Page 28 of This is Where I Leave You

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Cady was in the kitchen giving her already immaculate worktops another scrub. Her whole house was finished, painted and cleaned from top to bottom. Her bag was packed for the hospital and there was a stack of brand new unread books in the living room to keep her occupied. She had enrolled on her Children’s Writing course, and was due to start in four months time on distance learning. She was ready, and she was bored. Marcus kept popping to the forefront of her mind, him and that scavenging bitch Angela. Two men in Cady’s life and Angela had stolen them both. Not only that, but she was planning on bringing Richard’s baby up with Marcus, a plan that Cady herself had considered in her early days of confusion and grief. She didn’t know what to do for the best. Putting away her cloth, she made a cup of tea and sat down on her new couch. She was just thumbing through the pile of paperbacks when one of them fell to the floor, a pen on the table rolling after it. She started to bend down, and gasped as she saw the book flip open and the inside cover starting to fill with writing from the pen. A pen that was moving by itself in a hurried fashion, producing Richard’s handwriting.

Tell Marcus the truth..

Cady put her hands to her face, knowing that he had been there that morning. It was an eerie but comforting feeling, knowing for sure that he knew about his babies. She nodded, “I will Richard, I’m sorry for what she did. Even you didn’t deserve that.”

The pen continued to write faster and faster.

Gallery…Luke…make it right..go to him now.

Cady frowned. “Richard, as weird as this is, you setting me up on dates from beyond the grave, Luke’s got-”

The pen bounced twice, stabbing the paper hard with its black nib. It wrote again, swirling and looping, the pages turning and turning as he filled them with scrawl.

“Okay okay!” Cady grabbed the book, scared now by the frantic movements.

Flipping the pages, it said the same all over,

Tell Marcus the truth. Go to the Gallery now..find Luke..be happy.

Cady sat back on the couch, clutching the book. Reaching for the phone, she dialled a number.

“Taxi? Gallery please, and make it fast.”

She hugged the book and setting it down, waddled for her shoes and coat.

“Wish me luck Richard.”

From above, a drained Richard smiled weakly. “Go get him, Cady.”

The Gallery was lit up from the inside as Cady walked across the white walkway to the front doors. The river raged underneath and she felt a little dizzy, grabbing the bars momentarily as she steadied her wide gait.

Reaching the reception area, she looked for him in the café, but he was nowhere to be found. Coming back to the foyer, she spied a large display on an easel.

Starting tonight, Luke Masters Exhibition, Gallery One

She blinked at his name. He had been trying to tell her about this the other day, and she had never let him speak. Cursing herself for listening to the Vile Victoria, she started up the stairs to the gallery. It was all huge white rooms, filled with pieces of art on the walls and placed strategically on the floors. People were milling around holding glasses of champagne, talking in what sounded like appreciative hushed tones. She was looking for Luke when she saw her. That is, she saw herself, on the wall. She was asleep, in her own bedroom she recognised, legs curled up beneath her bottom, hands wrapped around her bump. Luke had painted it from that day, she realised. It was beautiful. Looking at the display card, it read LOVE SLEEPS, NOT FOR SALE.

Brushing away a tear, she felt a surge of hope and turned to find Luke. What she found was a perky pair of tits, attached to a very annoyed Victoria.

“And what are you doing here?” She enquired quietly, tapping her foot on the brilliant white floor. She put her arm around Cady and started to steer her to the entrance.

“This event is invitation only, it’s not for ex-clients, so you have to leave, okay? I won’t have you ruining Lukey’s big night!”

Cady stopped in her tracks, causing the slighter than her Victoria to pitch forward.

Cady was not about to be ordered about anymore, and she was just in the mood for this one.

“Listen, Victoria is it, I came to speak to Luke, and speak to him I shall. I don’t want to ruin his night, I just want to-”

Victoria again tried to steer her to the exit, but with Cady being the size of a small rotund bouncer these days, she didn’t budge. “He can’t see you here, you will ruin everything!” Victoria grunted with the effort of trying to move her. People were starting to stare now, and Cady was defiant. She felt a dull ache in her back, but ignored it due to the even bigger pain in her arse.

Grabbing Victoria by the arm like a farmer would a chicken, she boomed, “Victoria, will you just PISS OFF!”

The whole room turned towards them now, and Victoria was red faced and in effect hanging in place by one spindly arm. The pair were just about to square up again when Luke appeared at the front of the gathering crowd. His face went from a slight double take of confusion, to lighting up at the sight of Cady, who at this moment like slightly like a wrestler on the winning side.

“Cady, you came? I am so - Victoria, will you do as she says please, and just piss off! I never wanted you to come here anyway.”

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