Page 55 of Forgive Not Forget

Katherine had pushed her away when she needed Anna the most, and without Rebecca to fall back on. Anna regretted ever calling her.

CHAPTER23

Anna wound down the car window and inhaled a lungful of fresh Nunswick air as she waited outside Laura’s cottage. She was still trembling from her heated discussion with Katherine. She couldn’t bring herself to call it an argument. Whatever it was, it had left her feeling more drained and exhausted than her night of tossing and turning had done.

She jumped as Laura opened the back door of the car and placed her bag on the seat.

Time enough for one last, deep inhale and exhale before she would be in the seat beside her. This was not the time to break down; the last thing Anna wanted was for Laura to think she was in no condition to look after the children.

“Hi,” Laura said as she clicked in her seat belt.

Anna gave her a broad smile and drove out of Nunswick.

“So I’ve tidied the house top to bottom,” Laura said. “The fridge is full. The spare room is made up. My room is ready for me to fall into when I get home.”

“You’ve thought of everything. Shouldn’t you have been resting?” Anna asked.

“I have the next few days to rest. It will be weird not having the kids around — though I have to admit that part will be sort of blissful.”

“Jeez, thanks for the reassurance,” Anna replied flatly.

Laura laughed. “Sorry, I’m sure they will be fine for you. I had words with them this morning about behaving.”

That didn’t add much reassurance, and it didn’t help her trembling. She turned the knob to crank up the heat, hoping some warmth in the car would calm her. Taking on the sole responsibility of two children she barely knew for a whole weekend — what the hell had she been thinking? Admittedly she hadn’t been thinking. Laura needed her, and she was there; it was what friends did.

“You all right?”

Anna nodded. “Yes, I’m fine, thanks.” She could feel Laura’s gaze burning into her.

“You don’t look all right. You’re very pale. Not more trouble at the abbey, I hope?”

“No, Kat and I just had a bit of a disagreement, that’s all.”

“I’m sure you’ll work it all out. You two are an adorable couple.”

Anna raised a false smile of appreciation. “Thanks.”

“Want to talk about it?”

“Not really…” Anna meant to stop herself, yet found her lips had kept moving. “It’s just, a letter came from the prison, and the person who killed her wife wants her to join them in some restorative justice programme.”

“What’s that?”

“They meet, they talk, they move on.”

“Sounds a little simplistic.”

Anna shrugged. “That’s the basics of it. I guess there is a lot more to it.”

“And Katherine doesn’t want to go?”

“No. Becks — her best friend — and I think it could help her. She thinks she’s doing fine. She’s been saying that for a few years.”

“Whilst not being fine?”

“Yep.”

“I can’t say I blame her for not wanting to go.”