Work Text:
In Laws
It was a Saturday morning in February. One of those where the sun is shining and if you are in its direct light there is almost heat in it. The café was quiet and Daz was busying himself cleaning and re-cleaning work surfaces. Robert sat in the armchair reading the newspaper. He was paying particular attention to the parenting section and dreading teething whenever it would start.
His phone beeped on the table and he looked. A message from Aaron and his heart lurched a bit. A week. A week ago he had been here in the same seat chastising himself for jeopardising a friendship. He knew there had been a moment with Aaron while he was cooking but he did not think that it was entirely instigated by him. Aaron had been nice when he texted to say that he needed to give things with Alex a good try. That had been a kick but he replied saying sorry and hoping they could still be friends. Aaron had replied immediately saying for sure. Then on Thursday, just after their anniversary, he was dragged out by Vanessa and co. To a gay bar and he had been chatted up by quite a fit Irish lad when from nowhere Aaron appeared and the kaleidoscope that was his world was shaken as it had not been since the day he pretended his car was broken down by a layby.
He was not expecting Aaron to be waiting for him in the village, he was not expecting the intense conversation ending in Aaron re-cycling his line about it being always about them, nobody else mattering, and he had not expected that now, a week after feeling all was gone he would be getting a message from Aaron suggesting all manner of things and ending in some emojies he did not know existed. He smiled to himself and for the hundredth time thanked whoever up there was looking out for him.
‘Mind if I take a seat?’
Robert looked up to see Paddy standing awkwardly with a take away coffee cup.
‘No’, Robert was not sure what Paddy knew. He and Aaron were going to take things at a slower pace, not because of uncertainty about their situation but because this time they were determined to do things differently.
‘So how’s Seb?’
‘He’s good, ta. Lachlan has him visiting Rebecca now, but yeah he is good and seeing him is good for her’
‘Good, that’s good’
Robert looked at him, he was running his fingers up and down the cup.
‘I love him’
Robert wanted to be smart and say that Paddy had barely seen Seb but he knew who the vet was talking about.
‘I know you do’
‘I…I want him to be happy, that is all I ever wanted really. And I think I have seen him truly happy once and that was just over a year ago over the road watching you drink from a flamin wellie’
‘I want the same Paddy’
‘You see, I told him…I flippin told him he had to make his mind up. Last week and I thought, I really thought it would be you’
Robert knew he couldn’t have his surprise at that.
‘Then Alex and him were in the Woolie last weekend and I thought ok, well if he can make things work fine, I mean you did break his heart, no offence’
‘None taken’
‘Then…then yesterday I hear Vanessa and Tracy chatting…they really get on now…and then later Vanessa told me everything and how Aaron looked in the pub and how you were not interested in some Irish lad and how Aaron left as soon as you had….then last night he texts me saying he had made his mind up and that it was simple because his heart had never been in doubt’
‘He said that?’, Robert couldn’t help but smile a heart warming smile. This threw Paddy a little and he took a breath.
‘Yeah, he did. So, what I’m trying to say is I always kind of knew this would be how it would play out so I’m saying good luck to you both’.
‘You aren’t going to try to stop us?’
‘That is not a safe course of action usually’
Robert looked down at the ground and reddened, still ashamed of so much in his past.
‘I’m not that person anymore. I’m ashamed of a lot Paddy’
‘I know…I think anyone can see you have changed Robert, mind you one thing hasn’t’
‘Paddy I have changed’
‘I said one thing, you love Aaron the way you did when you got married. Look Robert reality is there is nobody around here who hasn’t made big mistakes, it’s just he is a son to me and I don’t want to se him hurt again’
‘I will live every day trying to make him happy, trying to be a better man because of him and for him’
‘I see that, and Robert’
‘Yeah’
‘He loves you, he saw things in you none of us did until recently so, you know he is a good judge.’
‘Thanks’
‘He may need time’
‘Huh?’
‘Seb, he may need a bit of time but he would be good in the lad’s life’
‘He would be, he umm, he looked after him last week. Paddy he says he is ok now with him but I’m not rushing him into anything. I just can’t believe I have got this chance’
‘Oh I can, just be sure you don’t waste it’
Paddy got up, tapped him on the shoulder and went on his way. His phone beeped again ‘BTW I told Paddy and me Mum. In case you run into them. Should be home in 20 xxx’. Robert smiled, he had survived Paddy, for Chas he wanted the man he loved by his side.