Page 101 of The Life Experiment
Instinctively, her lips curled into a smile at Angus’s text, but her smile froze at the notification beneath it.
Layla call me back
It’s urgent
Frowning, Layla opened her mother’s message. A queue of notifications loaded before her, the tone growing more and more urgent. But one particular message stopped Layla’s heart altogether.
It’s your dad
Layla’s stomach dropped. Time seemed to slow, warning her that something was coming. Something big. Something she was not prepared for. But before Layla could process the feeling, her phone lit up again, her mother’s photo filling the screen.
With a shaky breath, Layla swiped to answer the call. ‘Mum?’
‘Layla,’ Joanna croaked down the line. ‘Oh, Layla.’
As Joanna descended into a fit of heart-wrenching sobs, Layla’s head swam. She didn’t need to hear more. As soon as she heard Joanna’s voice, Layla knew. She knew, she knew, she knew.
‘He’s gone,’ Joanna cried. ‘Your dad, he… he’s gone.’
With the words ringing in her ears, Layla screamed Maya’s name, her chest heaving in shock. She didn’t stop screaming when Maya ran into the room, nor when she snatched the phone to hear what Joanna was saying.
Layla’s screams didn’t stop, even when Maya dropped to her knees and sobbed.
48Angus
The Life Experiment: Daily Questionnaire
Property of OPM Discoveries
How would you rate your level of contentment today? (1 represents low contentment, 10 represents high)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
How would you rate your energy level? (1 being very low energy and 10 being very high energy)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
What are two things you are grateful for today?
The team of oncologists working with Mum. They’re miracle workers
How busy Hugo’s House is keeping me
What are you struggling with today?
Missing Layla. Same as yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that
Do you have any additional notes on what you would like to discuss in your upcoming counselling session?
Unless you know how I can win Layla back, the answer is no
Sunlight filtered through the trees, illuminating Gilly and Peter’s dining room with soft light. Angus smiled at the brilliant blue sky. It looked like a snapshot of summer, not winter. An illusion of the most beautiful kind.
‘Are you going to bring me that water or stand there like a statue?’ Gilly called from across the room.
Stifling an affectionate eye-roll, Angus made his way to her. ‘You know, you’re quite bossy when you paint.’
‘I’m not bossy. I’m commanding.’
