Chapter 19: Confusing Carl

The Slade story starts with Adam Slade, who came to Sunset Valley many years ago with just a pocketful of cash and a vision.  A vision to create a family dynasty, a dynasty that would leave a lasting mark, a legacy. His grandchildren Cleo and Carl are carrying that legacy forward and with the recent birth of Danielle the Slade family is on course to fulfilling that destiny.

In this chapter Cleo deals with an intruder and Carl and Garett remember the past   ...


It was the middle of the night, Cleo and Pascal, Danielle, Carl, and Garett were all fast asleep when a wailing siren pierced the stillness of the Slade home.

One by one they were roused from their sleep, as they blearily met on the landing outside their respective bedrooms they realised that the alarm was sounding in the garage.

By the time they got out to the garage the would be thief was being tackled by a local police constable.

Unfortunately, PC Patty Light was an inexperienced officer facing an experienced criminal and it wasn't long before it was clear that she was losing the contest.

Thankfully, with her fire department training and excellent physical fitness, Cleo was more than able to assist in the arrest and bring the housebreaker under control.

Having put herself in danger for the safety of her fellow citizens Cleo was particularly angry at having some low-life burglar attempt to steal what her family had struggled to acquire. She was going to insist that the full force of the law would be brought to bear on this one.

It was only a couple of hours until they were going to get up anyway, and now they were fully awake it seemed pointless going back to bed so Pascal and Garett sat down to breakfast.

Naturally enough they spent some time talking about the attempted robbery.

"Must say," Garett commented, "you have got a fine woman there in Cleo. Put us all to shame how quickly she got involved and got that scum under control. Very impressive."

Pascal nodded in agreement, "Yes, she is used to dealing with dangerous situations."

"Well yes, but when you’re facing a person rather than a fire, the outcome could be more unpredictable, y'know, they might be armed."

"I suppose, but she is very fit, so should be able to handle a single intruder."

As he got up to leave the table, Garett mused "Indeed, she is a very impressive woman, so you'd have to be a very special man to be chosen by her. You must feel very lucky Pascal."

This wasn't the first time that Pascal had the feeling that there was something important he didn't know about Garett.

That conversation seemed pleasant enough and, indeed, they were all impressed by Cleo's bravery and ability to bring that prospective burglar to the ground. But there was something in the way Garett spoke about her that just didn't sound entirely honest. He just couldn't put his finger on what it was.

Not being hungry, Carl went back to his laptop to continue working on his next novel, "The Idaho Connection".

But thoughts of the attempted robbery kept getting in the way of his own story so he eventually closed his writing project file and went to the Chatrooms to see if any of his friends were online. Being still quite early, there was no one he knew to be found.

Just as Cleo and Carl had succumbed to his charms, young Danielle also loved playing with "Uncle Garett". To be honest she loved everyone, having received so much attention from the day she arrived, Danielle had become accustomed to being adored by adults, and now expected it.

And now that she could walk and talk, as soon as she woke Danielle was in an almost constant state of excited discovery of the world around her. A whirlwind of fun and laughter bouncing around the house, who wouldn't love her?

One of her favourite tricks was to hide in the big toy box until someone came into the room when she would leap out and demand to know all about one of the toys she had found.

 -- * -- 

Pascal and Danielle were in the garden, which wasn’t necessarily a good thing as Danielle loved to take Pascal's plants apart so that she could examine them in minute detail. But Pascal wasn't too concerned about the loss of one or two plants if it meant she would learn an appreciation of the natural world.

Cleo was out on an emergency response call, so Carl and Garett had some time alone in the house.

Carl was struggling to complete his latest book, "The Idaho Connection", and thought that it would help if he talked through his plot with Garett.

"It's about two people," Carl started, "who meet in a bar and, finding they have a lot in common, set up in business together. But as the business grows they discover that they are not that similar after all. The story is really about where their differences come from and how they try to deal with them."

"Interesting idea," Garett nods in approval, "so what is it that makes these people different, what's at the heart of their characters?"

"Places. Where they come from. As you learn more about them, you learn about the places they came from and that's what makes them who they are."

"Ahh, I see." Garett smiles, "It's a story of roots, that we cannot escape where we came from ... or can we?"

"Exactly!" Carl is delighted that Garett has picked up the central idea of his book. "And that's kinda where I'm struggling, can they get beyond their differences, can they really become 'new' people? I want to find a resolution that says one thing or another, but it’s just not coming."

"But do you really need a definite resolution?" Garett asked. "Many stories, like real life, don't have a neat and tidy conclusion. You've set your characters on their journey, they will handle significant events, learn and move on. Trust your reader to see their trajectory and be able to imagine what might happen after your part of their story has been told."

"Yeah, yeah, I see that," Carl agreed enthusiastically, "I remember when Dad and I used to watch films that didn't have a 'proper' neat, ending and he would hate it and say something like 'what sort of ending was that?' but I loved it coz I could make up more stories about what happened next."

"Absolutely, a good writer will make his characters so real that the reader feels they know them intimately and will be able to continue with them without you telling all the details."

"Well, I don't know if I'm that good yet!" Carl laughed, though his smile quickly faded as his expression became something much more thoughtful "but you're right a lot of people in real life don't have 'proper' endings either ..."

"Like your father?" Garett suggested.

"Yes." Carl paused. "I still miss him so much. I don't know if he's still alive or ..."

Garett reached over and put an arm around Carl's shoulders.

"I know," Garett spoke softly. "The thing is to remember the good times and believe that he is still happy doing what he loves."

"Yeah, there were plenty of good times."

"You know, I think you can see a lot of your family in your book. Like I imagine your grandfather had a lot to leave behind when he arrived in Sunset Valley to start his new life."

"I don't know," Carl said thoughtfully, "I don't think he ever spoke of his past. Dad never said anything about before granddad moved here."

"No? Well, it has to be said that he certainly put down sound roots here on Summer Hill."

Carl didn't say anything, he was contemplating the passion his father, Brandon, had for this place. Instinctively he settled back against Garett, the memories of his father and the warmth of Garett next him, he felt so comfortable and 'at home' right now.

Feeling totally relaxed and at ease with his friend, Carl turned to look at Garett, looking deeply into his eyes.

Garett held his gaze as Carl scanned across his face for signs of that intimate connection he felt with his friend. Then, still locked on his eyes, Carl moved forward and kissed Garett.

Garett did not resist nor reject Carl's kiss but when, after a few seconds, it was over Carl was apologetic "Sorry, I don't know why I did that."

"Don't apologise, did it feel right?" Garett asked.

Sheepishly, "Yes, but I've never kissed a guy before."

"It's not about gender Carl. It's about our feelings for the person."

"Yeah, but ..."

"It's OK Carl. I feel it too, you and I, there’s a connection between us."

At that moment Garett's phone rang. He looked at the screen, "Sorry Carl, I've really got to take this."

Garett walked outside to take the call so Carl went into the dining room to play with his niece.

He loved Danielle and, young as he was, thought about how he would feel being a father. But now he was confused. He had feelings for Garett, and also for Malia, he couldn’t love two people at the same time. Could he?

-- * --

The call was from Mary Hauser. She had arrived in Sunset Valley and wanted to see Garett. They arranged to meet up in town.

It was great to see Mary again. It had been years since Garett had left Twinbrook where they had been the best of friends but he had to get away. Away from his past, to start a new life.

They both knew why she was here, to be honest, it was expected.

His father had been ill for many years and Garett just couldn't handle it, he had to escape. And, although she missed having Garett around, Mary understood why he had to leave and she was happy to help out his father during his final years.

She did not, however, expect the news Garett now delivered.

"I've found them! They're here. The Slades! They have no idea who I am and they know nothing of Twinbrook!"

"Really?  So what are you going to do?" Mary asked, concern in her voice.

"Oh, I have plans, come back with me, I'll tell you everything."

"Back where? Boyd told me that you'd moved out of your place."

"You won’t believe this – I’m living with them! I spun them some yarn and they fell for it! Come on."

Mary could hardly take it in. The Slade house was so much more impressive than anything she could have imagined.

"This is awesome! How on Earth did they end up with this?"

"Apparently," Garett explained, "Adam Slade ending up here, bought this huge plot of land and worked it up from there. And we both know how he managed to do that."

"And they have no idea who you are?"

"Nope. Seems Adam never told anyone anything about his past, not even his own family." Garett sneered, "but then, he had plenty to hide."

"So you’re here to take it off them?"

"No, I don't want anything from a Slade, but I want them to suffer like we suffered. And, best of all, they're going to do it to themselves!"

"With a little help from you."

"With a little help from me." Garett laughed as they lay back in the hot tub. "Keep an eye on this address, there'll be some fireworks coming soon."

Chapter 20: Where the hell is Twinbrook?

Chapter 18: News for Garett

When Adam Slade came to Sunset Valley, he had a vision.  A vision to create a family dynasty, a dynasty that would leave a lasting mark, a legacy. His grandchildren Cleo and Carl are carrying that legacy forward and with the recent birth of Danielle the Slade family is on course to fulfilling Adam's vision.

In this chapter Cleo and Pascal enjoy spending time with Danielle and Garett hears news from his past   ...


Having got Carls agreement to move in to 15 Summer Hill Court, Garett Fisk needed to be sure that the other members of the household would be OK with the arrangement.

Pascal was out in town collecting supplies and Cleo was at work when he first spoke to Carl, so Garett returned later in the day to speak to Pascal.

"Ahh, Pascal, has Carl spoken to you about my situation?"

"Yes, he has. I am most sorry to hear about your misfortune. And, as I am sure Carl told you, we are happy to help if we can."

Garett was relieved that Pascal was not instantly against the idea, "Thank you so much, I wouldn't want to impose on you, especially as you have a new baby to look after."

"No, no," Pascal reassured him, "you were a good friend to Carl when he needed it, so it is only fair, and this is a big house after all."

"This is very good of you, I am sure it won't be for very long. Once I have the insurance organised I will be able to find somewhere else. I am in the emergency shelter at the moment, if it is OK with you, Cleo and Carl I can move in tomorrow."


When she returned home Pascal told Cleo all about the conversations he and Carl had had with Garett.

Cleo was a little concerned that having someone else in the house might disrupt Danielle's routine but if he had nowhere else to go she agreed that it should be OK for a little while.

Later that night, Pascal wanted to make sure that Cleo really was OK with Garett staying with them.

"If it would make you uncomfortable having him here then I can tell him that we will sort something else out for him ..."

"No Pascal, it's OK, really, there's no reason not to let him stay for a couple of weeks or so, it seems only fair after the support he gave to Carl – and the two of them appear to get on really well. You know, with all the time he spends in the house writing, it might actually be good for Carl to have someone else about."

"You are right, as always, ma chérie, I will help set up the spare bed in Carl's room for him tomorrow."

-- + --

The following day. while Carl and Pascal prepared the room for Garett, Cleo took baby Danielle out for stroll around Summer Hill.

One thing Cleo would always be grateful to her grandfather for was his decision to buy the plot of land on Summer Hill.

It meant that right outside their door they had beautiful open spaces to enjoy with her daughter, they didn't need to worry about the noise, bustle, and pollution of the town centre.

On lovely summer days like this, the two of them could sit by the pond, watching the fish darting about in the clear water or just delight in the natural beauty of the park.

Danielle always enjoyed these outings, eagerly pointing and laughing at the insects and little animals scurrying around or being held, rapt, by their reflections dancing of the surface of the pond.

As the time for her to leave for the afternoon shift at the Sunset Valley Fire Department approached, Pascal joined them to spend a little time with Danielle as Cleo returned to the house to get ready for work.


Meanwhile Carl was showing Garett around the house so that he would feel at home while he was staying with them.

"Well, Garett, I think that's everything. We have a daily help who does most of the cleaning and tidying up so you don't need to worry about that even!"

Garett laughed, "That I approve of! I could never justify getting a cleaner at my place even though I hated having to do it myself!"

"Hah, I hear ya." Carl agreed, "though they don't usually do the bird or fish tanks which I know Cleo really doesn't like having to do ..."

"No problem, I'm sure I can help with that, it would be a small sacrifice for your generosity in letting me stay here."

"And Cleo would love you for it." Carl laughed.

"Oh no," Garett disagreed, "I imagine it would take a lot more than that to win Cleo's love. And, besides which her heart is already given to Pascal."

"I'm so glad that you're staying with us Garett, I missed our chats and it'll be great to have you here to talk to again."

And with that Carl threw his arms around Garett in a warm embrace.

"And I know I'm going to love being here too ... just don’t use all my bright ideas in those books of yours!" Garett laughed as he held Carl close.

Cleo was pleased to see her brother smiling and laughing with Garett. Yes, it would be good for him to have Garett here, but had she really put her own past with Garett behind her? Could she trust him ... could she trust herself?

And just how close were Carl and Garett, is that more than a friendly hug?

Whatever, she had work to attend to, and was due at the fire station in less than an hour, she couldn't waste time with silly questions.

Late that afternoon Garett received a phone call, it wasn't a number he recognised, but as soon as he heard the voice on the other end he knew what it was about.

It was Boyd, a friend of old. Well, not so much a friend but someone he had known for many years through his relationship with Mary, Boyd's sister.

"Garett," the caller began, "I've heard from my sister, she will be coming to Sunset Valley tomorrow, but there is something you need to know first. Meet me at City Hall in half an hour."

When Garett arrived at City Hall, it was closed and empty, standing at the entrance he felt dwarfed by the imposing structure as he waited. For the few minutes he was alone he thought of how big and important this place, this town, these people, liked to think they were.

Thankfully he did not have to wait too long before Boyd bounded up the steps to join him.

"Hey Garett! Great to see you again." Boyd enthusiastically greeted his old friend.

Garett had never warmed to Boyd's almost unshakeable cheerfulness, he was a good kid though and they had plenty in common from the old days, but even so Garett wanted to get this meeting over with as quickly as possible. He had a feeling he knew what Boyd's 'news' was.

"Hi Boyd, good to see you too. So, what is it that you couldn't tell me over the 'phone?"

"Come on, man, you're not going to tell me you're not happy that Mary is coming to town? I haven't seen her in months and it's going to be great having her here."

"Yes, of course I am, it has been too long. But ...?"

"OK," Boyd sighed. If Garett was in one of his 'moods' no amount of banter was going to brighten him up. "Mary had taken your dad into hospital, he'd got really bad, but they couldn't do anything ...”

"So, it's over, at last." Garett said impassively. To anyone else it would seem as if he was unmoved by the news but Boyd knew Garett well enough to recognise the subtle indications. For a moment Garett seemed to shrink a little, his eyes closing for a second or two longer than normal.

"She had them do what they could to make him more comfortable but he had nothing left."

"I know," Garett agreed, "in truth he had 'died' years ago."

Boyd continued, "What's more, as soon as Mary registered his death, the Council issued a confiscation order ... they took the house and everything, not that it was worth anything anyway."

"No," Garett sighed, "so there's nothing to keep Mary there."

There it was, all the old ties were gone, there was nothing to go back for now. Garett's future would be made here in Sunset Valley. He would have to explain everything to Mary, but she would understand, she knew what had happened.


Garett headed back to Summer Hill. It would be good to see Mary again, and maybe having her here might help. Either way, it was time to get on with it.

Back at home, Garett found Pascal enjoying a soak in the hot tub, joining him they got to talking about the importance of family.

For Pascal, having a daughter with Cleo was everything he had wished for but he was hoping that they would have another child. Garett confessed that he was envious, his parents died when he was young, and he had missed out on that familial bond. He told Pascal how he longed to find that someone special with whom to start a family.

As they wished each other a good night Pascal was pleased to have learnt more about his house guest, Garett was looking forward to seeing Mary again ... and moving to the next stage of his plan at 15 Summer Hill Court.


Chapter 19 coming soon ...

Intro

Chapter 17: Arrivals

Many years ago Adam Slade came to Sunset Valley with a vision.  Not for him a 'run-of-the-mill' life, instead  he spent all his savings on a  large plot of land where he, and his successors, would build a family estate that would be a landmark across the three towns. Now his grandchildren Cleo and Carl, carry that vision forward.

In this chapter Carl and Cleo and Pascal add occupants to 15 Summer Hill Court   ...


Time moves on for the Slade family, Brandon has left to work on his historical research, but Cleo and Carl, and Cleo's partner Pascal, have managed to get their lives back on track and keep their grandfather's dream of a Slade dynasty alive.

As a fire-fighter Cleo had plenty of to occupy her time, from simple household fires to rescuing people trapped inside burning buildings.

Indeed, her commitment to the job had so impressed the colleagues that she was rapidly promoted and given the option to have a direct response link added to her home.

Pascal found the fertile soil of Sunset Valley ideal for growing a great variety of fruit and vegetables, perhaps even more so than his home town of Champs Les Sims.

One of the first things Pascal did after moving into Summer Hill was to turn Adam Slade's original garden into a feature of the property, ideal for growing the most excellent produce.

Realising his own natural aptitude for gardening Pascal registers as an officially certified supplier with the town council.

It was something that meant a great deal to Cleo, that Pascal was following in her grandfather's footsteps.

Since leaving school Carl had struggled somewhat to find a career that he would be happy with. He couldn't face working in an office, and certainly didn't have his sister’s bravery.

It was while browsing a forum site for one of his favourite games that the idea struck him – he could be a writer! He had already created a few online stories on the forum and received lots of good feedback from other players. Often, however, he felt constrained by the limitations of the game itself, as each story progressed he kept finding ideas bubbling into his head ... perhaps it was time to go beyond the computer game and create something totally unique.

So, before he had time to realise how big a project he was taking on, Carl got straight to work on what would be his first novel, "The Tatum Terror".

Rather unexpectedly Carl found that spending hours at home, alone, crafting his novel, meant that he started to enjoy getting out and meeting people that much more than he used to when he was at school.

In addition to long-standing friends like Jaron Messer, he had started seeing more of Malia Norwood. It was Malia who introduced Carl to the "La Place on the Bay". It was a bit livelier than Carl was really comfortable with but Malia had a way of focussing his attention so that he seldom noticed the other people in the bar.

-- + --

Inevitably there came that moment, however, when the family missed having their parents still with them. A moment of great joy, but one tinged with sadness for those not there to share it with them ...

A few months after convincing Pascal to move in to Summer Hill, Cleo gave birth to a beautiful baby girl.

With a nod to Pascal's French origins, they choose a good historical name for a girl who would, herself, become part of history. Before leaving the hospital they had named her Danielle ... though for some weeks she was more often referred to simply as 'my beautiful baby'.

Having a baby in the house did mean disrupted sleep for everyone, but that was OK, Danielle was adorable.

She was such a happy baby and Cleo just loved holding her as she gurgled with delight.

Danielle was all that Pascal could have hoped for, he had a wonderful partner in Cleo and now they had the most gorgeous baby girl. His life in Champs Les Sims had been good, he had been content, but now, here, his life was joyous.

And for Carl, who frequently found adult relationships difficult to navigate, having someone whose love was uncomplicated and unconditional, was wonderful. When Cleo or Pascal had to leave the house for work he loved stepping in to take care of his little niece.

With Cleo's birthday fast approaching, Carl and Pascal worked together to organise a very special and fun day for the family. Not just celebrating Cleo's big birthday but also to show off Danielle to their friends and family.

The met. office forecast was for a week of really warm weather so they decided on a 'pool party' theme.

In addition to the water slide installed for Carl's last birthday, Pascal organised the installation of a hot tub from which they could relax and enjoy the view over the bay and Carl sent out invites to their many friends in the Valley.

And so, Cleo's big day arrived. Pascal got the day off to a fine start by presenting Cleo with a wonderful bouquet of flowers and the promise of a day to remember.

It was going to be a wonderful day, with baby Danielle joining them on the patio, Cleo was already getting emotional thinking about how good her life had become.

As the guests started to arrive, Carl took on the role of greeter. It wasn't something he was entirely comfortable with but at least he knew most of the visitors so was managing to keep his nerves under control.

Of course, it helped that he had made sure some of his closest friends, such as Jaron, would be there too. Jaron had some good news of his own to share – he had recently been taken on at Barney's Personal Style Parlour as a trainee tattoo artist.


While Carl was busy catching up with his old school friend, another guest slipped past him to join the party at the back of the house ...

"Garett. What are you doing here?"

"Well, Carl invited me, of course ..."

"Oh," Cleo was somewhat taken aback, "I didn't realise you knew Carl."

"Yes, I'm surprised he didn't tell you. We met just after your mother passed away, we'd just chat about 'stuff' and it seemed to help him having someone to talk to. Maybe, at the time, he wanted to keep those feelings to himself. Anyway, great to see you again, looks like a wicked party."

"Thanks Garett, Carl and Pascal have done a great job organising."

"Yep, Pascal is a good guy ... ahh, to think, once upon a time, this could have been us ... but I'm really pleased that he makes you happy"

Dropping to a whisper, but retaining a clear firmness in her voice, Cleo implored Garett, "yes, about that, please don't say anything to Pascal he doesn't know about that, and he mustn't"

Garett nodded his understanding, "Of course, that was then, it's all in the past and we can keep it there."


“Garett!” a voice calls out above the hubbub of the party guests.

Carl rushes up to Garett "I didn't know if you'd come."

"How could I not, I haven't seen you since you graduated and, of course, I had to be here to celebrate your sister's birthday. Anyway, tell me, what have you been getting up to."

Falling straight back into the easy familiarity that they had from the first time they meant on the beach all those months ago, Carl brought Garett up to speed on the family news and his first steps as an author.

For Cleo one of the best things about her party was that Pascal had arranged for his parents to come over to Sunset Valley. Although his father had visited several times his mother, Edith, had never actually travelled outside of France.

Cleo loved finally being able to show her mother-in-law around this beautiful part of Sunset Valley and, of course, show her the latest addition to the family.

It wasn't just family who loved seeing Danielle, many of Cleo's old friends, such as Nick Bartlett, joined in the celebrations.

More than just a birthday party this was a day for reconnecting with many of the good friends they had around the Valley.

Pascal's father, Gerard, was delighted that his son had made such a success of his life so far. Sure, he wasn't the high-flying executive that his father was, but he had a wonderful wife, a beautiful baby daughter, a lovely home and had already established himself in the life of the town.

So, sad though he was that Pascal had left their home town, Gerard was nonetheless very proud of the man his son had become.


Although he thought he knew all of Cleo and Carl's friends, there was one guest that Pascal was not familiar with and, when he asked, Cleo just described him as "Garett, he's really a friend of Carl's, though he went to my school so I know him from back then."

There was one point in the afternoon, when Pascal noticed that Garett had separated from the main activity of the party to play with Danielle.

To Pascal, there was something in Garett's body language that was a little ... unusual. At first glance he was holding her just as anyone would but there was an something a little more intense about the way Garett was looking at the baby.

"Oh, baby girl, your life is going to be so ... interesting. I will surely love watching you grow up and I know you will remember my name." Garett whispered to the infant.

"Garett? Hello, I don't think we've been introduced." Pascal interrupted him.

"No, indeed, it is my pleasure to meet you at last." Garett held Pascal's gaze as he firmly shook the host's hand.

"So, Cleo tells me you're an old school friend?"

"Well, yes, though, to be honest I haven't seen her much lately, but I've kept up to date through the newspaper reports." Garett explained with a broad smile, "I've actually seen more of Carl recently, we became friends after his mother passed away – we both enjoyed spending time at the beach."

"Yes, yes, that was a difficult time for the family ..." Pascal remembered.

"But now you have a lovely baby girl, I'm really pleased for you both, she's adorable." Garett handed Danielle back to her father as he heard his name being called, "but now it seems it is my turn on the slide!"

As the sun began to set, Pascal brought out the cake that Carl had created especially for his sister.

With much whooping and cheering, Cleo's transition to a fully-fledged, 'official', adult was celebrated by all the people she cared about.

"So, Carl, you made this cake yourself? It's delicious." Edith Morel commented.

"Thank you, yes, it's a bit of a family thing, my grandad was an excellent cook and dad was pretty good too – kind of a male Slade thing."

"Now that is good thing, sadly Pascal never quite got the hang of cooking, at all!" she laughed.

"Mother!" Pascal snapped with mock indignation, "If it wasn't for the quality produce from my garden, Carl's skills would be wasted! But, yes, he is a fine cook, and done us proud with this cake."

Carl looked across the lawn to see his sister and Garett. He had noticed that Cleo had not spent much time with Garett during the party. Which was a little odd, as Garett had told him that they had been good friends.

Even now, although she was smiling and laughing, Cleo seemed a little uncomfortable. Perhaps there had been some disagreement he didn't know about?

With the guests all gone, Pascal, Cleo and Carl, spent a little time in the new tub to unwind after the hectic celebrations. Pascal took the opportunity to ask Carl more about Garett.

"So, Carl, it was good to meet Garett at last, he must have been a good friend to have after your mother ..."

"Yeah, he was. I just bumped into him one day, we had a game of chess and got talking. It was good."

"I am sure, it was a difficult time. Cleo had me to help ..."

"Yeah, I suppose, I was in a weird place. J was there an' all, but maybe it was that Garett didn't know me so he was easier to talk to."

"Though he knew Cleo of course?" Pascal noted.

"That was years ago, back in school." Cleo interjected, "Well, this has been a great day, but I am shattered, time for bed I think. And thank you both so much for making it such a special day."

As Carl left the tub to take to his own bed, Cleo and Pascal lingered for a moment.

"And thank you, for Danielle." Cleo whispered as she held Pascal in a tight embrace.

-- + --

The following day, as he was clearing up the remains of the party, Carl got a phone call. It was Garett, sounding very agitated, distraught. "Carl, are you free? Can I see you now?"

Concerned that his friend sounded so upset, Carl invited him over immediately.

"Carl, I have a massive favour to ask of you. Did you see the news this morning? About the meteor shower?"

"No, I haven't had the news on at all today, what is it?"

"There was a huge meteor shower last night over the other side of the valley and one, a huge rock, hit my house!"

Carl could hardly believe it, he thought he had seen some lights in the sky when he went to bed, but nothing that seemed too unusual.

"I was lucky, I got out unhurt, but there's a lot of damage and the fire department said the whole house is unsafe so I have to move out."

"That’s terrible. What are you going to do, where are you going to stay?"

"That's just it," said Garett, "I've no family round here and I just can't afford to stay in a hotel ... I was hoping I might be able to stay with you guys? Just for a short while, while the house is made safe and I get the insurance sorted."

Carl didn't hesitate, "Of course you can! We've got plenty of room, and I'm sure Cleo and Pascal will be happy to help."

"Carl, thank you so much, you don't know what this means to me. I'll have a word with Pascal as soon as he's back, make sure he's OK, it would really help me out. Thank you."




Chapter 18: News for Garett