as the days go by

Dustin didn't mention Macy to Gage at Christmas, and Gage didn't say a word about her, either. In spite of Halie being a sour faced brat. He was beginning to think she'd never grow up.

He'd had a long talk with his mum on the phone. They still hadn't skyped nor snap-chatted, as of yet. They were always going too, but neither seemed nor wanted to put in the time to spend on screen. Actually, his mother was busy with the baby. Still, she managed to catch him up, on folks in the village. As it was, Halie's mum wasn't doing so well. She'd gone to the hospital, due to a heart ailment.

"She's way too young to be so sick." Dustin scrunched a face of disgust, thinking if he was still back in England with Halie and her bunch..he might be feeling under the weather, too.

"I think she was hoping for some drugs to do her in, but they put her blood pressure meds instead." His mum told him. She didn't visit with Halie's people, anymore. "You know, they don't like us."

Dustin slightly smiled, knowing it was his doing, but he knew his mum was leary of the whole mess to begin with.

"When you gonna bring that lass, home?" His mother asked. Actually, he'd even neglected to send his mum a photo of Holly. He wanted to wait. No need to jump into something too soon. He didn't think his mother would have a problem with Holly.

"Classes, they start in a week or so." He really needed to find a part-time job. Hopefully, Gage would know of something. He didn't really want to go back to England. This was his home now. Maybe by summer, he and Holly would have a place of their own.

"I miss you, babe." His mum's words almost moved him to tears. She was the only person who ever called him babe.

"I know." Still, Holly was the only woman he wanted to hear it from now. Of course, she didn't know that word. It wasn't part of her vocabulary.