Happy Now?

by S M Mala

  ‘How?’ Matias asked, looking intrigued.

  ‘The night after I made love to Flora Almeida I was told I was going to be a father. The rest you know.’

  The look of shock on Matias’s face was sudden.

  ‘And you were in love with Flora?’

  ‘I’ve always been in love with Flora and now more than ever. Can’t you get it into your head? I want to be with her so there’s nothing you can do to stop it. Don’t use the children against her. Let her be happy.’

  ‘You think you can make her happy? She’s complicated and cold. Sometimes so distant. It’s hard. Ed, I wouldn’t wish that on you.’

  ‘But I wish it on me,’ he laughed out loudly. ‘Because I am totally and desperately in love with her.’

  ‘He’s late,’

  … she mumbled, seeing it was now forty minutes since he left.

  Her heart sank.

  He wasn’t going to come back.

  Matias would tell him something so stomach churning about her, he wouldn’t want to.

  Then they’d discuss how disgusting she looked and it would be over.

  Ed would be gone again.

  Flora started to cry.

  She was at a loss on what to do then she heard the door. Jumping up she ran thinking it was him.

  It was the post.

  Bending down, there was a large brown hard backed envelope. Flora opened it up.

  It was the picture that Paulette had originally painted. That just made her cry again. She read the back.

  ‘Happy now?’ was all Paulette had written.

  ‘You’re the worst psychic in the world,’ she laughed through her tears before holding it close to her chest, hoping she’d feel some sense of warmth.

  Putting it on the shelf in the living room, Flora caught a glance of her reflection in the mirror.

  Her hair was back to its original kinks and she just looked tired and old.

  ‘Why would you want me?’ she said to herself. ‘Why would anyone want me?’

  ‘Is she okay?’

  … his mother asked.

  Ed was trying to find his phone. Someone had removed it and put it safe, so safe no one could remember where.

  ‘She’s upset and I need to be with her,’ he said anxiously then looked at the time. ‘Shit!’

  The response from Flora’s ex was surprising.

  He didn’t seem to think Ed meant what he said.

  It was when he asked if he had seen Flora naked that Ed had to confess he’d been making love to her for the past few weeks.

  Matias’s reaction was odd.

  It was a combination of disgust and jealousy.

  They parted on a handshake but Ed knew that it wasn’t going to die down so easily.

  Matias Sosa was the type of man who wouldn’t let something go so lightly. Ed had witnessed that with Flora.

  He’d take what came his way, when and if it did.

  At his mum's, there were people staying at the house so it wasn’t easy to escape.

  ‘I’ve found it!’ Ernie said, looking very hung over, holding it up in his hand. ‘You had lots of missed calls and messages.’

  ‘I have to go,’ Ed said, knowing Flora would think the worst.

  ‘Stay for breakfast!’ shouted his mother.

  ‘I have to be with Flora. I love her you see!’ he said out so loudly, everyone stopped and looked at him.

  ‘Does she know?’ he heard a voice behind him. It was Amelia. Instantly he looked around to see if she was on her own. ‘Jerome went home, like a good boy.’

  ‘Does she know?’ his mother asked and then he noticed Siobhan walking down the stairs. ‘Have you told Flora?’

  All three women looked at him.

  ‘Always, since I could remember this house is overrun with women. Interfering, giving advice,’ his father mumbled. ‘A living nightmare with bosoms.’

  ‘Dad, does she know?’ asked Amelia, raising her eyebrows.

  ‘After his display last night, he made it pretty obvious to all of us,’ his sister yawned, grinning at him. ‘So this declaration of love, what did-.’

  ‘I haven’t told her yet but-.’

  ‘What are you doing here?’ his mother said alarmed, rushing to the front door and opening it. ‘Get out and tell her now! Edward!’

  He quickly followed his mother to the door.

  ‘Have you seen her breasts?’ she whispered with a twinkle in her eye.

  ‘You’re right mum, they’re beautiful.’

  ‘I thought,’

  … Flora choked, quickly wiping her face of the tears coming thick and fast when she opened the front door.

  ‘Can I come in?’ he asked, touching her cheek.

  She’d got herself into a state worrying he didn’t want her.

  ‘I see,’ Ed continued and grabbed her hand. ‘A few things you need to know about me. I always forget my phone and I run late on just about everything. It doesn’t mean I won’t turn up.’

  Flora stopped dead in her tracks and he did a double take.

  ‘You saw me and changed your mind. I saw your face. I know that look.’ She breathed in. ‘When we were in bed this morning, I knew.’

  ‘What you saw was my pain knowing you’d really suffered, not anything else. Stop looking for the bad. Is it true what Matias said? Haven’t you looked at yourself naked?’

  She didn’t know what to say.

  Matias in many ways knew her so much more than she wanted to admit.

  ‘I was scared,’ Flora whispered. ‘Scared of what I’d see and feel. I try not to look.’

  ‘Then you should. Exam each tiny scar and see it’s a piece of art.’

  Flora knew she was grimacing.

  ‘What’s that look for?’ he asked, starting to grin. ‘Oh no, you’ve got your arty farty head on, haven’t you?’

  ‘It’s not art.’

  ‘They’re beautiful. Let me show you.’

  Ed grabbed her hand and took her upstairs.

  As soon as they got to her room, shutting the door, he pulled the blind down half way and opened the mirror sliding door of the wardrobe. Ed took the box and put it in her hand.

  ‘How did you know it was there?’ she asked, feeling confused.

  ‘I emptied your things and found it when we were working in here.’

  ‘You looked inside?’ she said, turning to face him. Ed smiled. ‘But that’s private.’

  ‘I looked good when I was eighteen.’ He took off his t-shirt exposing his bare chest then removed the rest of his clothing. ‘I think I look even better now. Turn around.’

  She looked at the contents of her cupboard and then he slid the door back so she was looking at him, standing behind her.

  Ed put his hands over hers and they held the box together.

  ‘This was my gift of love to you,’ he whispered. ‘Something for you to keep. I worked so hard on it, the grain of the wood, the colour to match your eyes and skin. I wanted to make it smooth as possible because I knew that’s how your skin would have felt. That night we spent together, you were everything I imagined and more.’

  Then he removed his hands and undid the tie of her dressing gown.

  ‘Please don’t,’ she quietly said.

  ‘Watch me.’

  Ed slowly pulled the dressing gown off. She tightly shut her eyes and knew they were both exposed in the mirror.

  All she felt was his hands caressing her breasts and the warmth of his body against her back. His lips had touched her neck and she knew she was getting goose pimples.

  ‘Now open your eyes and look.’

  ‘I can’t.’

  ‘You can.’

  She did as she was told and realised the hands caressing her breasts covered them. Large and pale against her dark skin, they cupped her gently and she could hardly see her scars. Then he ran his thumbs down, revealing her nipples, his palms caressing underneath.

  ‘Creative hands,’ Ed said, looking straight at her. ‘These creative hands
are there to protect what’s precious. And you’re precious to me.’

  Flora noticed the bruising on his knuckles.

  ‘What did Matias say?’ she asked, gulping hard, avoiding her own reflection, preferring to look at him.

  ‘I told Matias we're together and Lee? We’re not made to be friends. We can tie up all the loose ends later. Right now, you have to do something.’

  ‘What’s that?’

  ‘I want you to look at yourself and see what I see.’

  Then he removed his hands and placed them over hers which were holding onto the box.

  ‘Look at yourself, Flora. What do you see?’

  Taking all the gumption she could, Flora looked down and saw her reflection. It took a while for her to examine her breasts, the small scars the dents.

  ‘I hate it, I really hate it,’ she said, gulping hard, not wanting to look. ‘It’s not me. It’s not what I was.’

  ‘It’s who you are now.’

  ‘Doesn’t mean to say I like it.’

  ‘Flo, you have your life. You should celebrate you’re alive.’

  ‘It hurts, you see, being reminded of what happened. Every time I catch a glimpse I remember a bad time. How can you bear to look at them? Ed, they’re-.’

  ‘When I look at them, I see lines and marks that tell me if it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be standing here with you now. And when I see how much you suffered, it makes me realise that you need someone who’ll reassure you that you’re loved, wanted and beautiful. Someone who will love you and never abandon you, come what may. I’m that someone. I never want to let you go again and I won’t.’

  Flora started to cry.

  His words just stuck hard in her chest.

  ‘Let’s open the box,’ he said and released one of her hands to undo the lid.

  Ed took the small book and opened a page where there were sketches of him.

  ‘I was fit wasn’t I?’ Ed smiled as she nodded. ‘What does it say? Read it.’

  Taking a deep breath, the tears spilled down onto the pages, splashing the drawing of his younger body.

  ‘‘I’m happy now’,’ gulped Flora, seeing from her own reflection, she didn’t look it. ‘I remember feeling it.’

  ‘I know it’s going to take a while for you to be comfortable with me but I’ll show you,’ Ed said, turning her around and taking the box out of her hand. ‘I’m happy now, more than I ever expected to be. I never thought I’d feel this way again. Could you be happy with me?’

  Looking down at the pages and seeing the receipt, she looked at the reality in front of her, feeling a ray of sunshine coming into the room then smiled.

  Paulette’s psychic skills weren’t that bad.

  All she ever wanted and all she ever needed was holding her in his arms.

  The years lost without him didn’t matter.

  Flora knew she could find the happiness she yearned for with him.

  Ed Carter.

  ‘Flora Almeida, I am desperately and totally in love with you,’ he whispered as she double blinked and looked up. ‘All you have to do is go with the flow and let me help. Will you do that?’

  ‘I’m a bit damaged.’

  ‘You’re not damaged, you’re fine. It’s just you don’t see it.’

  She laughed out loudly not sure why but the sound came rattling out of her throat

  The feeling of relief and joy.

  Flora had found Ed again and this time, she wasn’t going to be hurt, disappointed or abandoned.

  It was all the hope she needed to start again.

  Going on her tiptoes, she kissed his lips and let out a little sigh.

  ‘Are you happy now?’ he whispered.

  ‘I’m happy now.’

  Published by S M Mala

  Copyright © S M Mala 2014

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication is to be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any forms or by any means, including photocopying, recording or any other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher/author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  All characters in this book are fictitious and any resemblance to any persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

  Visit my website: www.smmala.com to see other titles.

  All helpful advice and genuine comments are welcome.

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  Books to look out for by S M Mala:

  My Mother in Law’s Lover

  What he did to her

  The problem of getting Rich Quik … part one

  The problem of getting Rich Quik … part two

  Relative Strangers

  The Secret History of Hatty Ha Ha … begins

  The Secret History of Hatty Ha Ha … ends

  Pushing over 40

  Good Vibration

  Bad Advice

  Hot Flush

  Tap Dance Kidnap

  Happy Now?