Unexpected Family Part 2
Disclaimer: this is all lies.
Alexandre was standing on the patio when Philippe found him the next morning. He looked pale and reluctant which was something the Belgian never considered possible. Alexandre didn’t look at him when he approached but he couldn’t be certain whether it was because his friend hadn’t noticed or was just too focused on something else. “You standing there waiting for something?” he broke the silence.
“I need to do a lap around the garden.”
He blinked and then looked across at the upper level that Vino had indicated with a crutch. At least he hoped that was all that was being gestured with because his friend didn’t look well enough to attempt the whole garden. “What’s the problem?”
“I have to take a lap around the garden.”
The tone was so unfamiliar coming from his friend that it took him a while to recognise it as defeat. It should have been an alien concept but having seen Alexandre alone last night it made all too much sense. How had he missed this? Sure they had only spoken twice since the accident and both times the conversation had been brief but he should have noticed this.
Apparently he’d missed the moment he’d been needed, they all had, but he could rectify that. He was here now and the distraction would be good for him. It would help him ignore his own problems, at least for a while. “Want some company?”
“This isn’t going to be exercise for you,” Alexandre said.
“I can go out on my bike later,” he stated. “This is more important right now.”
“Yeah right, you just want to be able to go back and feel good about what you did. Poor Vino, his career is over. Better hang out with him for a bit so he doesn’t feel like I’m neglecting him. At least this way he can be of use and I can distract the media by making them think that maybe I’m going to sign for Astana!”
Philippe listened to the rant that gradually grew in volume until Alexandre was shouting at him and realised he should have made more of an effort before now. “Did somebody call this morning?” he asked. “Is that what you’re all worked up about?”
“Your agent called this morning to thank me for helping you out and wondered if maybe I’d be up for a few pictures!”
Philippe sighed, his agent really should know better by now but apparently they were going to have to have a talk about what was appropriate to say to Alexandre and what was not. “I let him know I was going to be here, that’s all.”
“Sure!”
“I didn’t tell him why I was here, just that I was so if he needed me to be anywhere he’d have to give me some notice.”
Alexandre seemed to calm a little at his words and then appeared to recall what happened last night. “Want to talk about it?”
“How about we talk while we take a lap around the garden,” he offered.
For a moment he thought that Vino was going to say no but the nod came eventually. They set off at a slow pace and he stayed where he was even though it would be easy enough for him to get ahead the speed Vino was going. Neither of them said anything until they were on the opposite side of the garden and then his friend kept on glancing across at him. “If you want to ask then ask,” he said finally.
They walked a few paces more in silence before there was any response. “What’s going on?”
“My wife kicked me out and she said she’s keeping Alan.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine.”
Alexandre raised an eyebrow and he had to acknowledge the similarities of their responses. “We’ve been having problems for a while so it wasn’t exactly unexpected. I mean I hoped that we’d work things out but she’s obviously decided that enough is enough, at least for now. I just... I never thought she’d take Alan away from me.”
“You thought Alan would stay with you?”
Philippe pulled a face. “Given my schedule I’m not at home enough for that to be practical. He’d be with different people all the time and I’m not sure that would be good for him. I never thought she would try to keep him away from me.”
Alexandre shuffled forward a bit further before saying anything else. “She’s upset, give her a while and maybe she’ll change her mind.”
“I’m not sure,” he said.
Alexandre was standing on the patio when Philippe found him the next morning. He looked pale and reluctant which was something the Belgian never considered possible. Alexandre didn’t look at him when he approached but he couldn’t be certain whether it was because his friend hadn’t noticed or was just too focused on something else. “You standing there waiting for something?” he broke the silence.
“I need to do a lap around the garden.”
He blinked and then looked across at the upper level that Vino had indicated with a crutch. At least he hoped that was all that was being gestured with because his friend didn’t look well enough to attempt the whole garden. “What’s the problem?”
“I have to take a lap around the garden.”
The tone was so unfamiliar coming from his friend that it took him a while to recognise it as defeat. It should have been an alien concept but having seen Alexandre alone last night it made all too much sense. How had he missed this? Sure they had only spoken twice since the accident and both times the conversation had been brief but he should have noticed this.
Apparently he’d missed the moment he’d been needed, they all had, but he could rectify that. He was here now and the distraction would be good for him. It would help him ignore his own problems, at least for a while. “Want some company?”
“This isn’t going to be exercise for you,” Alexandre said.
“I can go out on my bike later,” he stated. “This is more important right now.”
“Yeah right, you just want to be able to go back and feel good about what you did. Poor Vino, his career is over. Better hang out with him for a bit so he doesn’t feel like I’m neglecting him. At least this way he can be of use and I can distract the media by making them think that maybe I’m going to sign for Astana!”
Philippe listened to the rant that gradually grew in volume until Alexandre was shouting at him and realised he should have made more of an effort before now. “Did somebody call this morning?” he asked. “Is that what you’re all worked up about?”
“Your agent called this morning to thank me for helping you out and wondered if maybe I’d be up for a few pictures!”
Philippe sighed, his agent really should know better by now but apparently they were going to have to have a talk about what was appropriate to say to Alexandre and what was not. “I let him know I was going to be here, that’s all.”
“Sure!”
“I didn’t tell him why I was here, just that I was so if he needed me to be anywhere he’d have to give me some notice.”
Alexandre seemed to calm a little at his words and then appeared to recall what happened last night. “Want to talk about it?”
“How about we talk while we take a lap around the garden,” he offered.
For a moment he thought that Vino was going to say no but the nod came eventually. They set off at a slow pace and he stayed where he was even though it would be easy enough for him to get ahead the speed Vino was going. Neither of them said anything until they were on the opposite side of the garden and then his friend kept on glancing across at him. “If you want to ask then ask,” he said finally.
They walked a few paces more in silence before there was any response. “What’s going on?”
“My wife kicked me out and she said she’s keeping Alan.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine.”
Alexandre raised an eyebrow and he had to acknowledge the similarities of their responses. “We’ve been having problems for a while so it wasn’t exactly unexpected. I mean I hoped that we’d work things out but she’s obviously decided that enough is enough, at least for now. I just... I never thought she’d take Alan away from me.”
“You thought Alan would stay with you?”
Philippe pulled a face. “Given my schedule I’m not at home enough for that to be practical. He’d be with different people all the time and I’m not sure that would be good for him. I never thought she would try to keep him away from me.”
Alexandre shuffled forward a bit further before saying anything else. “She’s upset, give her a while and maybe she’ll change her mind.”
“I’m not sure,” he said.