Changing Times by Jen Silver

Chapter 1

London 2023

Holly Barker surveyed the room from her position by the buffet table. Most of the food was gone, and the guests were thinning out. Although it had been a good turnout for her parents’ fortieth wedding anniversary, she thought hosting it at a Mayfair hotel was a bit over the top. The eclectic mix of guests ranged from the members of the ladies’ section of her mother’s golf club to her father’s ex-colleagues. Most of them were now employed in various aspects of security services after completing their thirty years as police officers alongside her father. Holly didn’t fit into either group and wished Luc would have come, but her normally persuasive powers had failed. As if reading her mind, Holly’s father appeared at her side.

“What was Lucy’s excuse this time?” Brian loomed over her, demanding an answer. Luc had a habit of not turning up for family occasions.

“Filming, somewhere in the North Sea. You know, with Greenpeace, I think.” The lie easily rolled out past her lips. The only surprise was how readily her father accepted the fiction. Holly really had no idea where Luc was. Only that it wouldn’t be anywhere near the North Sea.

“Couldn’t she take time off from saving the planet to join our celebrations?”

“No, they couldn’t.” Holly emphasised the pronoun. Their parents refused to acknowledge not only Luc’s change of name from Lucy, but also their preferred pronoun. Brian tended to be more open-minded than their mother, but on this he refused to budge. Luc hadn’t responded to the name Lucy since leaving home for university. Their parents thought it was a phase they would grow out of. Luc was now thirty-six, but Brian and June still couldn’t accept their eldest child’s life choices.

“Well, tell her she was missed.” The gruffness in his voice gave away an emotion he rarely showed.

“Maybe you could tell them yourself.” Holly was gearing up to give him an earful about his poor parenting skills, when the phone in her pocket started to vibrate. She pulled it out and looked at the screen. “Sorry, Dad. I need to take this. Work.”

He huffed and moved away.

Holly held the phone to her ear, but only an indistinct mumble came through. “Luc.” She walked into the hallway and spoke more loudly. “LUC! Are you okay? Where are you?”

Their voice slurred out, “Regent Street. Hamleys.”

“Okay, hang on. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” Holly ended the call and opened her Uber app.

“You heading out too?”

Holly turned to the voice and was relieved to see her aunt, Dani. “It’s Luc. I think they’re hurt. I’ll need to call a cab.”

Dani’s wife, Camila, joined them. “We’ve got one waiting. You take it. I’ll call for another.”

Dani kissed Camila’s cheek. “I’ll go with Holly. Meet you at the house.”

Holly was grateful for Dani’s calm presence as the taxi set off. Not knowing what state Luc was in, Holly only just stopped herself from urging the driver to go faster. She didn’t realise her leg was bouncing until Dani gave her a reassuring pat.

“We’ll get Luc home and check them out.”

“What if they need to go to hospital?”

“Well, then we’ll get them there.”

Holly swiped at the tears now causing her mascara to run. “Who would do this? Luc doesn’t go out of their way to provoke people.”

“Just being who they are can upset some folks. Especially if drink or drugs have been taken. Which club were they at?”

“I don’t know. We shared a cab to the hotel, then Luc walked off towards Oxford Street.”

Dani handed her a cotton handkerchief. She always had one whenever she was turned out, like tonight. Her expensively tailored suit had made all the men at the party look underdressed. “Don’t want you looking like you’ve been in a fight, too.”

Holly swiped around her eyes, probably making herself look like a newly awakened vampire. She stared in dismay at the dark smudges on the white cloth. “Sorry for messing this up. I’ll wash it out when I get home.”

“No worries. I have a few more.”

Home, where Holly and Luc lived, was actually Dani’s house. She’d offered them rent-free occupancy, when she and Camila moved to a flat in Richmond. Back then, Holly and Luc could never have afforded to live somewhere so upmarket, only six miles out of the city centre and located by the river.

By the time Holly had cleaned her face properly and checked the result with her phone’s camera app, the taxi was slowing down. Dani told the driver to wait and jumped out as soon as the vehicle stopped. Holly followed more slowly, hampered by the tightness of her skirt and her high heels.

 

†

 

Luc huddled in the doorway of London’s famous toyshop, hoping they blended in as just another street person bedding down for the night. Although they didn’t have any blankets or even a cardboard box. Their left eye wouldn’t open and the swelling on their lips had made it hard to talk when Holly answered the phone.

Should have gone to Mum and Dad’s fucking party. That would have been a blast, not. Dad’s cop mates all telling stories about the villains they’d nicked. Like any of them would survive on the streets now. And Mum’s blue-rinse coven tutting over my appearance. Actually, blue hair colour was a fashion statement these days. More so for the under twenty-fives than the over sixties. Luc hugged their ribs as tightly as the soreness would allow.

Their mind wandered back to the first and only time their mother had brought them to the shop. Luc was entranced by the brilliant array of toys on display. They thought having a Han Solo figure would be epic, but their mum wouldn’t allow it. They caused a bit of scene, having to settle for Princess Leia instead. Holly didn’t understand what the fuss was about, happy with whatever doll of the moment had caught her eye.

Their sister, always the dutiful one, had gone to their parents’ anniversary party. And where were they? Oh yeah, getting beaten up and freezing to death on Regent Street. Smooth move, Luc.

A black cab pulled up. That wouldn’t be for them. Holly always Ubered everywhere. If their sister didn’t arrive soon, Luc would probably have advanced hypothermia. Maybe lose a few fingers or toes.

“Hey, buddy. Let’s get you home.”

Luc opened their eyes, squinting through the right one. Shit. Dani. Not how they wanted their hero to see them. And that suit was a blinder. No way they wanted to mess it up. Didn’t seem to deter Dani, though.

“Come on. Lean on me.”

Only a minute later, Luc was sprawled awkwardly across the cab’s seat, their head resting in Holly’s lap. Dani took the flip down seat opposite and gave the driver their address.

“Fast as you can, mate.”

“Sure you don’t want to go to a hospital?”

“No, step on it, please.”

“I don’t have one of those blue flashing lights and can’t afford to lose my licence.”

Through their one good eye, Luc saw Dani hand the driver some notes before closing the divider window. Must have done the trick, as they arrived home quicker than expected. The journey to their house by the river in Chiswick would normally take at least forty minutes.

Camila was waiting at the open door when they arrived, looking like a fashion model on the cover of Vogue.

Shit squared. Of course, she would have been at the party too. Could this evening get any worse? Luc thought it might be best to just die on the spot. Save everyone any more grief.

 

†

 

Holly unlaced Luc’s boots, removed their socks and started rubbing their feet. She didn’t know what else to do. Once Luc was settled on the sofa, Dani and Aunt Cam disappeared into the kitchen. They worked together like a well-drilled team and knew where everything was. Dani reappeared a short time later with two bundles wrapped in tea towels. She handed the smaller one to Luc, telling them to place it over the swollen eye and gave the other one to Holly.

Kneeling down next to Luc, Dani lifted their t-shirt and surveyed the damage. She pressed lightly on one bruised area.

“Does that hurt?”

Luc nodded.

“How much? On a scale of one to ten.”

“Five.”

“Breathe in and out, slowly.” Dani pressed harder.

“Fuck!”

“Take it easy, bud.” Dani lifted her hands away and took the second ice pack from Holly. “Okay, this is cold but it should help. I don’t think you’ve broken any ribs. How about your back, kidneys?”

“No. Just front.” Luc struggled to get the words out through their swollen lips. Holly winced at the thought of so much pain.

“Good.”

Aunt Cam arrived with a tray of mugs and handed Dani a wet face cloth.

“Okay, just going to wipe off the blood around your mouth.”

Holly watched Dani’s gentle ministrations with wonder. For her and Luc, growing up, Dani was the personification of a tough butch. Camila was her ultimate femme partner. Those outmoded descriptors suited both women perfectly. Luc was more of a fluid mix.

Although Dani was actually their aunt, she eschewed the title. But Camila had accepted the honorific. Of course, she now had a properly official title but sternly objected to anyone using it in her presence. Dame Camila suited her though.

“Any loose teeth?” Dani asked.

Luc started to shake their head, then moaned.

“Right. Well, I know you’re not keen on this stuff, but it’ll warm you up, if nothing else.”

Aunt Cam passed a tumbler to Dani. Holly could smell the brandy from her end of the sofa. Supporting the back of Luc’s head, Dani managed to get them to swallow a good portion of the drink. Then she patted Luc’s shoulder. “You’ll live.”

“Coffee here for anyone who wants it.” Camila had set the tray down on the table. “Anything stronger, you know where to find it.”

Dani stood, picked up one of the mugs and settled into an armchair.

Holly reached over to take the third mug, avoiding the bloody face cloth Dani had put down nearby. Camila was already seated in the other armchair, sipping on her own drink.

“Thanks for being here. Sorry if it’s ruined your evening.”

“Not at all.” Dani crossed her legs and glanced over at her wife. “Bit of a family tradition, I’d say. We Barkers know how to end a party, don’t we, my love?”

Holly was surprised at the expression that crossed Camila’s face. She was actually smiling. How could they find any humour in this situation? Luc was lying here, badly hurt.

“Yes. Brings back some fond memories,” Camila added.

“Fond memories!” Holly snapped. “Luc’s been beaten up and you two think it’s funny.”

“Not funny, no.” Dani held up a hand. “Just remembering the first time we met. I had two black eyes. I think she fancied me then.”

“Fascinated, more like. I couldn’t understand how a woman could get herself in that state. Once I figured out you were a woman.” Camila licked her lips. “Actually, I was thinking more of the outcome of Deborah’s party.”

“Oh, yeah.” Dani grinned. “No turning back after that.”

Holly stared at the two of them, now looking at each other like sex-starved teenagers. It wasn’t hard to imagine Dani and Aunt Cam as sexual beings. Not like thinking about her parents having intimate relations. That was just yuck. But these two looked like they needed a room before they started screwing on the carpet.

“Um, do you guys want to stay here tonight? You can use my room.” Holly’s bedroom had once been Dani’s.

“No thanks, we’re staying at Eric’s.” Dani stood and placed her mug on the table. “Do you need help getting this one upstairs?”

Luc took the now dripping ice pack off their face. “I can manage, I think. Have we got any painkillers, Hols?” Their speech was clearer now.

“Yeah, in the bathroom.”

Dani looked down at Luc. “Rest up. We’ll talk tomorrow. You can tell us what happened.”

“No need. Just check my blog.”

“You’re not putting this online?” Holly glared at Luc.

“Am.”

“Not.”

“Am.”

“You’re not going to win, Holly.” Camila patted her arm. “Keep them drugged up,” she whispered.

“Hey. I’m still here,” Luc protested.

“Only just.” Dani gave them a stern look. “We will talk tomorrow.” She took Camila’s arm. “We should head out. Don’t want to keep Eric up too late.”

Holly walked with them to the front door. “Will they really be okay?”

“Yes. If Luc manages to get any sleep tonight, they’ll feel tons better tomorrow. Trust me.”

Holly wasn’t sure what Dani meant by those last two words. But from the grins on both their faces, she guessed it meant something to her and Camila. She watched them set off down the street wrapped up in each other. Shutting the door and locking it, she returned to the living room.

“Come on, sib. Let’s get you upstairs. Unless you want to sleep here.”

“Upstairs.” Luc reached out a hand and attempted a lopsided smile. “Thanks. You’re the best.”

“I know. Don’t you ever forget it.”

 

†

 

They had planned to walk to Eric’s, but a sharp wind nipped at their exposed body parts: faces, ears, hands, and Camila’s scantily clad legs. The pub on the corner offered a warm refuge, while Camila placed a call for their fourth taxi of the night.

It was only just after eleven when they arrived at the house, but Eric did look half asleep ensconced in his favourite recliner in the conservatory. Dani thought he was starting to look all of his seventy-one years. Camila, on the other hand, only two years his junior, looked much like she had at forty. They often joked about the slowly decaying portrait in their non-existent attic.

“Well, girls, what time do you call this? I thought you’d be back by nine.” He opened his eyes and smiled up at them. “Did Brian order a strip-o-gram? Aren’t they customary at police shindigs?”

“Not these days.” Dani groaned. “It would have provided an interesting diversion.”

“Ah. The times they are a changin’ as some old folkie told us more than half a century ago.”

“I think most of the other guests thought we were the cabaret act. June hardly glanced our way and didn’t introduce us to any of her friends. Brian was more welcoming but seemed embarrassed to let on to any of his cop buddies that I’m his sister, in case queerness is hereditary.”

“Hard to conceal your relationship,” Camila stated. “You look too alike.”

“Well, I’m glad I wasn’t invited.” Eric sat up. “Nightcap, anyone?”

“Sure. I’ll pour. What would you like, Cam?” Dani knew what Eric wanted. A hefty shot of Laphroaig, the smell of which made her gag.

“G & T. I didn’t drink much of the Prosecco at the do.”

“Coming right up.”

Dani went into the living room and opened the drinks cabinet. It was better stocked with spirits than most pubs. After preparing Eric’s and Camila’s, she poured herself a shot of Jameson’s. Eric kept a bottle of it in the house just for her. Where he only had one ice cube added to his glass, she watered hers down with three and an extra shot of water. An egregious act of desecration in her host’s eyes.

Seated back in the conservatory, she savoured the first sip of the fiery liquid. Fiery enough for her anyway. Eric always scoffed at her wimpy taste in strong liquor. She countered that her liver was likely to last longer than his.

“Camila’s filled me in on the après-party news. Luc seems to be following in your footsteps.”

“We don’t know what actually happened to provoke the attack.” Dani noted Camila’s raised eyebrow. “Okay. Well Luc was packing. But, come on. Thirty years ago that could invite a beating, but we’re living in more enlightened times.” She glanced between the two frowning faces. “Aren’t we?”

“Believe that at your peril.” Eric waved his glass in her direction and laughed when Dani recoiled from the strong peaty odour. “We’re well into a neo-puritan era. They don’t burn witches at the stake anymore. But dare to offer a different opinion to the new acceptable norm, and you’ll die a thousand deaths by social media.”

“Hang on. Luc has a massive following on every available platform. Their fans will rally round when they put images of their battering out into the metaverse.”

“Fuck, Dani. Don’t metaverse me. It’s a flash in the pan, in my opinion. But no one does want my opinion nowadays.” Eric drained his glass.

“Sorry.”

Even five years after, selling the business he’d built up over forty years to a global conglomerate left a bitter taste. The fact that he now featured in the world’s top-five-hundred rich list didn’t make up for no longer being at the forefront of developing new technologies.

“Catch up with you gals in the morning.” He gave them each a brief hug before leaving the room.

Dani waited until she heard his footsteps on the stairs before saying, “I didn’t mean to upset him.”

“Any mention of Big Tech gets to him these days.” Camila took another sip of her drink. “It’s not really the loss of the business. It’s Carl he misses. And Nico’s not here tonight to ease the pain.”

Dani set her glass down. She didn’t really want any more alcohol. The events of the last hour had now caught up with her, and all she wanted to do was go to bed. Camila could read her easily and finished her own drink quickly.

“Come on, love. I need my beauty sleep too.”

“You couldn’t be more beautiful than you already are.”

“Now I know you’ve had too much.” Camila took their glasses into the kitchen.

Dani watched from the doorway. The sight of her wife bending to open the dishwasher sent a spike of desire straight to her core. Suddenly, she wasn’t so tired.

 

†

 

Holly left her bedroom door open. Luc had managed to negotiate a painful clamber up the stairs and was now lying on the bed in their own room. Aunt Cam had told Holly to check on them during the night. If she’d thought there was any chance Luc was concussed, she would have insisted they go to a hospital.

Sleep wasn’t going to come easily. Holly gave up after half an hour of tossing and turning. She reached for her Kindle and picked up where she’d left off rereading her favourite sci-fi novel. A clash of cultures was imminent as the large spaceship crash landed on the hitherto unexplored planet.

Her ringtone disturbed the silence in the room and her enjoyment of the first contact scene. Dad. She thought about ignoring the call but he would want to know why she’d left the party without saying goodbye. She’d ignored his previous text messages, so he wasn’t going to give up.

“Where did you disappear to?” He didn’t wait for a greeting. “I’m sure you didn’t have a work emergency on a Saturday night.”

“The online world doesn’t do nine to five, Monday to Friday, Dad.”

“It was Lucy, wasn’t it? And don’t give me any guff about the North Sea.”

Ah, so his detective sense had finally kicked in.

“Luc, yes.”

“Your mum’s really upset that you just went off without a word.”

“I’m sure.” Holly couldn’t keep the sarcasm out of her voice. “Maybe I would be bothered about that if I thought either of you cared that you do have another daughter.”

“We do care.”

“Funny way of showing it.”

“We invited her to the party. We always include her, but she always makes excuses.”

“Why do you think that is?” Holly wasn’t going to skate around the issue this time. “You can’t accept Luc as they are. Did you learn nothing from having Dani as a sister?”

“That’s different.”

“How is it different? You can accept Dani as a lesbian but not Luc, who identifies as nonbinary.”

“I don’t even know what that means. Lesbians I get, but what the fuck is nonbinary?”

“Good thing you’re retired. You’d be top of the list for diversity training. It’s not rocket science, Dad. Do some research, then we can discuss it. Enjoy the rest of your evening. Love to Mum.” Holly ended the call and switched the device off. She’d read a few more chapters, then check on Luc, before trying to get to sleep again. There was no point worrying about her father’s mindset. Dani had told her it took him a long time to process things. She hadn’t gone into specifics, but Holly had a feeling she might be referring to something in the past. Something that had affected Luc.

A furry bundle landed on the bed. Their grey cat usually slept with Luc and was no doubt disappointed to find that door shut. Holly stroked the animal’s head.

“Sorry, Dusty. I don’t think Luc’s up for company tonight.”

Luc’s name for the cat differed from hers. They called him JonSnow, short for YouKnowNothingJonSnow. The cat didn’t mind what they called him as long as he was fed and watered. He hadn’t been around when they arrived home, but Holly had filled his bowls after Dani and Camila left.

Her eyes started to close before she’d finished the chapter. Dusty’s purring lulled her into a deep slumber.