Part 8 - Family Ties

"Aunty Jordy. Where's Aunty Lexi?" Adoring blue eyes looked up at me. The girl-child of almost four years held tightly to my jeans as she leaned against the stool I was sitting on. I had to put aside the striking similarities between the youngest of the Webb clan and my Alex.

"Aunty Jordy?" A small tug, and those trusting eyes were still on me.

"She's in the hospital sweetie." I ran my fingers through her short blonde hair before climbing down to sit with her.

She clambered into my lap and played with the collar of my shirt. "Is she sick?"

"No." I tried not to think about her lying there. In that bed. All alone. But the image burrowed into my mind.

Small fingers traced along my collar bone. "Is she hurt?"

"Yes."

"When I get hurt, mummy kisses it and it feels much better." She smiled triumphantly, having found the solution.

"Well, you can try that when you visit her," I hugged her tiny body close to me and took comfort in the small arms that squeezed me tight.

Soft mumbling into my neck made me release her from the hug and wrap my arms loosely around her. "I can go see her?" Another trait of Alex's showed itself in the hopeful eyes and tiny pout.

"You'll have to ask your mum about that. It's up to her." I tapped her bum lightly, indicating I was going to stand. She clutched me tightly and I chuckled with her. As I stood, she slowly slid back to the floor when her grip fell away.

"Come on, we can't leave everyone else outside to do all the work. We should help too."

They'd all shown up after breakfast. Margaret and Callum had arrived first with their little one, Ellen. Then Charlotte and Michael had brought their babies, Pauley and Sarah. Alex's mum and dad had turned up just after them. They'd all scurried to the backyard after I'd handed over Alex's landscaping plans. All of the equipment was there but in the two months since we'd moved into our new home, we hadn't got around to it. Kyle had escaped in the settling dust of their cars. He probably needed some sleep. And his sanity.

Every time I saw the whole family together, it amazed me. They were all so similar in looks and so different in personality. Ellen ran off as soon as we were outside. Screaming for her mother, she raced around to the side of the house like a deranged monkey. I hoped I wasn't going to regret that.

"Hey stranger," Charlotte stood beside me at the door to the house. "Looks good out here."

"That's because you guys are awesome." I watched the boys digging the last section of tunnel that housed the boulders to mark the edge of the garden. The younger ones were helping their grandma plant flowers in the finished sections. I guessed that they were planting nasturtiums since I could see the flowers and leaves sticking out of Pauley's mouth at all angles. Around the side of the house, they were probably cleaning up the BBQ for lunch. "Alex likes to work in the garden."

Charlotte leaned in to hug me and I quickly side-stepped her. "Please don't hug me Charlie. It's all I can do to look at Ellen and not cry. If you hug me..., I don't want to cry again today."

"You need to cry."

"Not right now I don't." I looked away so that I could control the tears.

"When you do need a hug or a cry, you know where to find me." She smiled at me and patted my shoulder. "I'm the one with the giant for a husband and midgets for children."

I smiled at the comparison and watched as the giant man wrenched one of the boulders into place for the border.

Margaret came around the side of the house and lit up when she saw me. "When do you want to go in, honey?"

I smiled at the fact that this woman who my Alex adored could know me so well. "As soon as possible, but I don't think I should drive."

"Well, how about we leave this lot to sort themselves out and head in? I'll drive and Ellen can hang with you."

I nodded but my mind was already absent. "Will there be enough food?" I mumbled.

"They've got everything they need." She ushered me into the house. "Now, you need to pack a bag of Alex's things for her." She held my eyes for a moment and held my arm. "When she wakes up, she'll need clothes and a toothbrush and hairbrush and those sorts of things. Do you want me to help?"

"Yes please, Mara." Mara had always been Alex's pet name for Margaret and it stuck with me now. I felt so small. So childlike.

After packing a bag, we climbed into the car with an excited Ellen. Everyone said goodbye from the driveway. The mood dropped as we left the house and settled in for the drive.

"Ellen, Aunty Lexi will be sleeping pretty deeply when you see her." Margaret tried to tell the excited youngster. The wriggling calmed down a little, but the wide eyes were still evident.

"She's hurt very badly." I interjected.

"How bad?" Ellen turned to look out of the window as we drove.

"Pretty bad." I choked out.

"She won't be awake when we get there, okay?" Margaret glanced at Ellen and the child nodded her understanding.

"When will she wake up?"

"We don't know honey," I smiled a sad smile at her and she leaned into me. "All we can do is wait and see." Ellen wrapped her small arms around me to comfort us both.

The radio played quietly in the background. We were all oblivious. Lost in our own thoughts of Alex. Wondering what our visit today would bring.

Continued...