

Aria coloured and his gaze fell to his plate. He swirled mash and gravy into spirals with his fork.

“Don’t you take on, now,” Mrs. Pugh said, patting his hand again. “You stick with Mair. She’s all the mother you’ll ever need. You’ve got someone who cares now boy. Just make sure that when you go back to your fancy life you don’t forget it.”

“I never will,” Aria mumbled, and Drew knew with absolute certainty that he never would.

“Leave the boys alone,” Drew’s mother said, coming in with Amara’s plate which Drew was pleased to see was almost empty. “They’ve been through enough without your lectures.” There was fair amount of affection in her voice. She knew what Mrs. Pugh was like, and she also knew that her neighbour had a heart of gold and would give the shirt off her back if someone needed it more than she did. That was another thing Drew had forgotten. “Do you want some sausage and mash. There’s enough.”

“No, I’ve had my dinner. You know what Alan’s like. Regular as clockwork. If dinner’s not on the table by six o’clock he starts fussing.”

“Is he still on that healthy eating kick?”

“No, thank goodness. If I never have to look at a grilled tomato again it will be too soon. He’s on stews at the moment. Can’t argue with that. Goes nice with a can of larger on a Friday night.”

Amara appeared in the doorway, looking pale and unsteady. “They’re outside the window,” he said, his voice shaking. “I heard something tapping against the glass and when I looked up there was a face. I don’t think he saw me, but I was afraid he was going to come through.” He hugged himself, his eyes wide and scared. Drew wanted to kill somebody.

“That’s it,” Drew’s mother said, slamming the plate onto the counter. “No one upsets one of mine like this. Who the hell do they think they are? Come on Elen.”

Mrs. Pugh got to her feet, bristling with righteous anger. “I’m behind you, Mair. Bloody cheek. They’d better not disturb Alan. He’s handy with a poker, and he’s got a short temper when I’m involved.”

“I bet he does,” Drew mumbled under his breath.

“Aren’t you going to .do something?” Aria asked as the two women disappeared. “You can’t let them go out there on their own.”

“Trust me,” Drew said. “You don’t want to get in their way when they’re on the warpath. It’s not as if the reporters are going to get in to fist fight with two middle aged women, and it’s best if they don’t see me”

“I will be all over the papers tomorrow,” Amara said, chewing his thumb nervously.

“And they’ll love it. They’ll be showing it to everyone for weeks.” He held out his hand, and when Amara took it, he drew him gently onto his lap. Amara clung to him.

“I can’t stand it, Drew,” Amara whispered. “It hurts and I just want to lie down and go to sleep.”

The sound of raised voices made Amara jump and he hissed through his teeth. Aria and Jay looked scared and uncertain.

“This is what’s hurting you, love,” Drew said, gently petting Amara. “You’re getting tensed up and that’s not going to do any good for anyone, let alone someone with damaged ribs. Try to relax. No one’s going to get to you, I promise.”

“You can’t promise that,” Amara mumbled. “They’re relentless. They turned over a car once. Not mine,” he hastened to add. “But I saw it. I’ve seen them knock people over, too, trample over them to get to whoever they’re after. People have been badly hurt. I can’t handle it.”

Drew rested his cheek on Amara’s hair and held him as tightly as he dared. “It’s going to be alright. I promise.”

Drew’s mother swept back into the room exuding a sense of urgency. “The rugby boys are here,” she said. “I didn’t think it would be this fast. They’re causing a bit of a stir and blocking off both ends of the street, so they’ve got them corralled for a while. Do you have coats? Come on, get them on and we’ll be on our way. Elen is keeping an eye on the door so she’ll call if there’s a problem.”

Both Aria and Amara froze, seeming dazed and frightened. It was Jay who leaped into action and flew thought the house like a whirlwind collecting their things. In a matter of minutes they were gathered in the kitchen, wearing their coats and Drew with his rucksack over his shoulder. After years in the army, he’d got into the habit of not unpacking, and having his bag ready to move out at a moment’s notice. He’d get by for a good while with what he had in there.

“I can’t go out there, Drew. I can’t.” Amara clung to his arm, shaking so hard he could hardly stand. “I’m not usually such a coward,” he said to Drew’s mother, “but I just can’t.”

“Good gracious no. I wouldn’t expect anyone to go out in that. I wouldn’t let you. No, we’ll go the back way. Don’t worry, it’s safe.”

Full of confidence, she opened the back door and led them into a neat garden. Drew noted that she’d replaced some of the flower beds with a herb garden and the shed at the bottom had become a greenhouse. He smiled as she unlatched the back gate and led them into a rather overgrown lane.

“Watch you don’t fall, it’s a bit bumpy. We don’t get tarmac down here because it’s not an access road. Here we are, this one is better, because of the garages.” She held Aria’s hand and kept up a steady flow of conversation about nothing in particular as they emerged from the lane, crossed the street, cut down a side street, then through another lane, this one tarred and smooth.

The lane seemed to go on forever between that gardens of the long terrace of identical stone houses. Drew had spent a good part of his childhood running up and down this lane and others just like it. The maze of side streets and lanes were a perfect landscape for hide and seek, as were the woods that provided a green skirt to the mountain behind the last row of houses.

At the end of the lane, they turned left into another lane that rose steeply into a dark arch of trees. Along one side, a stream burbled over stone, worn smooth by years of its gentle bubbling.

“Our Drew was always coming home with wet trousers from paddling in there. Of course, he was forbidden, especially further up where it’s deeper, but what can you do? I tried to lock him in, but he kept climbing out the window, and Cerrian was even worse. The number of times she came back half-drowned is nobody’s business. You two got into more trouble in a week that Sioned did in her whole life.”

“But I was still your favourite, wasn’t I?”

“I’ve told you, I don’t play favourites. I love you all for who you are. All different, unique people. I can’t be doing with parents who play favourites. It isn’t right.”

Drew smiled. His mother had very definite ideas of what was right and wrong, and there was no swaying her sometimes.

“Our mother already told us the new baby is her favourite,” Aria said sadly, “and she’s not even born yet. It’s because she’s a girl and Maman has always wanted a girl. She tried so hard to turn me into one, but I’m just…not.”

“It’s not for me to be speaking against anyone’s mother. She is your mother after all. She birthed you and nothing can change that. You’re good boys and I know you love your mother, but if that woman was here right now she’d be having a piece of my mind, and that’s for sure. And that’s if she didn’t get the back of my hand.” She stopped and turned, taking Aria’s hand and then Amara’s. “I know it’s not easy for you. It never is when your mother isn’t what she’s supposed to be. I’ve watched men go bad when they haven’t got a good strong mother to set them right. Plenty of discipline and a lot of love is the best, or so I’ve found. Your mother has problems, sweethearts, and there’s nothing you can do about that. Just don’t make them your problems. You’ve done just fine without her, and now you’ve got our Drew fighting in your corner. You won’t get more love from anyone. And don’t forget, you’ve got me now. I’ll fight for you every time, and you’re welcome into my home, with or without that one.” She nodded at Drew, then let go of the boys’ hands and caught Jay in a quick, fierce hug. “Same thing for you only double because you don’t have Drew—well, not in the same way. You come back, and you reach out if you’re struggling.”

Jay looked like a rabbit caught in headlights, but they nodded, their eyes suspiciously bright.

“Come on then. Let’s get you on your way.”

At the top of the hill, the lane continued on straight into the woods, but they turned left onto row of newer-looking houses. About halfway along the street sat what looked like an old bus. It was bright purple, and as they got closer they could see green vines, flowers and colourful symbols painted all over it. The windows were covered over and each bore a painting of someone looking out. They were…interesting, but Drew didn’t pause to examine them. He hurried the boys along to where Cerrian sat, grinning, on a low wall.

“You took your time,” she said.

“You know we had to wait for the boys. You ready to go?”

“Pile in and we’ll be off.”

“Need money for petrol?”

“I never say no.”

Drew’s mother handed over a few notes, but Aria took them out of Cerrian’s hand and gave them back. “She’s giving us a ride, so it’s only fair we pay.”

Drew’s mother paused and Drew thought she was going to argue. She would usually have argued, but something passed silently between her and Aria and she simply smiled and stuffed the money into her coat pocket.

“I should be paying for cooking lessons, too.” Aria grinned at her.

“No, I should be paying you for kitchen help. Will you take a hug?”

“Oh yes. In full payment.”

Grinning, she swept him into one of the all-encompassing hugs that Drew missed so much. “You take care of yourself and your brother, you hear? And this big, lumbering idiot too.” She patted Drew on the back.

“I will. Promise.”

She nodded and gave Amara a much gentler but equally warm hug. “I hope you feel better soon, darling. You listen to Drew and he’ll see you right.”

“I will.” Amara’s voice was husky and he clung to her for a little while, then let her go and took a deep breath, wincing and sagging against Drew.

“Come on you,” Cerrian said, helping him up the step into the bus, following his brother who’d already been hustled inside.

Drew’s mother caught Jay as they were about to follow, and surprised them with a hug all of their own. “You come back and visit, you hear?”

Jay nodded. “Got to come get my car.”

“That you do. I’ll keep an eye on it.”

“You don’t know which one it is.”

“I think I’ll be able to guess.”

Jay snorted. “Yeah, I suppose you will.” With a backward glance, they disappeared inside the bus.

“You take care of those boys now,” she said to Drew when they were alone. “They need it.”

“I will. I promise.”

She nodded. “Watch that one, Jay, he’s got a sadness about him. Oh, I’m so sorry. They’ve got a sadness about them and they haven’t got the support the twins have. Watch them for me.”

Drew smiled. “Can’t help yourself, can you?” He bent and kissed her, as she wrapped him in her coffee scented arms. She wasn’t one for perfume and she really liked her coffee.

“And take care of yourself, too. They live in a different world but that doesn’t mean you can’t make it yours if you step down off that high horse of yours once in a while. So what if they’ve got money and use too many knives and forks. When the dishes are cleared away, and the money’s in the bank all it boils down to is you and them. Remember that.”

Drew frowned. Surprisingly perhaps, he understood what she was saying but he was doubtful about how much he would be able to take her advice to heart. “I’ll try.”

“Try all you want, but don’t you go hurting those boys or you’ll have me to deal with, understand?”

“Yes, Mam.”