Sorry," he said sheepishly, feeling immensely pleased when Lash did the hugging part but not the killing bit.
"I was worried sick. You went climbing didn't you? What is wrong with you?" Lash slapped him hard on the back, then punched him on the shoulder too.
"Ow! Careful, my muscles are killing me,"
"Oh, is poor little Edsel feeling an ickle bit tired from his big, oh-so-manly day out? Well, tough. You deserve worse."
"You're right, and I'm sorry. I'm never going to do it again. Listen, we need to talk. We need to see if we can't do something to convince Aiden to come back to the island with us. I'm no good here, trouble follows me around like a ball and chain. I keep expecting somebody to jump out from behind a bush with a tattoo machine and start waving it about."
"What's brought this on? You know I want to go back; I like it there. But Aiden isn't going to want to. Him and Michael are off out again; I've given up trying to stop him."
"I think we need to find him a nice girl. If we could convince him that it would be best for him to have a family away from this madness, then I think it would work if the girl was willing. Otherwise..."
"Otherwise he's never going to want to come back, so we'll have to stay as well."
"Yup, that about sums it up. Look, I realized something today when I was, um, climbing," Edsel took a step back just in case he got another punch. "I realized that I do like it here, that I like being slightly edgy, and that's not good. But I also came to understand that I love you and Aiden more, that I want more than anything in this world for the two of you to be safe and happy, so we need to find a way to convince him to come back with us. If you still want to that is?"
She does, I'm sure she does. She loves it there.
"Oh Edsel, I do love you so much you know?" Lash hugged him tightly, making everything right in the world with that one simple gesture. "I love what you're willing to sacrifice for us; it means more than you could ever know. I'm just amazed it's taken you so long to realize this about yourself though. You do love it here. You like the craziness, and you like the excitement. I've always known that, and this is the reason why I love you more than anything — knowing what you gave up for us. Sure, you convinced yourself it was what you wanted, but I could see it, you were just like Aiden but trying to hide it. You wanted some adventures too. It's who you are."
Damn. Seems like everyone knows me better than I know myself.
"I will do anything to keep you both safe, you know that. I don't need anything apart from you and Aiden, so let's try our best to keep this family together, all right?"
"All right."
God I love this woman. I really don't deserve her. I knew I was flawed, but not quite this flawed.
SEARCH
"Any more sunbathing and you'll be as dark as some of my Ink Michael," quipped Edsel, as Michael turned down the offer to go with them on their latest trip.
"Well, I don't think that is going to happen, but I do enjoy the sun. In this climate you have to make the most of it while you can. Soon enough it will be autumn and I will be on the road again, the lonely traveler wandering the country, watching the leaves fall from the trees and the creatures foraging for food before the winter settles in."
"Very poetic. But if you're sure?" Michael nodded in reply and said a quick goodbye, before heading up to the roof for another day in his deck chair.
Aiden was excited as usual, keen to go off and explore, although he didn't know the purpose of their next foray out into the towns and villages that dotted the west coast of England.
Best he doesn't. I can't very well tell him we're just going off to find him a girlfriend and then he has to come home with us to the island. He'd have a fit.
They were going to make a more extended trip this time, planning on being away for a few weeks. They would travel by car, bicycles on the roof like a family just off for a little
"I was worried sick. You went climbing didn't you? What is wrong with you?" Lash slapped him hard on the back, then punched him on the shoulder too.
"Ow! Careful, my muscles are killing me,"
"Oh, is poor little Edsel feeling an ickle bit tired from his big, oh-so-manly day out? Well, tough. You deserve worse."
"You're right, and I'm sorry. I'm never going to do it again. Listen, we need to talk. We need to see if we can't do something to convince Aiden to come back to the island with us. I'm no good here, trouble follows me around like a ball and chain. I keep expecting somebody to jump out from behind a bush with a tattoo machine and start waving it about."
"What's brought this on? You know I want to go back; I like it there. But Aiden isn't going to want to. Him and Michael are off out again; I've given up trying to stop him."
"I think we need to find him a nice girl. If we could convince him that it would be best for him to have a family away from this madness, then I think it would work if the girl was willing. Otherwise..."
"Otherwise he's never going to want to come back, so we'll have to stay as well."
"Yup, that about sums it up. Look, I realized something today when I was, um, climbing," Edsel took a step back just in case he got another punch. "I realized that I do like it here, that I like being slightly edgy, and that's not good. But I also came to understand that I love you and Aiden more, that I want more than anything in this world for the two of you to be safe and happy, so we need to find a way to convince him to come back with us. If you still want to that is?"
She does, I'm sure she does. She loves it there.
"Oh Edsel, I do love you so much you know?" Lash hugged him tightly, making everything right in the world with that one simple gesture. "I love what you're willing to sacrifice for us; it means more than you could ever know. I'm just amazed it's taken you so long to realize this about yourself though. You do love it here. You like the craziness, and you like the excitement. I've always known that, and this is the reason why I love you more than anything — knowing what you gave up for us. Sure, you convinced yourself it was what you wanted, but I could see it, you were just like Aiden but trying to hide it. You wanted some adventures too. It's who you are."
Damn. Seems like everyone knows me better than I know myself.
"I will do anything to keep you both safe, you know that. I don't need anything apart from you and Aiden, so let's try our best to keep this family together, all right?"
"All right."
God I love this woman. I really don't deserve her. I knew I was flawed, but not quite this flawed.
SEARCH
"Any more sunbathing and you'll be as dark as some of my Ink Michael," quipped Edsel, as Michael turned down the offer to go with them on their latest trip.
"Well, I don't think that is going to happen, but I do enjoy the sun. In this climate you have to make the most of it while you can. Soon enough it will be autumn and I will be on the road again, the lonely traveler wandering the country, watching the leaves fall from the trees and the creatures foraging for food before the winter settles in."
"Very poetic. But if you're sure?" Michael nodded in reply and said a quick goodbye, before heading up to the roof for another day in his deck chair.
Aiden was excited as usual, keen to go off and explore, although he didn't know the purpose of their next foray out into the towns and villages that dotted the west coast of England.
Best he doesn't. I can't very well tell him we're just going off to find him a girlfriend and then he has to come home with us to the island. He'd have a fit.
They were going to make a more extended trip this time, planning on being away for a few weeks. They would travel by car, bicycles on the roof like a family just off for a little
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