Summer of Like // Farleigh Start x OC

35: We Are the Talk About Town; The Grapevines Being Watered

Elspeth and Oliver are already eating breakfast when Farleigh and I arrive, joining them at the too-big table. I smile at the both of them - more for Elspeth than for Oliver - and take the seat next to Farleigh, who easily claims Elspeth's left. She looks happier today - refreshed even. The magic of not being alone sunk into her skin overnight.

"Good morning, my darlings." She greets. "Sleep well?"

"Of course." Farleigh says. "Thank you again for letting us stay here, and putting together a room and all. It's so great to be back."

"Oh, of course, my love." She says, reaching across the corner of the table to pat his hand. "It's as much of a delight for me as it is for you - the house is so cold without guests to liven up the place, you know." She smiles. "Do help yourselves to breakfast." She gestures to the small spread on the table.

Farleigh starts spooning scrambled eggs onto his plate and mine, and I take the liberty of making sure he has a healthy helping of the assorted fruit as well. I swear, he would eat like a child if he could - only bread and cheese and the occasional hamburger.

"I'm dying to see a picture of your dress, Evie." Elspeth says once we've finished sorting out breakfast.

I nod, my mouth full of eggs, and fish my phone out from my pocket, opening the album of wedding photos and handing it to Elspeth. Her eyes light up as she scrolls through the pictures, and I swear I see a tear come to her eye. So painfully, I'm reminded that she never got to see her own children get married.

"Oh, how lovely, Oliver look." She tilts my phone so that Oliver can see it as well, a picture from the first dance on the screen. It's easily the most beautiful dress I've ever worn - more silver than white, even though it's a wedding dress, with sheer cutouts covered in lace flowers - reminiscent of the dress that I wore to Oliver's birthday party all those years ago. And the fact that it was handcrafted by the man that I love makes it a thousand times better.

A tear really does slip from Elspeth's eye now, but she quickly wipes it away. "It's just as beautiful as I thought it would be - truly excellent work, Farleigh. Truly. And Evie, dear, you wear it so elegantly. Oh, I wish we could have come to the wedding."

She continues to scroll through the pictures, smiling at each of them. "Oh, the floral arrangements..."

I look at Farleigh, watching him watch Elspeth as he eats his breakfast - noticeably avoiding the fruit that I put on his plate. He grins when she smiles and gasps, that proud smile playing at the corners of his lips. He should be proud - he put together the whole thing almost by himself, and it really was beautiful.

"What song did you dance to?" Elspeth asks, looking up from my phone.

I exchange a glance with Farleigh. His lips quirk upwards. "Doses and Mimosas." He says. "By Cherub."

Oliver snorts while he's trying to sip at his coffee, and spills over his hand. "Shit- sorry, sorry." He mops it up with his napkin.

Even though it's clear that she doesn't know the song at all, Elspeth still smiles like she does. "Oh, lovely."

I laugh around a bite of toast, and tap my finger against the edge of Farleigh's plate, next to the fruit. He rolls his eyes, but spears a strawberry with his fork and eats it.

Elspeth passes my phone back to me. "All the pictures are beautiful." She says. "I do wish I could have been there."

Oliver nods. "Yeah, it looked like it was a good time."

"It really was." I say. "What about you, Ollie?" I ask. "It's been over a decade since we've seen you, what've you been up to?"

Oliver shrugs. "Not much - work, mostly, but I've been doing it remotely now to be here with Elspeth."

"No wife?" Farleigh asks. "Kids?"

Oliver shakes his head. "Not everyone can be as lucky as you mate." The words are friendly, but his tone is ice cold. Farleigh's smile tightens.

The subject of children has Elspeth perking up again. "Oh, are you planning on having children?" She asks, looking at me excitedly.

Farleigh looks at me. "We haven't really talked about it, I guess."

"You would make such beautiful children." Elspeth says, a dreamy look on her face. "And they're so wonderful when they're young," She sighs. "If I could have had more children I would have. But pregnancy ruins the body - took me years to truly bounce back. It was the end of my modeling career, when I had Venetia."

"Good thing I'm not the fashionista of the family." I joke.

"Still - important to understand the consequences, darling." Elspeth says gravely. "Things start to sag in strange places."

Farleigh snorts into his glass of orange juice, and tries to cover it up with a cough.

We haven't talked about it yet - I'm sure we will, once we get a little older. But I know that if I do ever want kids, I want them with him.