Page 147 of Begin Again, Part 2

"I don't know. But I would have lost my mind if Liam didn't make it," Eden confessed as she strolled to the bathroom in search of Band-Aids. If the nurses weren't going to patch up Liam's bruised knuckles, she'd do it herself.

Tons of boxes fell out when she opened the medicine chest, startling her so badly she almost jumped out of her skin from fright.

"Edie, what was that?" Cassandra cried on her end, sounding just as shocked by the noise.

Eden gawked at the boxes of condoms at her feet. There were so many, in all seven colours of the rainbow and flavours for every mood. She couldn't understand why Liam would panic-buy condoms, of all things.

"Edie?" Cassandra prodded.

"It's nothing," she replied as she picked up the boxes and packed them away. She almost came undone when she read the note Liam had left her. 'Surprise! Thought we should shake things up a bit! I'm partial to the glow in the dark ones, but I'm open to suggestions!'

Oh, Liam, she thought sadly, wondering how she got so lucky. Even when he wasn't around, he still found ways to make her smile.

"So, how much do you need for the studio?" Eden asked, returning her attention to the call, frowning when she didn't find any Band-Aids or anything first aid related, even inside the bathroom sink unit.

"We're not touching Aiden's trust fund!"

"I've put the house on the market," she announced as she strolled back to the bedroom and looked through her handbag for her prenatal vitamins.

"Why? You love that place! It was supposed to be—"

"It's just a house." Eden gently cut in, repeating what Isaac had said to her when they met for their farewell coffee chat. "And you need the money. So how much?"

There was a long, awkward pause, and while Eden waited for Cassandra to get over her embarrassment, she popped the pills in her mouth and washed them down with the water on her bedside table.

She didn't want to push, but the time to gloss over her friend's shitty finances was over. They couldn't keep doing this dance. So she took control of the call again when it became clear Cassandra wouldn't accept help willingly.

"Look, Cass, I've already sent all the paperwork to put the house on the market. Not sure how long it will take, so you might have to close shop for a few weeks while we wait for the sale to go through. But I'm expecting at least R650K. Will that be enough?"

"Oh, Edie, I couldn't!"

"Yeah, you couldn't. But I can, and I will. You said you don't want to sell out, and I want to help you. So, let me help, okay?"

"Alright," Cassandra agreed, finally. "But I'll ask my legal rep to draft an investment agreement or something."

Eden chuckled. "Duh! Did you think I'm Mother Theresa, or what?"

Cassandra giggled as well, and just for that moment, everything was as it should be, and they were two kids again with big dreams and bright hopes.

"Anyway, you and Matt?" Eden changed the subject, but Cassandra remained evasive, like she always did when it came to Liam's cousin.

"He's my student."

"He's single."

"I'm with Skye."

"You don't love him."

"Okay," Cassandra conceded. "And I hate that you're right!"

Aiden fussing in his room, put the brakes on Eden's triumphant gloating before it began.

"I have to run. Your godson's awake! I'll check in one of the days."

"Thank you, Edie!"

"Don't mention it," she said, before hanging up and rushing to the nursery. Brenda already had things under control with Aiden, though. So while they went through their morning routine, Eden also got ready to spend the day at Liam's bedside.

---