Connie's POV
Winter:
December 28th, when my life changed, I think I can now call it my favourite month and what a month it was. In fact what a year it's been and it all started on a normal Monday morning walking into my office. Let's just say I was feeling under the weather, I had a cold and honestly work was the last thing on my mind, all I wanted to do was go home and sleep for days. But I had to work, I'm the Clinical Lead after all and could you imagine the disaster the ED would have been in if I had a day off. Anyway, as I was saying I walked into work and forced my exhausted body into my office and sat down on my chair, my head was pounding and my eyes were watering and I was cursing myself for having a cold. I just wanted to hide in my office for the rest of the day and avoid everybody at all costs but then I heard a knock on my door.
See you may be wondering how come I can remember so much detail when it's been so long but you'll understand soon enough, so I groaned and told whoever it was to come in. It was Charlie, coming to check up on me bless that man he has a good heart but I just wanted to be left alone, I know how terrible I can be when I'm ill and didn't want to take it out on him. As soon as he walked in, he could see there was something wrong with me I remember he asked me if everything was okay and my reply was a nasty coughing fit, he told me to go home but I was having none of it and that was the end of that conversation. I did manage to keep inside my office all day and only had about an hour left before my shift was over when the aches and pains shot through my body top that off with the headache from hell, a cough and a runny nose well I practically collapsed onto my sofa and I didn't even take my Louboutins off. I was in such a state I didn't hear my office door opening; I know it did though because I heard a voice. Rita's voice to be precise asking me if I was okay, next thing I knew she was down at my level with her hand on my forehead and shaking her head telling me I had a fever. I tried to sit up but my body wouldn't let me and already I wasn't entirely happy it was Rita who found me what with our previous history of arguing I was sure she was enjoying every minute of seeing me like this. I was wrong, Rita helped me sit up and told me she was taking me home, I tried to protest saying there was only an hour left but she was having none of it and helped me up and out of the office. We walked past Charlie and Zoe and Rita quickly told them that she was taking me home, I saw the looks they gave Rita but she ignored them.
When we got to my house, Rita stayed with me I didn't ask any questions although the one question burning inside of me was why she was doing this? I would have asked if I wasn't so tired, instead Rita made sure I got into bed. I muttered a thank you to her and fell asleep and it wasn't until the morning I realised Rita had actually stayed the night, she had fallen asleep on my sofa. She was embarrassed when I woke her up but I assured her it was fine, she stayed for a while longer, we had breakfast and talked some and that day was the beginning of a lifetime friendship with Rita and so much more.
January came so quickly, myself and Rita had been getting closer each day ever since she looked after me. We had gone out shopping, had lunch near enough every day and went out after work I couldn't believe the friendship we had formed but I had to admit it was nice being this close to someone and knowing that I could rely on her. We had snow in January and she even got me out of to make a snowman with her, now many people know I do not like the cold at all but this woman she got me out into the cold and I knew around about then how special she was. We stayed out in the cold for ages and when we built the snowman the grin on Rita's face made me realise that it was worth being out in the cold for so long.
I remember the night in February when I truly appreciated how beautiful Rita was and I admitted my feelings to myself. Rita had come round to mine for a 'girl's night' as she called it and as we sat there watching the film, I couldn't help but look at her. She caught me staring and all she did was smile, then she moved closer to me and cuddled into my side, I couldn't stop the smile on my face nor my arm which I moved and put around Rita. And when she held onto my arm my heart melted and honestly I wanted to kiss her but I, Connie Beauchamp was too afraid of her reaction and I don't think I've ever been afraid of anything before which is what made Rita an extraordinary woman in the best way possible way.
I think for the both of us that night was a turning point in our relationship, now I look back at it I can see that Rita was trying to tell me about her feelings too but was obviously afraid like me. But you see it took us another couple of months of flirting, touching and arguing! To actually tell one another how we felt.