Grounded

by A. E. Radley

  Seb looked at his watch. “Good. We don’t want this ridiculous behaviour to cut into too much of our limited time with him.”

  Henry appeared in the hallway and edged past Tom, trying to avoid Lucy, who was chasing after him. Tiny was clutched tightly to his chest.

  “No, we won’t go. Tiny doesn’t want to go!” Henry shouted.

  “Henry,” Lucy soothed. “We spoke about this before and you said—”

  “We won’t go!” Henry repeated.

  “Hey,” Emily cut in loudly. She looked at Henry in astonishment. Her sweet little boy had vanished before her eyes. “Henry, don’t talk to Lucy like that.”

  Henry pouted and sealed his mouth firmly shut. The effort seemed to be immense, and his breath came in short, loud pants. His cheeks flared red, and tears fell from his eyes.

  “Is there a problem?” Seb asked irritably.

  “Tiny doesn’t want to go with you,” Henry announced loudly.

  Seb drew himself up to his full height and looked down at Henry. “Well, then Tiny should stay here?”

  “No!” Henry screamed, clutching Tiny to his chest.

  Seb made a move to grab at the toy, but Lucy put her hand on his arm to prevent him. “I don’t think that’s helping the matter,” she said carefully.

  “And what do you know about it?” Seb scoffed.

  “Clearly more than you,” Lucy said firmly.

  “Seb, you’re upsetting Henry,” Irene said.

  “We agreed on a date and a time,” Seb began, raising his voice.

  “Seb,” Irene warned.

  It was too much. Emily couldn’t stand to see Henry so distraught. She had to speak up.

  “I’m not letting him go when he’s like this.”

  “Nonsense. We all need to do things we don’t want to do. It’ll build character,” Seb argued. “He’ll come with us and realise it’s not that bad. If you constantly cave in to him, then he’ll learn that this behaviour works.”

  “Mommy, I don’t wanna go,” Henry whimpered.

  “He clearly doesn’t want to go.” Olivia stepped in. “Maybe you should reschedule?”

  “I’m sorry, who are you?” Seb asked.

  “Friend of the family,” Olivia explained blithely. “And you are?”

  “Sebastian Brennan, Henry’s grandfather. And my wife, Irene.” He gestured behind him carelessly.

  “And as his grandfather, are you not in the least alarmed by the fact Henry is clearly distraught?”

  Emily looked on, speechless. She didn’t know what to say. While she was rooting for Olivia, she was also fearful of reprisals from Seb.

  “He’ll be fine when he gets in the car,” Seb said.

  “I don’t think so,” Olivia replied. “I think it’s abundantly clear that he doesn’t want to go, and, as his grandparents, I would have thought you’d respect that.”

  “Now, just a minute, you—” Seb surged towards her.

  “Seb.” Irene grabbed his arm in an attempt to calm him.

  “Maybe Henry’s not fond of you because of that temper?” Olivia pressed on as if nothing had happened.

  Henry chose that moment to make his move, with the obvious intention of attempting to flee up the stairs. Seb grabbed Henry’s arm and yanked him towards him. Emily gasped, feeling her heart sink. She moved forward but stopped as Olivia raised her crutch straight out in front of her, the end landing on Seb’s throat. She pushed him back to the wall and pinned him there.

  “Let him go.” Olivia’s voice was calm, but deadly serious.

  Emily stared, shocked at Olivia’s quick reaction and composed tone. Olivia had moved immediately while Emily herself froze in fear and shock. Her feelings were a jumbled mess of relief that Olivia was standing up to the man, and fear for exactly the same reason. She’d never be brave enough to stand up to Seb herself, and Olivia’s protectiveness of Henry was exhilarating. At the same time, the situation was becoming more and more fraught by the second, and Henry was stuck in the middle.

  Emily looked across to see Lucy and Tom standing in the doorway, shock written all over their faces.

  Seb let go of Henry’s arm, and he ran behind Olivia and held on to her skirt, peeking around to look at his grandfather with trepidation.

  “Apologise,” Olivia ordered.

  Seb looked furious. Irene edged closer to him, regarding Olivia as if she were deranged. Olivia pressed the crutch forward slightly and applied a small amount of pressure, creating a red circle on his flesh.

  “I’m sorry!” Seb shouted.

  “To Henry,” Olivia clarified.

  “I’m sorry, Henry.” Seb looked down at his grandson and faked a smile.

  Olivia lowered her crutch and glared at Seb, disdain written all over her face.

  “Mommy, I don’t want to go,” Henry whimpered, still holding Olivia’s skirt.

  “He’s staying here,” Emily stated firmly.

  Seb stared at her silently for a few seconds before looking to Olivia. “This isn’t over.”

  “I think you should leave,” Olivia said. She used her crutch to indicate the door.

  “You’re insane,” Seb told her. His hand rose protectively to his throat as he edged passed her. “She’s insane,” he repeated to Emily.

  Irene opened the door and pulled Seb through it towards safety. Emily rushed down the last step, picked Henry up, and held him tightly. She looked out the front door, where Irene was rushing towards the car and Seb was taking a photograph of Olivia’s car on his mobile phone.

  “I’m staying?” Henry asked uncertainly. He craned his neck around to watch his grandparents leave while gripping Emily’s shoulders tightly.

  “You’re staying,” Emily reassured him. “But you might have to go in the future.” She didn’t want Henry to go, but she knew she had to prepare him for the eventuality that he might have to. As much as she wanted to protect Henry and stop him from ever having to see his grandparents again, she knew she was cornered. Pressing Seb too far could result in outright war, and she wasn’t sure she could win that battle. She squeezed Henry tighter, hating how he was being forced into the middle and knowing that there was nothing she could do about it.

  Henry nodded in understanding. “But not tonight?”

  “Not tonight.” Emily pressed a kiss to his hair.

  Tom closed the front door and looked from Emily to Olivia. He held out his hands for Henry. “Come on, champ. I bet I can draw more airplanes than you can draw giraffes.”

  “Na-uh,” Henry disagreed, happily falling into Tom’s arms.

  “Not for long though. It’ll be an early night for you now,” Emily explained as she smoothed Henry’s hair. She knew that, after all the stress, Henry would soon be exhausted.

  Tom carried Henry into the living room, and Emily turned to face Olivia, who was looking nervous.

  “I apologise, I shouldn’t have…interfered,” Olivia started.

  “It was the right thing to do.” Lucy put her hand on Olivia’s shoulder and gave her a reassuring squeeze.

  “Lucy’s right,” Emily reassured. “When he grabbed Henry, I just froze.”

  “That man shouldn’t be allowed near children.” Olivia shook her head.

  “What do you think he’ll do now?” Lucy asked.

  Emily blew out a long sigh. “I have no idea. He won’t give up that easily though.”

  “Um, sorry to interrupt.” Tom appeared in the doorway. “Henry’s requesting that Olivia put him to bed tonight.”

  Tom looked questioningly at Olivia, who in turn looked to Emily.

  “Are you okay to do that? I feel as if you’ve already done so much,” Emily admitted.

  “I’d do anything for Henry,” Olivia said without hesitation.

  Emily felt her heart soar. She knew Olivia was being completely honest; she could never be anything else. The knowledge that someone loved Henry as much as she did and would do anything to protect him was intoxicating. Olivia’s openness was another breath of
fresh air; there were no games, no pretence. Just a mutual desire to do the best for Henry.

  She realised Olivia was still awaiting her response. She smiled as she nodded in gratitude.

  * * *

  Olivia hesitantly opened the bedroom door and smiled at Henry. She’d been offered a cup of coffee while Emily got Henry ready for bed, and had sat in the kitchen making small talk with Tom and Lucy while Henry and Emily thumped around in the bathroom.

  Now Henry sat in bed with his back against the headboard in giraffe-styled pyjamas, his damp hair smoothed back and a wide smile on his face. He patted the bed beside him.

  “Come here, Olivia,” he ordered gently.

  Olivia placed her crutch by the side of the bed and then shuffled herself onto the bed. Henry was under the covers, but Olivia didn’t feel comfortable in joining him, her memory reminding her that this was also Emily’s bed. It somehow felt like an invasion of privacy to sit under the covers.

  As much as Olivia longed to be what Emily wanted her to be, needed her to be, she was finding it hard to think of her simply as a friend. The visit to the park and then the wonderful family dinner had given Olivia an insight into a life she had never really considered being achievable for her. Now that she’d had a taste, she wanted more. But she didn’t want to put Emily in an impossible position.

  Emily had made it clear that Olivia’s presence was to soothe Henry. She had to keep reminding herself of that fact and try to keep her feelings for Emily locked away.

  “Splat and Ogg Go to Space.” Henry picked up a book from the bedside table and handed it to Olivia.

  Olivia looked at the brightly coloured book and let out a small sigh. “Don’t you have any classics?”

  Henry frowned.

  She shook her head. “Never mind, of course you don’t. Splat and…” She looked at the book. “Ogg…it is.”

  “Have you ever been to space?” Henry asked. He took the book from her and opened up to the first page.

  “No. Have you?”

  “Don’t be silly, I’m only five.”

  Olivia smiled and bit the inside of her mouth to prevent a retort from falling out. She’d missed Henry’s odd conversations.

  “Read,” Henry instructed her, tapping his fingers on the words.

  “Why don’t you read to me?”

  Henry looked up at her with a confused expression. “That’s not how it works.”

  “Oh, I see. You can’t read,” Olivia baited gently.

  “I can.” Henry puffed out his chest and easily read the first line of text. He looked up at her with a smug expression.

  “That’s very good,” Olivia acknowledged. “How about I read a page and then you read a page?”

  Henry shrugged, seemingly not understanding Olivia’s logic, but not minding enough to protest the idea. He started to read, and Olivia tried to follow the words. Within moments, her mind had wandered and reminded her that this would not be a frequent event. She had burnt her bridges with Emily and she was simply invited over as a friend. At this point she was more a friend to Henry than she was to Emily. She needed to remember that fact.

  “Now you,” Henry prompted as he turned the page.

  Olivia smiled, leaned down, and nuzzled her cheek against the top of his head as she started to read.

  * * *

  “Well, this has been one of the more interesting dinner parties I’ve hosted,” Lucy said. She walked over to the sink and turned on the tap to fill the bowl.

  “I think I’m still in shock.” Emily folded her arms and leaned against the counter. She couldn’t help wondering what Seb’s next move would be.

  “Olivia’s badass.” Lucy chuckled.

  Despite her nerves, Emily laughed too. “Yeah, I suppose she is. Never would have thought it when I first met her.”

  “Seeing Henry upset obviously gave her a reason to be. You can see how much she cares about him.” She squeezed some detergent into the bowl and stared at the water as it started to bubble.

  “Luce…” Emily warned softly.

  “I’m just pointing out what I see. She’s hot, devoted to your son, and clearly has feelings for you.”

  “I know, I know.”

  “Then why are you keeping your distance? So, she’s a little…I don’t know, socially awkward, and you had a misunderstanding a few weeks back.” Lucy shrugged, turned off the tap, and handed a brush to Emily before indicating the soaking plates. She picked up a tea towel and started to dry a batch of previously washed dishes.

  “It’s not just that,” Emily said, plunging her hands into the soapy water. “I wouldn’t not be with someone because of that.”

  “Has she…” Lucy paused as she looked towards the door, to check they were alone. “Has she ever considered getting diagnosed?”

  Emily licked her lips nervously. She didn’t want to have such a sensitive conversation behind Olivia’s back, but she needed someone else’s perspective on the subject.

  “She acknowledges that she sees things differently than other people,” Emily admitted. “So, I think she knows that there is a diagnosis to be had. But she thinks of it as a label, a badge. And she doesn’t want that.”

  Lucy nodded as she poked the end of the tea towel into a glass tumbler and dried it. “I can understand that.”

  “You can?” Emily frowned.

  “Yes. I mean, if it was something like, I don’t know, heart disease, for example, then you would need a diagnosis to get the correct treatment. Hopefully, you can manage the disease or even be cured. This is different.” Lucy crossed the kitchen and placed the glass tumbler on a shelf. “A name for her condition would just be a name. She’d be able to tell other people she had it. But she seems very private, so I don’t see that she ever would. She’d also be able to meet up with other people who might share her condition, but again, she’s so private.”

  Emily nodded as she absentmindedly scrubbed a teaspoon.

  “In a way,” Lucy chuckled, “the diagnosis would be for everyone else, not necessarily for her.”

  “How so?” Emily asked as Lucy plucked the thoroughly cleaned teaspoon from her soapy hands.

  “Well, she knows she has a condition, and she knows how it affects her life. She’s also developed some coping mechanisms, be they avoidance, bravado, or that hand thing you mentioned,” Lucy explained. “She’s just getting on with it. Naming the condition wouldn’t necessarily help her. Like Alicia, one of the girls in my childcare group, has Asperger’s, and we know that’s why she acts the way she does. Where we might have thought she was being a brat or having a tantrum, we know there’s more to it, so we can modify our behaviour and expectations of her. Her parents are getting her a tutor because she’s easily distracted and they don’t want her to fall behind when she starts school.”

  “But Olivia’s past all that.” Emily understood with a nod.

  “Exactly,” Lucy replied. “At thirty…whatever she is…”

  “Six,” Emily finished distractedly.

  “Really?” Lucy said with surprise and made a face to show she was impressed. “Wouldn’t have guessed.”

  Emily laughed. “Can we get back on track here?”

  Lucy chuckled. “What I was trying to say is that Olivia’s an adult, highly successful, and fully able to live her life. She doesn’t necessarily need a name for her condition; she just needs to know how to manage it, and surround herself with people who understand her.”

  Emily washed the final item of cutlery and nodded. “You’re right. I hadn’t really thought of it that way. I can see why some people would need answers and want a name for it, want to meet other people, but that’s just not Olivia’s way. She’s, well, she’s more a problem-solver.”

  “Exactly.” Lucy nodded. “And, like I said, she’s head over heels for you and Henry.”

  Emily blushed, smiling as she flicked a few washing bubbles in Lucy’s direction. “Shush.”

  Lucy laughed as she wiped the bubbles from her cardigan. “She
is, and I, for one, think it’s lovely!”

  “You think everything’s lovely.” Emily smiled as she pulled the plug and ran a cloth around the edge of the sink. Lucy pulled the cloth from her and took her face in her hands, forcing Emily to make eye contact.

  “Don’t run away from happiness, Emily. I really think that you two could be great together. You just…work. I don’t know what it is, but I see it in both of you, and I really want you and Henry to be happy. You deserve it.”

  The sarcastic reply died on Emily’s lips. She nodded and tugged Lucy into her arms, holding tight while she fought back the tears welling in her eyes. “You’re the best friend anyone could ever have.” Emily chuckled and took a step back before letting out a sigh. “But I think I may have wrecked my chances with Olivia.”

  Lucy shook her head. “I’ve seen the way she looks at you.”

  “I feel guilty. I pushed her away, now I’ve pulled her back in for Henry. And she’s going to look at the financial mess I’m in. I’ve told her that it needs to stay platonic. And I’m worried about Henry. What if something goes wrong again—”

  “And, and, and.” Lucy chuckled. “You know I believe in fate.”

  Emily rolled her eyes and laughed. “Not this again.”

  “Things have a way of working themselves out,” Lucy assured her.

  “Yes, and I have a way of ruining things.”

  Lucy started to speak, but stopped when they heard Tom and Olivia coming down the stairs. They shared a look before heading out into the hallway.

  Tom was carrying the box of paperwork. “I’ll just go and put this in your car.”

  “Thank you,” Olivia told Tom, then turned to Emily. “Henry’s asleep. I think the excitement exhausted him. We didn’t get far into the ridiculous tales of the two unrecognisable blobs from an alien planet.”

  Lucy smothered a laugh and Emily smiled. “Thank you for reading to him. I know he appreciates it a lot.”

  “Can I get you a drink? Another coffee?” Lucy offered.

  “No, thank you. I should be going.” Olivia looked towards the doorway nervously.

  Emily caught the odd behaviour and wondered what had happened to cause the change in demeanour.