Let's All Make Believe - Oasis

Chapter 16

George just stood there waiting for me to say something. She'd just walked right back through the door after walking out on us. She was the one that should say something, she was the one with the problem. I thought she'd come to collect her stuff to go for good, in that case she should just go pack up her stuff and fuck off.

I was wrong.

"Want me to help pack?" I asked bluntly.

I didn't want to fight for a relationship that no one wanted to work. I didn't have time for it and neither did she or why else would she have stayed away.

"No..."

"Alright, I'll let you get on then." I went to walk away as though I had things of my own to get on with although I was just trying to give her some space.

It reminded me so much of leaving Noel almost nine months ago. We'd had our shouting match before admitting it was over and noel left me to pack. This time there wasn't going to be an argument, there was no anger between us. This time there wasn't reasons to try to cling on.

"Stacy... if you want me back, I'm back."

I stopped dead, ready to hear her out. "Really?"

"I wanted to come back the moment I walked out, I just thought we needed some time."

"Where have you been all this time?"

"Back at my parents'. They never stopped joking we've been on more breaks than we've been together."

"Can see why you're back." I smirked, thinking about how my dad would be the same if I could share what was going on with him.

"Yeah, I just couldn't stay under my their feet any longer."

"I don't blame you but who says you're moving back here?"

"Don't be like that. We had it so good before that stupid row. I'm sorry I lost it at you, I should've been more understanding with you in your..."

"Water under the bridge". I said quickly so she couldn't use the word condition. "I just wanted to stay in my nest but that made me snappy too and it all went on you."

We talked it out. She came full of apologies ready to start again. I apologised for my wrongdoings too.

It took time for us to re-bond but she was back for good now. It was so good to have her back home. We were good for each other. It was good to have a real adult to talk to again even if she made Luke go shy. I didn't understand why he was no longer around, maybe I just didn't need him when I had George by my side.

Ste was tucked up in bed, for once he'd gone to bed easily without having had a very busy, tiring day. We were chilling, watching telly with glasses of wine (I was pretending with blackcurrant but there probably wasn't damage to do to the baby at this point) I had control of the remote and stumbled upon a rerun of the Crystal Maze. It was a Richard O'Brien era episode, I'd landed on TV gold.

"Oh my god, me and Liam used to watch this all the time. Did you?"

If we were in on the day it was on, we took over the sofa and the tv to watch it. If Noel didn't make Liam go off and practice at the Boardwalk, we were there, waiting for it to come on. Peggy always found something else to do and Noel always seemed to be having another go of living in his bedsit or trying to make it up to Louise for their latest argument. It was just us and it was the best of times.

"Yeah, sometimes." she said, not really sharing my enthusiasm for it at all. "I never really got the excitement of it, it's just people doing puzzles, badly."