Page 114 of The Wedding Pact
August spent the next few days, and some of the nights, running her hands over the walls of the apartment, pacing the floors, and gazing from the windows at the frosty landscape beyond them. She was savouring the house and its memories in case it all came crashing down, but there was also another reason for these rituals. Showing Mrs Haverley’s home some love made her feel a little closer to her landlady.
Flynn, who still had a few days booked off work since he was meant to be in Japan until the middle of the week, stayed by her side, sensing the deep worry inside her, and sharing in her shame.
August kept in touch with Abe, just a few simple texts over the week, and eventually he contacted her one evening to say his mum was on the mend, suspected angina. She was remaining in hospital for now, but according to Abe, sparklier and more of ‘her usual, fierce self’.
Can I visit her?August replied.
She’d like that.
The following morning, August knocked on Flynn’s door.
‘Come in,’ he said, sounding sleepy, but he sat up in bed as soon as she came in. She climbed on his bed beside him now, without thinking, and only paused when she accidentally moved his duvet a little, revealing his bare chest.
‘Sorry, I’m sorry, I’ll speak to you when you’re up.’
Flynn reached out and touched her arm. ‘It’s fine, Aug, what’s up?’
‘I’m going to go and see Mrs Haverley today in the hospital.’
‘All right, do I have time to jump in the shower?’
‘No it’s okay, I’m going to go alone.’ August wished he wouldn’t mention him having a shower now, since she was trying to keep her mind on track. ‘If you don’t mind. It’s just that after everything, and her being in there, I don’t want to overwhelm her.’
‘But you’ve dealt with everything so far, let me take some of the weight.’
‘Do you fancy dinner tonight? Here I mean?’ she asked by way of reply. She realised she was longing to see him, be with him, talk with him properly like she’d barely done since he came home. She missed him. ‘It might be our last supper,’ she semi-joked.
‘Yes, leave it to me,’ he said, and smiled that smile.
There was a moment where they were silent, together, like a pendulum that could start swinging either way. Maybe it was the threat of their closeness ending, maybe it was the realisation they were about to be free to live again, but it made August’s skin tingle at his closeness.
She broke away. She had to stay focussed on the job at hand. After that … who knew what would happen.
August took the bus to the hospital and was in the ward soon after visiting hours began, directed by a nurse to the bed which Mrs Haverley occupied.
‘August!’ Mrs Haverley croaked, her eyes open but glassy, her upper body propped upright in the bed but a look of fatigue enveloping everything about her.
‘Hi, Mrs H,’ August said, sitting down beside her. She resisted the urge to pat her hand. Until she came clean, every movement felt like part of her lie.
‘Is Abe with you?’
‘No, I wanted to have a quick word with you on my own if that’s okay … ’
‘August, please tell me you’re here to take me home,’ Mrs Haverley grumped, but seeing as she was still hooked up to various machines, it was clear to August she was at least half-joking. That was a good thing, because that sparkle was back, her cheeks had some pink in them again.
‘You look well, Mrs H, how do you feel?’ August commented.
‘What’s wrong with you?’ asked Mrs Haverley in reply.
August blinked. ‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean, why do you have the expression and complexion of someone who is about to regurgitate their breakfast upon the floor?’
This was quite accurate, because August felt like she might, in fact, do just that any second. It wasn’t so much a fear of being kicked out of the apartment on legal grounds, it was the shame of the lie, the backlash it might cause, the guilt. It was all of what was stewing inside and making her want to squeeze her eyes closed.
And so she did. She took a deep breath, and did what she did best. Blurted it out before she could think about it any longer. ‘Mrs Haverley, I know this is awful timing, but if I may I’d like to tell you something about Flynn and me. We’ve not been entirely honest with you. We … ’
August steadied her breath, opening her eyes and gazing at the ceiling, at the one, two, three, four ceiling tiles overhead. And then at the five, six, seven, eight tiles over there to the right. And then at the nine—
