As You Lay Dying - Alfie Solomons

22

Alfie was given a stay of execution until Margate was struck by winter. Lily wanted him to be comfortable, but she brought it up frequently. Life went on as usual. Lily worked during the week while Alfie kept himself occupied with various activities.

He started to warm up to the idea of meeting her mother. But Jane went to visit relatives for a few weeks, only returning on the first week of December. She narrowly avoided the snowstorm that blanketed Margate's beaches.

But the holidays meant family and Alfie knew what that meant. He agreed on a date and waited for things to fall apart at the seams. Worse of all, Lily rejected the plan of wearing a wedding band. Alfie felt he was fucked.

"Mum?" Lily called as she stamped her boots on the doormat.

"Told you to wear a scarf, love, your cheeks are bright red." Alfie smiled and helped her out of her coat.

Argos shook snow from his fur and trotted through the home he used to live in. He met Jane by the doorway, his tail wagging.

"Hello!" Jane ruffled Argos's ears and the sheepdog barked joyfully. He turned in a few tight circles before running back to Alfie.

"Hi, mum." Lily hugged her tight. "How was your trip?"

"It was lovely, you'll have to come along with me next time."

Alfie nervously busied himself with hanging his and Lily's coats on the rack. He could only fuss with Argos for so long. He had crawled through trenches and stared down the guns of barrels. But this was downright terrifying.

"Mrs. Teahan," Alfie did everything in his power to not appear like himself. He tried to shroud himself in a more polite demeanor. Maybe he could direct her attention away from certain traits of his. 

"You must be Alfie." Jane's eyes were bright and full of emotion like Lily's were. "Please, call me Jane."

"Well, thank you for having us over." Argos continued to bump into Alfie, his body wriggling with excitement. "I'm sorry it's taken so long for us to make it."

Jane started to walk further into the home. "I heard about your trip to America. It must have been so exciting."

Lily and Alfie followed her into the kitchen where there was a sharp scent of peppermint in the air. Jane went to the kettle that started to whistle.

"Lily's done so much traveling lately," Jane noted as she waved them over to the table.

"Yeah, she's been interested in seeing a bit more than Margate," Alfie agreed. "After my accident, I became a bit of a fuc-er hermit. But Lily, yeah, she helped me get outta the house."

Jane beamed. "That's my daughter, she always does the right thing."

Alfie wished he could tell her everything. How they met, how Lily heaved him off that beach and saved his life. The tragedy they shared and the things that almost drove them apart. 

"Lily said you retired early and came to Margate." Jane brought over three cups of tea to the kitchen table. It was placed by a large bay window overlooking the coast. The ocean was gray and the tide lapped at the snowdrifts covering the beach. 

Lily sat next to Alfie and took his hand under the table.

"Er, yeah, earlier than planned. Got a bit tired of London, I suppose, needed a change of scenery." 

"What is it that you did for work?"

Lily's fingers tightened around his hand, but Alfie was prepared. "I owned a bakery."