A Second Spark

Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Callum

Watching my brother looking all loved up made me feel all kinds of emotions. Kinds of f*****g-me-up-inside emotions. Milo was the brother I was closest to and although he would only be living over the garden, he was infatuated with Violet and I felt ecstatic for him. But it reminded me of my own sad romantic situation.

I was single and given what I’d discovered about myself, I couldn’t see it was fair to have a serious relationship with anyone. Not without disclosing the truth first.

The truth I carried around inside me like a heavy stone. The truth that only Tali and Milo knew.

That I was infertile. Couldn’t have children.

It had led to me jilting my fiancée two years ago. She thought I’d just decided I didn’t love her enough, but the truth was I’d loved her too much. Too much to let her marry me and not have the children she’d so dearly talked about wanting. Biological children looking like her and me. Well now she was getting married, a date set once more. Different groom. Different Daddy. Her potential future kids a mix of their mum and dad, just like she’d always wanted.

I knew we could have fostered or adopted, but I also knew Tali, inside and out, and that wouldn’t have been enough for her. If we'd gone through with the wedding, Tali would have resented me eventually. I'd overheard her say to her friend that she wanted her own kids, that the thoughts of adopting worried her. Tali had always been a golden girl, a success story, and not being able to have biological children would have eaten at her. Now she’d met a golden boy and could try for happy, perfect kids.

Maybe one day I’d meet someone who didn’t want any, or for whom it wasn’t the be-all-and-end-all. Or maybe I’d just stay on my own and be the best uncle in the world to my brothers or sister’s kids. If they ever settled down and had any.

Milo was the first one of us to settle down after my romantic failure. Not surprising given our family history. The latest news of which I was trying to get my own head around. Not forty-eight hours ago I had been introduced to my new half-brother. New in that despite the fact he was fourteen years old, none of us had known of Eli’s existence.

Our mum had left us years ago and run away with Violet’s uncle. Eli was the product of that relationship, which had ended as soon as she’d given birth and once again abandoned a kid. Only whereas we’d been left with a loving father who’d do anything for us, Eli had been left with a drug addict dad. Thankfully, his stepmum Angela had been around from him being a baby, to try where his father had failed. Violet had found Eli on social media and we’d met him Tuesday evening. It was now Thursday afternoon and while I fitted a new set of electrics to a block of new builds I was working on, thoughts of everything were whirling around my head like a cranial tornado. Milo settling down and Eli turning up, along with the recent news of Tali’s engagement were f*****g with my mind.

I’d been okay before all this. I’d got used to the single life. Thrown myself into my work. Went to the gym in an evening. Met up with friends for drinks on a Friday and Saturday night. Occasionally hooked up. Routine. Safe. Structured. A no-brainer life. Now things were being upheaved, like Milo moving out and our father telling us that Silas would be decorating the room for in case Eli wanted to stay.

God only knew what was going through my dad’s mind. Having a fourteen-year-old to stay who biologically is nothing to do with you, yet a sibling to your six kids. Our mum knew how to keep the shocks coming. Now we were all wondering if there were any more stray, abandoned half-siblings out there.

After I’d found out Tali was getting married, my mind kept ruminating about whether or not I should finally tell her the reason I jilted her. Give her some closure as she moved on, because surely she’d be dreading lightening striking twice? Once jilted, I couldn’t see you not worrying that it might happen again. I’d wanted her to hate me so that she didn’t attempt to try to get us back together, but now she’d found someone else maybe we could have the talk I’d wanted to have all along.

My confession.

Or did part of me not want her to move on? Because she’d been mine.

Finishing up work, I popped around to the off licence and grabbed some booze to drop around to Milo’s new place to congratulate him on his new address. That’s if he’d answer the door because I’d expect Milo intended to christen every room of that house. He couldn’t keep his hands off his girl. I refused to acknowledge the little twang that happened in my chest and gut when I thought of other people’s happy ever afters. Milo would be getting married. I’d expect to be told I was best man. At least it was one wedding I’d be sure to turn up for. Unlike my own.

I pulled up outside our house, but as I went inside, weirdly there was no one home. I rolled my eyes at myself. Of course they weren’t. They’d be helping Milo move in. Grabbing a quick mug full of water and tipping it down my throat, I got showered and changed and then made my way through the back gate towards Violet and Milo’s.

Rocky, Vi and Milo’s Staffy rescue dog, came bounding over, wagging his stumpy tail and licking my hand. “Hey, boy. You getting lots of visitors today?”

I walked into the house where I found only Finn sitting down on the sofa in the living room. “Where is everyone?” My brow furrowed as I took in Finn’s expression. Troubled.

“What the f**k is going on? Is everyone alright. Is it Dad?”

He jumped up. “No, no. It’s not us. It’s next door. He pointed in the direction of the house attached to this one. “Becca’s husband died.”

“What?” My jaw dropped. “How?”

Finn shrugged. “They don’t know yet. She found him in their bed, dead. Milo and Vi went running around to help but no one could do anything. They’re with her and Laurel now. Dad and Juliet are there too. I said I’d stay here. An excuse so I could feel useful because I don’t know how you help someone in a situation like this, Cal. I just don’t.”

My heart went out to the little family next door. Rob could only have been in his late twenties. Becca was too young to be a widow. Plus, their poor little girl.

My mind went back in time to around six years ago. Before Tali. To a busy Indian restaurant in Willowfield where I’d called for a takeaway one night.

I stood near the inside doorway, tapping my foot. Happy Spice had the most amazing food, but service was always slow. Busy and popular meant waiting.

“Excuse me.” I heard a small female voice come from behind me, where she’d just come through the door. “You’re not called Rob, are you?”

“No, sorry. Callum.” I said, not knowing why I’d decided to give her my name. I wasn’t Rob, that’s all she needed to know.

She nodded and took a deep breath, seemingly nervous.

“Oh, are you on a blind date?” I asked.

Her eyes widened. “Sssh.”

I looked around and smiled. “No one heard me. The staff should be along shortly. They’re just busy. I’m waiting for a takeaway.”

“Well if my date doesn’t turn up, I might be joining you.” She said.

I looked her over while trying not to make it obvious. Dark, smooth skin; curly hair; dark brown eyes. She had an athletic build and a great pair of t**s. She was f*****g gorgeous and if this guy didn’t turn up, he didn’t know what he was missing. She looked around my age, maybe a couple of years older. I might chat her up just in case.

“Tell you what. If yours doesn’t turn up, I’ll eat my takeaway here and you can order what you want so you don’t look like you’ve been stood up. So like I said I’m Callum and you are?”

“Rebecca.”

“Hi, Rebecca.”

“Hi.” She smiled showing her gorgeous pearly white smile. I prayed this douchebag didn’t show up.

But of course the door opened and in he came. I watched as her eyes lit up.

“Rebecca?”

“Yes.” She smiled tentatively.

“I am so terribly sorry I’m late. There was an accident and I got out to help.”

“Oh my goodness.”

The waiter came out holding my food. “Sorry for your wait, sir.”

“That’s okay.”

He turned to Rebecca and her blind date. “Are you booked in?”

“Yes, table for two under Staveley.” The man said.

Rebecca looked at me, “Enjoy your takeaway.”

“Enjoy your date.” I replied, but I’d lost her. She was into her date. It was obvious.

The guy put his hand in the small of her back and off they went to their seat.

I left and ate my takeaway.

I didn’t think about her again. Had no idea she’d been living on the Smalldale estate until Violet moved in a month ago and made friends with her. It had been a shock, finding out she lived so near, that she’d married her blind date and had a kid. I’d been happy for her. There’d been no Milo Waite, ‘I’d seen the woman of my dreams and had to make her mine’ thoughts. We’d just been a moment in time in a takeaway, where we could have ended up spending time together. I’d been eighteen; I’d moved straight along.

Until I’d seen her chatting and laughing with Violet. And then my mind had started wondering about what if Rob hadn’t turned up that night? Would anything have happened?

“Earth calling Cal.”

I startled, having been completely lost in thought. “Sorry, I’m just so f*****g shocked.”

“I feel you, bro. There’s not really anything we can do though is there?”

“No.” I replied sadly. I took a seat on the sofa at the side of Finn. “I’ll keep you company in looking after Rocky.”

It was a couple of hours later when Violet, Milo, Juliet, and Dad came back. Violet’s eyes were puffy and red. Everyone else looked shellshocked. Rocky offered everyone a lick and a fuss which brought a smile to the harried looking faces.

“I just can’t believe it.” Violet said.

“Do they know how he died?” I asked.

She shook her head. “There’s got to be a post-mortem. Becca’s parents have insisted on taking her and Laurel back to theirs, but it was a struggle to get her to leave. How will she ever be happy in that house again though? Every time she goes in that room, she’s going to remember what happened today.”

We all took it as a rhetorical question. All I knew was that I wished I could do something to help Becca.

But I couldn’t. Because I was no one to her, no one at all.