Read Online The Architect by C.A. Bell - Free Book Online

him?”
    â€œI met him in a bar, and it just went from there, really.”
    â€œAnd?”
    â€œAnd what?”
    She comes closer to the screen and whispers down her mic, “Has he got a big...” She moves back and wiggles her little finger at me.
    I laugh. “Yes!” Then I change the subject. “How are you and Marcus?”
    â€œYes, we’re fine, thank you, although my poor baby had to have his nails cut yesterday, and he didn’t like it at all.”
    The Labrador hears his name mentioned and suddenly I catch a glimpse of his black head as he lowers it to rest on her lap.
    â€œHello, Marcus,” I say in a baby voice.
    Sally sticks her bottom lip out. “He’s ignoring you, Auntie Ruth.”
    I pout. “Why?”
    â€œBecause you haven’t been to see us in a long, long time.”
    â€œAww.” I frown. “Well, I promise I will be up to see you soon. And you, Sal,” I add.
    She scowls at me, and I return her facial expression before going on to ask about her love life. She’s been on and off with this one guy, James, for as far back as I can remember. She ran away to Wales with him when she was eighteen, leaving me at home with Dad and the wicked stepmother, and she’s been there ever since.
    He’s an all right guy, he just doesn’t want the same things she does. He wants to watch EastEnders, she doesn’t, he wants to have pork for Christmas dinner, she wants lamb. But the main fall out they have is over children. He wants kids, but she doesn’t, yet, which I say is fair enough. At the end of the day, no matter how much she criticises him, I know she loves him. And no matter how many times she swears she’ll never have him back, I know within two hours she’ll be calling me telling me they’ve sorted their disagreement out and are going to give it another go. So now I just do what I quite frequently do to Liz, act like I’m listening to every word, and nod occasionally.
    She tells me things are the same old with James, then moves on to a more upsetting subject.
    â€œYou know Dad’s been dead two years at the end of this week?”
    I look down at my keyboard. “Yes, I know.”
    â€œAre you going to be doing anything? You know, like in remembrance?”
    â€œI’m not sure.” I look back up to the webcam. “Are you?”
    She shrugs. “I don’t know. It’s not like we can go to his grave or anything, is it? That bitch has got his ashes!”
    I run my fingers through my hair. “I know. Try not to get too worked up about it, though. It doesn’t matter where his remains are, Sal, he’s not there anyway.”
    I can tell she’s getting carried away. She always breathes heavily when she’s annoyed or about to burst into tears.
    This time it’s a mixture of both. She sniffs. “It’s just so unfair, Ruth. She’s an evil, cheating, back-stabbing-”
    â€œStop it, Sal. I don’t want to talk about it.”
    â€œI’m sorry.” She wipes her nose on her sleeve.
    Trying to lighten the mood, I joke, “God, can’t you get a tissue? Or at least use the dog’s tail? It looks like snails slithered over your top now.” It works and she judders with laughter.
    â€œYes, ma’am.” She salutes and goes on to bore me about her job at a local farm shop, and how the fruit there is so much nicer, and how everything is so much cheaper. I know she wants me to move there, but there’s no chance. I’m a city girl and that’s that. There’s no way I could live there. There are no shops for miles, no gas, or electricity, and I don’t look that good in wellies. Well, maybe I’m exaggerating on the power supplies, but still, it’s not my cup of tea.
    We go on to natter for the best part of three hours, until I finally throw in the towel and take myself off to bed.
    Spread out like a starfish in my