The Secret

'Are you ready for this?' Ellie asked Alan as she helped him to straighten his tie and smoothed the front of his jacket.



He turned and looked at himself in the mirror. 'As ready as I ever will be, I suppose.' He smiled at her through the reflection. 'You?'



'Oh yes, I feel fine.' She was lying. Her stomach was doing back flips.



'Of course you do.' He said flatly, arching an eyebrow at her.



She smiled at him ruefully. 'I am fine, really. It's just the public thing. Not sure I will ever get used to it.' She smiled at him warmly. 'I wouldn't miss this for the world though.'



He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment, his lips moving soundlessly.



'Are you nervous, darling?' She laid her hand on his shoulder and looked at his reflection. He looked older now, his face was a little lined around the eyes, his hair was going more silver each year, but he was still very handsome and she loved him as much as she ever had.



'You know, I am a bit. Knowing you will be in the front row helps a lot.' He turned and they held each other close, Alan gently stroking her red hair. She had been to the hairdressers and had her curls ironed straight and the effect was stunning. She had decided to wear the teal dress he had bought her, the same one she wore the night they had met again after all the wasted years apart. It fitted her like a glove and she looked very beautiful.



'I love you, Ellie, very much.' He kissed her, softly at first then a little deeper as he crushed her to him.



'I love you too, but we don't have time... I had better round up the troops and ‘phone Sam, make sure she knows where to meet us.' She pushed him away with a sexy smile and walked out of the room to find Kyle waiting outside.



'Hi sweetheart...is everything OK?' Ellie looked at him. He had grown into a very handsome young man and it wasn't a surprise to her that he grew to look more like his Father each day.



'Is he in there?' Kyle nodded towards their bedroom.



'He is, did you want to see him?' Ellie was concerned. He looked very serious.



'Mum, I want to give him this...' He had a card in his hand ' ...but I wanted to know what you think. I just think it's time, you know.'



Ellie read the card and tears sprang to her eyes.' Oh Kyle, it's lovely. He will be very happy.'



She wiped a tear from her eye and Kyle smiled at her, his hazel eyes crinkling in the corners.



'Don't be soft, Mum!' He laughed at her.



'What about Sam and Ben, Kyle.... it's only fair they know too...and you should tell them before they read this, I think.' She looked at him questioningly.



'Well, to be honest Mum, Sam already knows. She guessed actually, ages ago. But she didn't want to upset you and that’s why she didn't say anything. So it's just Ben. I think he will be cool, he loves him as much as the rest of us!' He grinned.



'Oh wow... you kids are incredible. You surprise me every day. I must have done something right for you to turn out so great.' She smiled at him and pulled him into a huge hug.



'I love you. Go on in.' She nodded her head to the bedroom and watched as Kyle knocked and went inside.



Alan looked up as he heard the knock and smiled as Kyle walked in.



'Hello. You all set?' He looked him up and down. They were almost the same height now and they were wearing suits that were almost identical.



'God, we look like a before and after photograph!' He laughed.



Kyle grinned at him. 'I...I wanted to give you this.... Dad.'



Alan looked at him in surprise and took the card he was holding.



On the front it said 'Congratulations!' in blue foil, surrounded by stars in different colours. Alan opened it and laughed slowly, his eyes welling up.



The card read:



“Dear Dad,



Congratulations on your Lifetime Achievement Bafta.



It must mean you're really old, so take this to be the a card that says Happy Birthday for all the ones I missed and a Fathers Day card to take the place of the ones' you should have got, but didn't.



Thanks for everything and for making Mum and us so happy.



We love you,



Your son, Kyle”



Tears were running down Alan's face and he smiled as he wiped them away. He looked up and saw Kyle was crying too. Their eyes met and Alan held his arms open and gave his son a long hug.



They started laughing at the same time and pulled away, wiping tears from their faces.



'I just thought you needed to know, that’s all. Everyone will be telling you how great you are tonight but we think you're brilliant anyway, without an award.' he grinned at him and Alan smiled back. He was so very proud of Kyle, for many reasons.



'Plus, I should thank you for giving me the gorgeous gene...' Kyle preened his hair in the mirror, laughing 'it's working a charm so far!'



'Do I have to get used to answering to Dad now, then?' Alan looked at him in amusement.



'I think so. Let's rehearse that, shall we?' Kyle puffed his chest out and put on a serious face and looked so much like Alan when he was the same age that couldn't believe his eyes.



'Well...go on...!' Alan was laughing so much he had to sit on the end of the bed.



'Dad, can you lend me a tenner? Dad, can I borrow the car? Dad, will you give Sophie a lift home?' Kyle laughed; he couldn't keep a serious face.



Alan stood up and put his hands each side of Kyle's shoulders.



'No, son.' He grinned and they walked out of the room and down to where the others were waiting.



Ellie was pacing anxiously in the hallway, desperate to know what was happening upstairs. Her heart was in her mouth as they came down together but she could see by their faces that it had gone well. She smiled up at them and tears ran down her cheeks.



'Well?' She looked Alan in the eye and she knew how he felt without him saying. He was emotional and just nodded at her. She walked up to him and gave him a fierce hug. They stepped apart and wiped tears from their eyes.



'Who would have guessed it, all those years ago...’? She was almost talking to herself, her thoughts drifting back to a day in 1992 when she met a tall handsome stranger.



Kyle patted his Dad on the back and walked over to where Ben was slouched in the doorway, staring at them and wondering what the hell was going on. He took him to one side and Alan and Ellie watched, with their arms around each other, as Kyle explained the situation to his brother.



Ellie was waiting with baited breath; she knew this could go either way. Ben was still close to Pete and had found living with Alan a real struggle in the beginning. Alan had worked really hard to find some common ground with him and it was starting to pay off.



Ben looked over to them and caught Alan's eye.



'That's very cool!' he nodded and smiled at him. Alan smiled back and he felt Ellie sigh with relief.



'Wow....' He let out a slow breath he had been holding in. 'Some night....'



'It's not over yet.' Ellie smiled at him. 'You have to go out and be famous!'



'Ah yes, but it will be OK. I will have my family with me.' He turned and smiled at Ellie.