Barney and Lois’s situation might be very different to his and Melissa’s, it may have spanned decades rather than five years, but even he could see the similarities. Lois had left Barney, Melissa had left him; Lois and Barney had shared pain and dealt with it alone, he and Melissa weren’t so different.
They stayed outside enjoying the sunshine as they talked more about what Lois had told Melissa. And just when they were contemplating going to the convenience store for a cold drink and some food because they could hardly wander inside, Barney and Lois appeared in the courtyard.
‘The food is heating up in the oven,’ Barney said as though this were a day like any other.
Harvey went straight over because Barney wasn’t using his walking frame. He was linking Lois’s arm but she was slight-framed, everything about her was delicate, and Harvey didn’t want Barney to lean his weight on the woman and send her flying.
‘You’re fussing again.’ But at least Barney was smiling when he delivered the remark. ‘I can move just fine.’
‘But you’ve needed your frame up until now,’ Melissa pointed out, ‘and you’ve barely moved since you got out of hospital. You’ll put yourself right back there if you’re not careful.’
Barney and Lois looked at one another, the decades seemingly falling away. Barney kept his eyes on Lois when he said, ‘I’m fine, it’ll take a lot to break me. I wanted to show Lois the barn and then we’ll eat the pasta bake Benjamin made. He even delivered a container of fresh salad when he came by a moment ago.’
Harvey realised he and Melissa must’ve been so heavily engrossed in one another that they hadn’t heard anyone else arrive at the house.
‘I’m surprised he’s managing so well,’ Harvey whispered to Melissa as they followed Barney and Lois towards the barn. Harvey pulled both doors fully open, fixing them back with the hooks, and sunlight flooded into the interior, casting a glow on the stage, the golden hay bales, the barrels they’d brought in, the photograph display wall.
‘Nothing like love in the air to make you stronger,’ Melissa whispered to him when Barney and Lois went inside, their bodies close, hands joined.
It almost felt as though they were intruding. ‘At least now we don’t have to venture out for a drink. I’ll go and grab us something.’ While Melissa waited outside in the courtyard he fetched two glasses of apple juice. His didn’t last the journey outside, he was so thirsty.
Melissa followed suit by drinking hers in long gulps. ‘That’s good.’
‘It’s really sad they went so long without being in touch,’ he said, nodding towards the open doors of the barn.
‘Harvey…’
‘I’m not having a dig, honest.’
‘I’m glad I’m here,’ she admitted and when their eyes met he was desperate to know whether she meant glad to be in the Cove for Barney or happy to be opposite him right now.
But he didn’t get a chance to ask before music drifted to them. It was coming from the barn and with grins on their faces he and Melissa tiptoed over to the open doors. Peeking in, they saw that Barney had put the iPad out and the classic ‘At Last’ by Etta James echoed around the barn. And even if he and Melissa weren’t hiding, Harvey suspected neither Barney nor Lois would even notice them watching. They both had their eyes closed, they moved slowly to the music. Barney was managing to be not only upright but to move as well as Lois.
‘Would you look at that,’ Harvey whispered to Melissa.
‘I don’t think he ever stopped loving her.’
‘No, I don’t suppose he ever did.’
They stayed there, watching, Harvey doing his best to ignore the fresh scent from Melissa’s hair assaulting his senses, making him want to take her into the barn and dance with her, never let her go again. Was he going to be like Barney in years to come? Would Melissa go off and start over, have a family with Mr Pilot, and he’d be the one left in the village, his life stagnating in the same place?
The delicate tune washed over them as Melissa leaned closer. ‘We should get the lunch ready.’
He shuddered at the feel of her breath against his ear before leading the way inside and pulling himself together at the same time.
Melissa fussed with finding the plates, taking out only those that had no chips on them, the surfaces undamaged. She pulled out cutlery and gave it a polish, even found some napkins from the Welsh dresser and laid them out.
‘Bit fancy,’ said Harvey. ‘I don’t think he’ll notice now Lois is in his sights.’
‘It’s so romantic,’ she beamed at him as she pulled the dish from the oven and set it onto a mat in the centre of the table. She added a serving spoon beside it. ‘He seems a lot happier already.’
‘About that…’
‘Do I smell lunch?’ came Barney’s voice.
‘You certainly do,’ Melissa called back. ‘The pasta bake is ready, the salad is dressed. Lois, can I get you something to drink?’
Melissa continued playing the hostess, she fussed over Lois and Barney and for once Barney didn’t protest, in fact he seemed to enjoy it.
