Page 141 of In Sheets of Rain

56

You Didn’t Give Him A Chance

Istood on the doorstep to April’s new house and counted my breaths diligently. She only lived a few streets away from us, which was something to think about.

I hadn’t seen her in over two years.

She opened the door and smiled at me. She looked just the same. Maybe a little more harried, but still bright and bubbly.

April had always been a breath of fresh air.

I hugged her, and she hugged me.

And then she led me into her house and introduced me to her new baby. Harrison ran about in the back yard while I cuddled Kimberly. April made us a coffee and came and sat down opposite me.

“You look good,” she said.

“So do you,” I replied. “And this little angel is gorgeous.”

“She is, isn’t she?”

I nodded, and April shifted in her chair.

Harrison came barrelling through yelling at the top of his lungs. I cringed, Kimberly started crying. April laughed and said he was definitely going to be a loud one.

I said, “He takes after his mummy.”

April looked at me and then looked away.

That had come out wrong. I hadn’t meant to say it. But there it was. April was loud and often got told to be quiet in Comms. It was one of the things I had loved about her. She was so full of life; it had burst out of her; loudly.

But, right then, my words sounded more like a judgement.

I didn’t know how to say sorry.

I didn’t know if I should.

I handed over Kimberly and took a drink of my coffee. The silence stretched too long.

“How’s Comms?” I asked.

“Oh, you know, busy.”

“Is Gregg still there?”

“Yeah,” she said, smiling. “He’s expecting a baby.”

I smiled back. April relaxed marginally.

“George Blunt is still in charge,” she said conversationally.

I grimaced. He’d been hard to work with.

“Funny thing,” she said. “He talked a lot about you when you left.”

I looked up from my coffee and silently prayed April wouldn’t go there.

“Everyone did.”