We.

Rather unfortunate to be dependent on someone. Or liberating, might one view? For the two sides to the coin are quite fickle foes to each other, intermingling with the passing of each lively moment.

Viola nursed a drink in her hand, making an apt conversation with the Hodgersons, who were scrutinizing her life choices without much delicate finesse.

"A nurse, dear? Why, hardly a time to be one. Surely the gardening business is blooming and ought to have beckoned you towards, don't you think Maya ?"

"Certainly, dear," affirmed the red-haired wife. "Also, pardon the intrusion, but you do look awful tired, dear. One might doubt as to what tending duties have caused such a state. The home or the ward, what is it, Vio ?"

The truth was it was the home. Little Bailey had been a nuisance to manage the past month. Quite a big boy now, Bailey. 10. She wagered if she ought to have struck the "Little" off the dashed one's title.

"It's the ward," replied Viola warily, massaging her temples, and then looking around in a semi-furtive manner.

__________________________________________________________________________

It was awfully tricky business to mingle oneself with a large crowd, especially to the purpose of 'blending in', for try as hard as he might, Little Bailey might not have been able to puff himself up as the other goons, or either put up a commandeering voice capable of guiding the spirits of tame souls.

"Well why must I bellow ?" he inquired dispassionately of his peers, as they nursed a spot amidst a wedding.

The largest of them all, MacDonald, eyed Bailey with some comfort.

"Well think about all the fun that would cause, Bailey! Come on, bellow a little. Draw on an attention to us."

Bailey seemed hardly encouraged by such a prospect. He eyed MacDonald with the air of sizing him up.

"No," he simply said.

"Excuse me ?" leered the chap.

Bailey spotted his mother in the background. Terrible row he'd had with her that morning. Pertaining to how he seemed most incapable of lacking inquisitiveness as to her personal affairs. He only wished to know of the man she was seeing. Rather acutely she'd taken it. There was no hope of calling for her, though. She'd made it very clear that he was not to speak to her for an entire afternoon, so as to instill in him some 'good behaviour.'

Bailey looked up at MacDonald and gulped.

"Well, kiddo ?" said the giant stepping forward, towering over Bailey like a brave shadow.

"Oh sod it," said Bailey, punching rather meekly the brutes stomach. It created a slight chuckle in the affected party, before a hand swung forwards, making a very well acquaintance of Bailey's right cheek.

________________________________________________________________________

Bailey sat nursing a swollen cheek, and giving him company, nursing a forlorn look herself, was Viola.

"Not happy today, are we ?" she inquired looking straight ahead.

"Well I might have wagered a go at it if it weren't for the pain," reasoned Bailey nursing with a wet cloth, tenderly, the affected spot.  "You ought not to have been so strict, earlier, Mother," he continued, drawing a surprised turn from his beloved.

"Indeed, Bailey? I've been wondering of the same," she said, regarding him in an affectionate way. But she then turned head and drew back to her honest assessment.

"You ought not to be nosy, Bailey. It's quite rude. Who I see, and who I don't, it really mustn't concern you."

"But we're family, aren't we ?" reasoned Bailey.

She turned towards him and said :

"Be that as it may, an afternoon, Bailey. I realize I've indulged you in a semi one, oh !"

"Oh leave it be, Mother," said Bailey frowning. "I do have qualms of being dependent too, you know."

"Qualms, where did you learn a word like that ?" she inquired of the matter quite interested.

"Cambridge Dictionary."

"Ah."

They sat in silence for a few, before the Hodgersons came into presence again.

"Ah, Viola, how lovely to see you, again, sat here, looking quite...morose !" beamed a gay Mr. Hodgerson. He was nursing his wife's hand in rather a pretentious manner, and of that regard, Bailey scoffed.

"Excuse me, boy ?" inquired the man of the sound.

Bailey merely shook his head furtively.

"Go on now," said Viola urging her boy on. "Off you go towards, sonny."

Bailey seemed most unkeen to abandon his Mother, but taking her command in good stride, departed.

"Oi, chap," drew that brute's voice from nearby.

Bailey stopped and sighed exasperatedly. In previous times, he'd utilized the call of "Mother !" to succeeding effect, but right now, neither was present the scope of it, nor the opportunity, for Mother was engaged and rather afflicted with him.

The boy, MacDonald, drew upon him and laughed.

"Quite a weak face you have there, boy," he said, and yet he was no more than ten himself.

Bailey looked longingly behind him at his mother, who seemed to be putting up a brave front towards the Hodgersons. He knew she was in no mood today.

He then centered in to face the boy, and looking him in the eye said, "Why don't you just really get lost, MacDonald? I mean just scurry off somewhere and stop bothering people? Why don't you ?"

The boy seemed most amused of the suggestion.

"Well who has fun getting lost ?" he inquired heartily.

"You might, if you gave it a shot."

MacDonald eyed Bailey severely.

"A mouth on you, Bailey. Little, is it? Ha !"

Bailey eyed a familiar face in the background and his eyes lit up.

"Oi, where do you think you're looking ?" inquired a perturbed MacDonald.

"It's my father !" gleamed Bailey.

___________________________________________________________________________

"Alright kiddo, settle down. Mother needs help, does she ?" inquired he stooping below and taking him under his wing. "Let's go help her out."

They walked towards Viola, who spotted them coming from afar, and adjusted herself to that manner.

'Ahem, ahem' scoffed the Father coming upon the scene. "Interesting party !" he affected.

"Ah, Jason ! Good to see you," roared Mr. Hodgerson. "Been wondering where you were, with your lovely one standing here."

Viola eyed Jason and he eyed her back, and a brief smile sat on both their faces. Viola crossed her arms and looked at him in anticipation.

"Well, Mr. Hodgerson," said Jason, "sometimes a fella ought to leave his wife be, don't you think ?"

"Leave her be ? What a preposterous suggestion !" boomed Mr. Hodgerson. A look at Mrs. Hodgerson's face would have suggested that such a dawning would have been really welcomed had it found its lodging elsewhere, for instance within the man whose arm she currently nursed.

"That is so, Mr. Hodgerson," smiled Jason.

"One doesn't need one, you see ?" replied Viola from the side, as they both looked at each other and smiled knowingly. "One can do very well without the other."

"Must one ?" countered a quick and sly Jason.

A faint blush arose on Viola's face.

"Ahem, ahem, be that as it may, it is rather wrong to depart, in general that is," reasoned a slightly mellowed Mr. Hodgerson.

"Bailey ?" inquired Jason looking below. "Your thoughts on the matter ?"

"I think two bodies who need each other, ought to settle down and dig in with each other. Adaption comes at rather a cost." And to signify the emphasis of his point, he rose a delicate hand towards his cheek.

"Atta boy, Bailey," said Jason patting him on his head and then looking up at Viola.

"Rather tedious, adaption, don't you think, Vi ?"

Vi seemed most taken aback of being addressed directly. She steadied herself, and composed, answered, "It's alright, I suppose."

Jason scoffed.

"Well it ain't alright for me." And then he faced her acutely, and held her hand.

"Come on Vi, it's been months now. How has separation settled with you ?" he whispered intimately to her. Mr. and Mrs. Hodgerson looked on with open mouths.

"I...I..." she said, but feeling his hands in hers, she couldn't muster anything appropriate.

"We need each other," said Jason, drawing Bailey into personal periphery. "We, need each other, Vi."

Bailey looked up at his mother. His mother at him, and then away.

Jason's hand rose and tilted her face towards him.

"Is it that hard to admit, Vi? Come on, let's be adults about this. I suck without you, don't you ?"

She laughed, rather losing footing of composure.

"Oh Jason," and then she turned away again.

Jason looked at Mr. and Mrs. Hodgerson. "She's almost there, "he said encouragingly. Promptly nodded Mr. Hodgerson, and turned towards his wife, who tugged on his arm as if to spur on an exit.

 

"So long, Mr. and Mrs. Hodgerson," said Jason smiling his best smile, as the couple bowed and departed the scene.

"So long," he drew once more, "Mrs. Viola Smith."

He looked down at Bailey and inquired, "Bailey, what might your mother's last name be ?"

"Baker," growled a ferocious Bailey, suddenly blessed with an injection of spirit.

Viola blushed.

"Really Jason,"

"Really what ?"

"There's another guy."

"I'll wait," joked Jason.

"Stop it," said Viola indignantly, punching him on the shoulder.

"What ?" said Jason playfully nursing his arm. "Look, I'll be in the periphery, hanging around until you see sense. "

Viola laughed that laugh again, the kind she wished to dearly suppress but failed miserably at.

"Need is a strong word," she said turning towards Jason finally. "I can do just fine without you, Mr."

"Yes but can we ?" countered Jason, inching closer towards her, Bailey happy to be a mere spectator on ground level.  

"Perhaps not."