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“Thanks.”

Lydia busied herself with breakfast, needing a few minutes to gather her thoughts.

“I’m sorry, Lyds.”

“Hmmm.”

“Don’t hmm at me. I am sorry. Fuck, Halle tore me a new arsehole first thing this morning. I didn’t realise it had upset you that much.”

Placing the freshly brewed tea on the table, Lydia sat down. “That’s because you don’t listen. I’m not being melodramatic when I say I’m done with dating. I need to focus on me, and it hurts every time I get dumped. It hurts every time I see the disappointment on my partner’s face when they get their advances rejected time and time again because I’m in pain, or bloated, or bleeding. I’m already fighting an uphill battle with my arsehole doctor, just to be taken seriously. I don’t need to be fighting you, too.”

Reaching over, Fe grabbed Lydia’s hand. “I’m sorry, sweetie, I didn’t think. I hate that you have to go through this alone.”

“I’m not alone, am I? I thought I had you and Mum. Even Halle, who offered to come to the doctor with me tomorrow.”

Fe fidgeted in her chair. “That was nice of her.” A pregnant pause descended. Fe looked uncomfortable. “I should have offered, shouldn’t I? You’ve struggled with this for so long, plus the doctor, and I haven’t even offered to go with you for support.”

Lydia was taken aback at Fe’s sudden out-pour of emotion. They generally ribbed each other when things got serious. “It’s okay, I could have asked.”

“No, Halle was right. I need to support you more.” Halle had said that?

“Fe, you have three tear-away munchkins. You’re busy and rightly so. I’m a big girl. I promise in the future, I’ll ask you to come along with me if I need some support.”

“I can come with you tomorrow, if you’d like.”

“Stop fretting. Halle will be with me tomorrow, although I’m not convinced having someone else there will help.”

“He’s really that bad, the doctor?”

“He mansplains everything. I don’t understand why he won’t refer me to have other tests. The birth control pills aren’t cutting it, but he just won’t listen.”

“Do you want me to kick his arse? I will, you know.”

Lydia burst out laughing, Fe following suit. “Calm down, sis. I don’t think I’m quite there yet.”

“Why don’t you come over for dinner tonight? We can talk about it, or not. Clark’s taking the kids to his mum’s for their tea.”

“Sure. What time is he leaving, though? I want to see them before they go.”

“Usually around half four. I tell you what, get dressed, and we’ll head over to Mum’s for a coffee. Then we can go straight to mine so you can entertain the brood.”

“Ah, I see what this is,” Lydia chuckled. “Your apology was to make sure I was still up for triplet distraction duty, right?”

“No, of course not,” Fe scoffed. “Although, you are the best aunt in the world, and they would be devastated if we fell out.”

“Wow, you went full Mum then. Emotional manipulation is normally her jam.”

“Rude! I’m not like Mum.”

“You so are. Anyway, it’s a plan. Let me grab a shower. Can you sort Monty out? He’ll need his winter coat put on and his toy bag packed.”

“Christ, Lyds, you spoil that mutt way too much.”

Monty barked in displeasure. “Don’t call him a mutt. And I’ll spoil him all I want. Look at those beautiful brown eyes.” Lydia cooed, grabbing Monty by the face and squishing her lips to his muzzle.

“Good lord,” Fe mumbled. “Go on, I’ll sort out King Monty.”

Entering her bedroom, grabbing clothes to put on after her shower, Lydia paused. Halle had told off Fe. A small frisson of something flitted in Lydia’s stomach. Dropping the clothes bundled in her arms, Lydia scooped up her phone and navigated to the last message thread between herself and Halle. It was almost three months since they’d communicated separately from Fe.