Page 82 of The Night Before Christmas
‘I got used to it in the end. The sex was great and it just became a thing we did. Casual, like,’ continued Bex, hastily. Then: ‘I thought that was all I would ever be.’
‘So, what changed?’
‘Well, that’s the other thing I need to tell you,’ said Bex. ‘Adam is sick.’
‘I know, I was there.’
‘No, I mean, he’s really sick, Fliss.’
‘Well, you don’t get much sicker than collapsing in the middle of a conversation.’
‘No, I know, and that’s what I mean. The whole collapsing in the middle of a conversation thing is how they found the problem. They ran some more tests after you left and he has some kind of heart condition.’
Felicity felt a bit woozy. ‘A what?’
‘It’s something he was born with apparently, but it was never picked up until now. I was in the room when they told him.’ She sounded weirdly proud.
At least the Jack Skellington doctor had done his work. Her instincts were correct. Felicity felt both vindicated and terrified all at once.
‘And can they… I mean, is there anything… er… what’s the prognosis for something like that?’
‘They can treat it – to an extent. It makes him breathless and whatnot, but they think he’s had it for so long his body has learned to adapt. It probably wouldn’t have been found ifit wasn’t for you… well, if you hadn’t been… well, if it wasn’t for yourcandour, shall we say? He’s had a fright, for one, plus he got such a telling off from the doctors and from me that he knows he needs to get his bloody act together and take better care of himself.’
‘Yeah, er… sure.’
‘And I guess the hospital made him re-evaluate things.’
The two friends looked at each other for a long moment.
‘Bex, I think I need to tell you something now.’
‘Is it about Guernsey? He told me all about that.’
‘Did he now?’
‘It’s fine, he explained everything. How funny that you both ended up over there at the same time.’
‘I’m not sure that’s exactly…’
Bex held up a hand. ‘It’s fine. Honestly.’
‘If you say so.’
This may have been the weirdest night of Felicity’s life. She moved across the room and sat next to her friend on the sofa. ‘Bex. Honey. I have to ask. Are you sure this is the right thing for you? And by “this” I do mean Adam, by the way.’
Bex smiled and nodded, but she had tears in her eyes. ‘Look, I know he’ll probably always love you to some degree, but I think we could make this work. He’s changed… I know it.’
‘Yes but don’t you think maybe he…?’
How could she say it? How could she say she thought he was just scared of being alone? That her and Bex were his last hope?
Felicity leaned forward and took Bex’s hands. ‘If this is what you want, I will support you one hundred per cent.’
Bex smiled and two huge tears rolled down her cheeks. ‘It’s what I want.’
‘In that case,’ said Felicity, ‘I think you should keep the ring. If that’s not too weird.’
Bex shook her head and started crying for real then and Felicity put her arms around her and gave her a squeeze, feeling her headache returning.
