It was a week later when Al came bursting through the door of the tea room, just as they were about to close. The last table had just left, and Betsy was just pulling the table clothes for a wash.
Their first week had been a huge hit. Everyone in Hensley had wanted to try them out. Clare had even offered a helping hand when they’d been overwhelmed with customers. She’d set up a reservation system and played the hostess. The girls had opened one of the other sitting rooms as a waiting room for people who had arrived early.
The local paper had written up a story with rave reviews. Betsy had excitedly framed it and mounted it on the wall. They’d especially raved about the genuine British cakes and sandwiches, most of which were ironically her mom’s recipes.
“I did it. I now own property!” Al said as he slid into an empty chair. “I think I might be having a panic attack. Might be able to cure it with a piece of cake.”
Betsy smiled and went to get him a piece of cake. She placed it before him.
“Kinda goes against a guys genes. Settling down.”
“Yeah.” What the hell, Betsy went and fetched a piece for herself as well.
“So what house did you buy?”
“Bought 24 of them. Plus the main lodge, the church, and the refectory.”
“You bought the Hippie Village?” Al must be a heck of a lot richer than he appeared. With his beat up leather jacket, he looked as if he didn’t have five dollars in his pocket.
Al nodded his head and took another bite of his cake.
“I think Clare needs a project. And I need some bloody fuckin’ light. Those wankers sure knew how to build a bloody window. Course I’m gonna knock the Jesus right out of it.”
Betsy blinked at him in surprise, not sure how to comment on this statement.
“I believe in all that God stuff. Grams was a good old member of the C of E and everything, but the church is going to be my new studio.”
“You’re an artist?” She’d seen him tucked away in the corners sketching things throughout the week, but it really hadn’t occurred to her that it was his profession.
“Among other things.”
He said it with a smile on his face. He brightened up and Betsy looked behind her to see Clare standing in the doorway. It was great to see the two of them so in love.
She pushed back the stone that grew in her throat. It wasn’t great, she decided, because it reminded her of Adeo. She’d thought more about him in the past week than she had in the few months since he’d dropped Polly off.
Betsy looked at Clare’s blissful glow and felt the pangs of jealousy. She wanted what they had, but knew it was something she was never going to have.
“Are you ruining your dinner?” Clare asked.
“She talked me into it,” Al said. “Wasn’t polite to refuse.”
Betsy shook her head, but Clare just laughed. “I’ll believe that when I see men on Mars.” She kept laughing as she turned and left the tea room.
Betsy took another bite of her cake.
“Where can I find him?”
“What? Who?”
“The guy.”
Betsy blushed. “What guy?”
“Aw, sweetheart, I like you. You’re like a cousin, once removed. You’re family. And it’s bloody well written all over your face.”
“He’s out of the picture.”
“Where can I find him? You’d be surprised the sort of magic I can make.” Al cracked his knuckles in a menacing fashion.
“It would take magic.” Betsy said to herself. She didn’t realize she’d actually said it out loud until she noticed Al’s questioning eyebrow.
“It’s a long story.”
“Not going anywhere.”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you the truth, and I’m a bad liar, so let’s not and say we did.”
“Try me.”
Betsy sighed. He was going to think she was crazy, but it would be a relief to tell someone else about Adeo.
“Do you believe in magic? I’m not talking sleight of hand. I’m talking about parallel universes, and people vanishing and appearing from thin air.”
Betsy didn’t realize it until he leaned in as well, but she’d leaned nearly halfway across the table and her voice went low.
“Yes. You know why? Cos one time, I slipped through a hole in time. Got on a train and got off it three hours earlier, just in time save Clare from a bus bomb. Boom. Never told anyone that.”
By his face she could tell he was dead serious. And she believed him.
“Polly’s father is from another universe. He’s a king. He was a prince when I met him. He had to go back to that alternate universe to fight off the ultimate evil. Oh my God, I sound crazy.”
“There’s too much in this fuckin’ world that’s unexplainable. Besides, it you think you’re a fuckin’ nutter, you aren’t. My grams was bonkers, but she didn’t have a bloody clue.”
“That’s not the whole story. This I haven’t even shown my mother.”
She stood up, turned around, and pulled up her shirt to reveal Adeo’s handprint.
“I wouldn’t show that to your mother either.”
“He did it with his hand. He bonded us. So now he’s off fighting Fred. Yeah, Ultimate Evil Guy’s name is Fred. Anyway, I can’t feel. I can’t feel anything with anyone else. And he’s there and if he dies-”
She couldn’t continue. She didn’t realize she was sobbing until Al embraced her in a hug. She didn’t stop until the front of Al’s shirt was completely soaked.
“We’ll be there in a minute,” Al said. Betsy popped her head up to see Clare standing in the doorway once again, her face full of concern.
“I’m so sorry,” Betsy stammered, realizing that Clare might get the wrong impression, considering her husband had his arms around her.
“Don’t worry. He tends to have that effect on people. Dinner’s on the table, when you’re ready.”
She turned and left the room.
“Don’t tell my wife about the whole hole in time things. She still things I just got my timetables confused.”
“It’ll be our little secret.”
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