Page 28 of The Long Walk Back

Two hours later, having changed into sweats and a large T-shirt, Kate was sweaty and covered in dust. It was amazing just how much dirt could accumulate in an empty house.

She had started in Jamie’s room, filling boxes with things he wouldn’t use again. Roller skates, his skateboard. Football boots, recovered from the accident. She had wept over those, sat on his Avengers bedspread. All the little items he’d wanted, cherished. They would never be used by him again. She’d never watch him play a game of football again, never cheer him on from the sidelines as he zipped by. They’d have to make more memories, new ones. Ones that would put the joy back into his life. But it didn’t make seeing the things that represented everything he’d lost any easier. The boots were scuffed, ripped in places, but she couldn’t bear to part with them. They all went into the box marked ‘Jamie storage’ with a red star marked on it. Red for ‘open when ready’. If ready. She had hired a storage locker, a huge space in which to store their furniture and belongings until the next chapter began. She had a moving van coming at five o’clock and a hell of a lot still to do. She was ruthless once Jamie’s room was all done. She had taken every belonging of his, and marked all his furniture, except his bed, with purple stickers denoting to the moving men that they were to go into storage. Jamie would need a special bed now anyway. She marked it on a list on the clipboard she had brought with her. She would give the list to the estate agents. They would have to pass it on to Neil. Anything he didn’t want could be tossed or given to the new owners. After that van showed up, anything not packed up or stickered would be consigned to memory as far as she was concerned. She would only take what was hers and Jamie’s, the rest was not needed.

She stickered her furniture, the items from her father’s house that she would never part with, one of the television sets, a good portion of the kitchen appliances and equipment. She moved from room to room, boxing and bagging, filling the recycling and rubbish bins outside. She heard the noise of a lawnmower out front, and reaching into the liquor cabinet, she pulled out two bottles of expensive scotch. Neil had been saving them for a special occasion. Moving day counted. She smiled to herself as she grabbed them both, heading out of the front door with the rest of the rubbish bags under her other arm. Alf was mowing the lawn, one eye on her house, and she realised that he had probably been using the chore as an excuse to check on her. She dumped the rubbish into the bin, squashing it down as best she could and headed over. Alf stopped the mower and smiled at her as she reached him.

‘You look well, my dear,’ he said, taking her in. He seemed to realise what he had said, and he harrumphed nervously. Kate laughed and touched his arm.

‘It’s okay Alf, we are doing well, Jamie and I. And these are for you, a little thank you for looking after everything.’ She placed the bottles at his feet.

He relaxed then, patting her hand with his. ‘You didn’t have to, but I’m not going to lie and say I don’t enjoy a quality tipple of an evening. Thank you. I am mighty glad to hear that you are okay, we both are. Sheila is down the shops again, spending our pension.’ He chuckled at the thought of his wife, who was just as lovely as he was. Kate realised that she was going to miss her neighbours, and felt guilty that she was always too busy to spend any real time with them. ‘No word from him, then?’ he ventured.

Kate shook her head. ‘I’m working on it though. Just wanted to get the house squared away, it looks like someone will be buying it soon.’

Alf nodded. ‘Well, I hope they’re better at doing the garden then you were.’ Kate laughed. Alf’s face turned serious then. ‘Look after each other. We would love to see Jamie too, if he is up to it sometime.’

Kate smiled at her kindly neighbour. ‘I’m sure he would love that. I will call, once everything is sorted.’

He gave her a hug then, taking her by surprise. ‘I’m very sorry that things haven’t worked out lately, girl, but I am sure that the good things aren’t done with you yet.’

Kate didn’t answer, she was trying not to cry.

17

It was late evening when Kate returned to the centre, and walking towards Jamie’s room, a box full of games and bits from his room in hand, she passed the kitchen. A waft of lemon floor cleaner attacked her nostrils and she grinned, knowing that Rita would be in there, putting her own mark on the place after the cleaners had knocked off. She walked in to say hello, and stopped herself when she saw Cooper sitting at one of the tables. He was laughing as he and Rita chatted away, their low murmurs not quite reaching her ears. The bottle of wine from the other night was sitting on the table. He’d bought her a gift for helping. This man, she thought. So many layers to unwrap. Rita was scrubbing at the floor with her mop, and she turned to look at her. Kate looked back guiltily. Rita winked, motioning her to come in.

‘I was hungry, thought I might try and scavenge a bite.’ She took a seat at the table with Cooper, deciding at the last minute to sit one chair away from him. She could feel her skin flush as he looked at her. Rita chattered away, filling the silence, but it sounded like white noise to Kate. She couldn’t take her eyes away from his. Rita’s voice faded into the background, and Kate heard the faint noise of the refrigerator door closing before Rita left the room.

‘She’ll love you, giving her some work to do,’ Cooper said, his soft but masculine tones feeling like a salve, smoothing over her battle wounded skin.

‘Glad I made someone happy. I forgot to eat,’ she said ruefully, taking his half-drunk cup of coffee into her hands. His mouth twitched at her gesture, and she eyed him over the rim of the mug as she drank. Taking two huge gulps, she offered him it back, but he waved her away.

‘Looks like you need it more than me. Bad day?’

She finished off the coffee, holding the still warm cup close to her chest. ‘Hard, but good in the long run, I think. I packed up the old house. It should be sold soon. You?’

He winced and looking at the kitchen door, lowered his voice to a whisper. ‘I was asked to leave the gym today, apparently my mood was scaring people.’

Kate laughed. ‘So, people are finally seeing the annoying Captain I know and—’ She stopped herself from finishing the sentence, but she still caught Coop’s surprised expression as she looked away.

He reached towards her, and she held out the cup by mistake. He took it from her and put it aside on the table. Touching her fingers with his, he smiled. ‘Growing on you, am I?’

Kate blushed and swatted him away. He dodged her deftly and tightened his grip on her fingers, holding her hand between his. She could feel the roughness of her skin against hers, and she squeezed his hand. ‘I guess you are. Why were you in a mood?’

‘Frustration,’ he replied simply. ‘I’ve had enough of living like this, and I have decided that things have to change. I think we need to step up the work with the time we have, and I wanted to ask if you wanted to go on another date with me, before the dinner.’ He kept his green eyes focused on hers, and without even considering anything, she whispered ‘yes’. He grinned and started to lean towards her when Rita swept back in, a large tray balanced on top of her nimble hands.

‘So, did you have a good day off Kate?’

Kate thought of the tribulations of the day, and looked again at Cooper, who was looking at her with concern. ‘Not bad,’ she said, ‘I cleaned out my house, put all our stuff into storage.’ Cooper said nothing, a myriad of emotions crossing his features, and she squeezed him again in response.

‘Ooh,’ Rita exclaimed, arranging plates and bowls of goodies from her tray onto the table. ‘That sounds like a novel, not a day! No wonder you’re hungry!’

Kate used her free hand to grab a ham sandwich, not wanting to break the contact with Cooper’s hands. He made no move to get any food. Rita emptied the tray and moved on to cleaning the next room, looking back at the pair as she left the kitchen. She had seen a lot of things over the years, working in various kitchens, and she knew what was going on here.

Kate wanted to scoff the sandwich straight down, being so hungry, but she wasn’t ready to let the man before her watch her eat like a pig. She took her time and reached for another. His stomach growled, and she looked at him in shock. ‘Hungry?’

‘Yep,’ he said, smirking. ‘But no food is worth letting your hands go. I would starve to death first.’

‘For a hand touch?’ she asked, teasing.

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