Page 9

Sucking in a breath, Lydia composed a message thanking Halle for her support last night and for talking to Fe. Why was she feeling so weird about messaging her? It’s not like they were strangers. They’d known each other for years. Nearly 20, by Lydia’s calculations.

The ping of her phone caused a little squeak of surprise to slip past Lydia’s lips. Darting her gaze to the bedroom door, she listened for Fe. Stupid, really; she wasn’t doing anything wrong.

Halle:

Don’t mention it. I’m here for you Lydia. I’ll pick you up tomorrow at eight. Have a great day. H x.

That funny feeling was back again. Lydia read the message again, a smile creeping on her face. What a difference having someone by her side would make. What a shame Halle was off limits. Hang about. Where the hell did that come from?

Throwing the phone onto her bed as if the plastic device had physically scolded her, Lydia shook her head, ridding herself of such silly thoughts. There was no situation where thinking of Halle as anything but Fe’s bestie was allowed. None.

Chapter 3

Lydia bounced her leg nervously as she sat waiting for Halle to pick her up. Daft, really, that a doctor’s appointment should get her so worked up. But she’d been fighting with Dr. Watson for so long, and as soon as an appointment loomed, Lydia felt her anxiety skyrocket.

There was plenty of time still. Halle messaged again last night asking if Lydia wanted Halle to pick her up a little earlier so they could grab a coffee before the appointment. That was a first for them. Café trips always involved Fe. Lydia wondered if it meant something that Halle wanted them to go without her sister. Then she felt silly for thinking such a thing. Halle was just being supportive, as a good friend would. Although Lydia wasn’t used to Halle being her good friend.

Three rapid horn blasts signalled Halle’s arrival. Wrapping the warmest coat she owned around her body, Lydia kissed Monty and headed out the door. Lydia tittered as she walked across to a waiting Halle. Considering how tall Halle was, it defied physics, in Lydia’s opinion, that she could fit herself in the small vintage mini called Nora.

“Hurry up, it’s brass monkeys out here,” Halle called from her open window.

Picking up the pace, Lydia scuttled around the car, finally dropping into the low passenger seat. “You know if you had a modern car, you’d be able to keep yourself warm,” Lydia grumbled, rubbing her hands together, desperately trying to heat her fingers up.

“Shh, don’t listen, Nora, I’ll never dump you for a younger model.” Halle flashed Lydia a grin. “Ready to get some caffeine in your system?”

“Oh, yes. I’m craving a mocha.”

“Onwards then,” Halle called, putting her foot to the floor. Nora zipped off faster than Lydia was expecting. She couldn’t help but grip the sides of the seat as Halle manoeuvred them through traffic. Terrifying was one word to describe the experience. Every single car on the road was twice the size of Nora and equipped with much better safety features.

Letting out a sigh of relief the moment Halle put on the parking brake, Lydia did her best not to show Halle how nervous she was. Not just because of their death-defying journey to Starbucks, but because the doctor’s appointment was steadily creeping closer.

The café was busy with office workers ordering their horrendously complicated coffees. A few mothers gathered with prams yapping about their weekend. Lydia spotted a small table at the back of the coffee shop. Without thinking, she made a beeline for it, leaving Halle in the queue.

“Sorry,” she mouthed to an amused looking Halle. Lydia would give her the money for the coffee later. Unbuttoning her coat, Lydia did her best to relax. The buzz of the shop was nice, and the smell of pastries was making her salivate. Lydia almost launched herself at Halle when she placed a tray of coffee and Danish on the table.

“Here, I thought we could treat ourselves.” Halle picked up a Danish and took a huge bite. As usual, Lydia looked down at her belly and then at the sugary treat. “Hey, you don’t have to eat it if you don’t want. Sorry, I should have asked.”

“No, no. I… I’ve just been trying to watch what I eat. It was thoughtful of you, really.”

“No, it was thoughtless. Shit, sorry, Lyds, you’ve mentioned before about cutting down on sugar.”

“It’s to help with the bloating and blemishes,” Lydia mumbled, her face heating.

“I’ll take it back.” Halle went to stand, but Lydia stopped her before she took a step.

“No, it’s okay. I’ll have half and then you can take the other half with you for a snack later.” Frankly, Lydia was getting sick to the back teeth of watching what she ate. Until her hormones were balanced, nothing would stop the bloating or blemishes.

Halle carefully cut the Danish in half, wrapped one part in a napkin and slid the other over to Lydia. Not wanting to make the situation any more embarrassing, Lydia nibbled on the sweet treat. Halle continued to devour her Danish. Oh, how Lydia wished she could be that carefree.

“So…” Halle began. “I think you should ask for a copy of your medical records.”

“Why?” Lydia wiped her mouth and took a sip of coffee.

“I think you should know what Dr. Watson has been noting. I… I spoke to Mum about it. I hope you don’t mind?”

“No, that’s fine.”

“Phew, good. Well, anyway, she was shocked too that you’ve been fighting this for as long as you have, especially going private.”