Page 84

“Maybe, or maybe not. There’s no point thinking like that.”

“Still. I hope you know I support you, 100 percent.”

“Well, can you support me by telling me how to ask her out? I’m worried she’s going to think I’m having a meltdown or something. I’ve been so opposed to anything other than friendship. This is going to give her whiplash.”

“People change their minds! It’s as simple as that and that’s all you have to tell her.”

Lydia played with her now empty coffee cup. There was still one thing that worried her enough to think that asking Halle out might be a mistake. Not for Lydia, but for Halle.

“Hey, what’s up?” Fe stilled Lydia’s fidgeting hand.

“I’m still bleeding. So, my womb issues aren’t totally solved yet.”

“Okay?”

“What’s the point in asking her out when I know I’m going to disappoint her by not being able to… you know.”

“Have sex?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh, Lydia.” Fe chuckled. Lydia furrowed her brows again. “Halle has loved you for years without the sex part. You think she’s going to have a problem with waiting a little longer?”

Lydia hadn’t thought of it like that. “Yeah, but what happens if things go well but I still can’t have regular sex? Sometimes it’s weeks. I mean, hopefully this pill will settle down soon, but I don’t want to get my hopes up.”

“Then Halle will support you through it. That woman would be happy to sit and eat a family bag of Doritos with you in front of the telly. She just wants to be with you, sis.”

“You’re such an arsehole, Fe Archer!”

“Hey, you said we were moving past it!”

“Yeah, and then you say shit like that, and I get pissed again.” Lydia felt Fe’s past behaviour keenly still, but she wasn’t really mad. Maybe sad would be a better descriptor.

“Fair enough. I’ll make it up to you somehow.”

* * *

Fe, making it up to Lydia, consisted of a barrage of text messages the following day, suggesting ways she could ask Halle out. When an inflatable T.rex costume came into it, Lydia had to beg her older sister to desist. It was moving day and the last thing Lydia needed was Fe blowing up her phone with increasingly ridiculous messages.

Halle was up and at it far too early, in Lydia’s opinion. She wasn’t due to pick up the keys until noon, but Halle insisted she organise the boxes, ready to load them into the rental truck Lydia ordered the week before. Moving big boxes in Nora once was enough. She really didn’t want them to do it again.

“Okay, we have all the bedroom boxes here. Kitchen there and living room by the front door.” Halle announced. Lydia was unsure if she was talking to her or just muttering to herself.

“Fabulous. Now, can you take a break? It’s like eight in the morning on a Saturday. We shouldn’t even be conscious yet.”

Halle chuckled playfully, pushing Lydia towards the kitchen. “Sit down, I’ll make breakfast.”

The week living with Halle had been pretty exceptional. Lydia had healthy home-cooked meals daily. Halle was a caretaker, for sure. To make sure Lydia was pulling her weight, she did all the washing up and tidying. They fell into quite the domestic routine quickly.

Shoving her nose into her coffee mug, Lydia inhaled deeply. Even Monty looked bloody knackered. They were both used to sleeping late on a weekend if Lydia was off work. “I love coffee so much,” Lydia muttered, staring adoringly at her cup. Halle’s eye roll could have been seen from space. “Don’t roll your eyes at me, Halle Cartwright! You’re just as bad.”

“Sure,” Halle grinned. “Do you want a Full English or a bacon butty?”

“It’s going to be a long day. I think we’ll go for the Full English.”

“Sound choice. Okay, let’s do this.” Flipping on her Bose speaker, Halle found an upbeat playlist and set to work. Lydia was more than happy to sit back and watch. Especially with Halle wearing fitted joggers and a t-shirt that left little to the imagination.

As usual, the food was delicious. Lydia noted Halle grilled the bacon instead of frying it. The eggs were poached, too. Halle never made a fuss about Lydia’s need to watch what she ate. Instead, she simply went along with it.