SIX YEARS LATER...
Zoe sat, eyes on the rear view mirror. The sage green front door, the wreath still hung from Christmas. The pine needles had shed and now it was merely a round hoop of twigs with a red bow tied at its centre, and if you looked closely you could see the black spots of mould spores beginning to take a hold of the plush scarlet.
She made a mental note to take it down tomorrow.
Now, it was time for work. She rubbed her hands together and breathed against them. It was cold. January had been colder than expected and the snow seemed to be a permanent, unwanted fixture.
She started the engine. Steep white banks of muddied snow were build up at the edge of the roads, the tarmac slipped and moved beneath her tyres and her windscreen fogged up with her breath so that she had to lean forward in her seat to peer through the glass.
The journey to work had taken double the time for three consecutive weeks now, and there didn't seem to be any hint that the temperature may soon begin to rise, or the weather change...just the ever-present looming of heavily pregnant brown clouds that hung, unmoving above them, every so often releasing a new litter of perfect white snow flakes onto the world below.
She parked. Unclipped her seat belt and stepped out into the car park. She could feel the ice and slush slither beneath the soles of her feet and she praised herself for remembering to leave her heels at her desk, ready and waiting for her.
She pulled her bag up onto her shoulder so that it nestled in the crook of her arm.
"Looking very trim, Dr Walker."
Connie placed a hand at her back, her breath white, billowing out about her lips, the sharp clatter of her heels muffled by the snow.
"God, I don't think I've eaten since New Years."
Zoe rolled her eyes, stepping in time with Connie, moving with her across the car park to the hospital entrance.
"Sod those New Years excessive videos and diet fads. Stress! Too stressed to eat, too stressed to sit still..."
She paused as they entered through the automatic doors.
"Works like a charm..."
She added, glancing to Connie who tilted her head towards her.
"It does get easier."
She spoke quietly and again she pressed a hand against her lower back.
They stopped at reception for Connie to collect her post.
"And remember."
Connie said, flicking through the pile of unopened letters that she held whilst they continued on their way along the corridor to the office.
"I've been there, remember. If you need me..."
She added, tailing off as Dr Ashford approached them. Connie leant back against the office door.
"See you later."
She murmured, pushing down on the door handle with her elbow and backing into the room with a brief nod to Ash who slowed as he neared Zoe.
"Zoe!"
He waved a half-hearted greeting and stopped before her.
"You're looking very..."
He paused and looked at her, suddenly unsure of how to word what it was he wanted to say.
"Is that a new dress?"
He asked instead. She smiled and shook her head ever so slightly.
Ash glanced down at whatever it was that he was holding and cleared his throat, his forced enthusiasm seeming to wane.
Eventually he looked back up, his head tilted to one side, the expression everyone, with the exception of Connie, seemed to adopt when they asked...
"So...how is he?"
He asked, a frown furrowing between his eyes.
Zoe raised her shoulders slightly, hunching them and releasing them slowly, pursing her lips.
"Much the same."
She said with a vague nod of her head.
"I'm on my way up there now."
She added with a half-hearted gesture to the stair way behind her. Ash glanced towards them and back to her.
"Ah..."
He pushed the item in his hand into his trouser pocket and clapped his hands together quietly.
"Well, I'd better let you get on then!"
He said with obvious relief. Zoe nodded yet again and murmured a good bye as he backed away from her.
She turned and looked again towards the stairs, she moved forwards, could feel the soft squelch of the damp inside her shoes, she clenched her fingers, felt the cool metal of her wedding band against her fingertip.
And at the foot of the stairs she turned left.
Zoe sat, eyes on the rear view mirror. The sage green front door, the wreath still hung from Christmas. The pine needles had shed and now it was merely a round hoop of twigs with a red bow tied at its centre, and if you looked closely you could see the black spots of mould spores beginning to take a hold of the plush scarlet.
She made a mental note to take it down tomorrow.
Now, it was time for work. She rubbed her hands together and breathed against them. It was cold. January had been colder than expected and the snow seemed to be a permanent, unwanted fixture.
She started the engine. Steep white banks of muddied snow were build up at the edge of the roads, the tarmac slipped and moved beneath her tyres and her windscreen fogged up with her breath so that she had to lean forward in her seat to peer through the glass.
The journey to work had taken double the time for three consecutive weeks now, and there didn't seem to be any hint that the temperature may soon begin to rise, or the weather change...just the ever-present looming of heavily pregnant brown clouds that hung, unmoving above them, every so often releasing a new litter of perfect white snow flakes onto the world below.
She parked. Unclipped her seat belt and stepped out into the car park. She could feel the ice and slush slither beneath the soles of her feet and she praised herself for remembering to leave her heels at her desk, ready and waiting for her.
She pulled her bag up onto her shoulder so that it nestled in the crook of her arm.
"Looking very trim, Dr Walker."
Connie placed a hand at her back, her breath white, billowing out about her lips, the sharp clatter of her heels muffled by the snow.
"God, I don't think I've eaten since New Years."
Zoe rolled her eyes, stepping in time with Connie, moving with her across the car park to the hospital entrance.
"Sod those New Years excessive videos and diet fads. Stress! Too stressed to eat, too stressed to sit still..."
She paused as they entered through the automatic doors.
"Works like a charm..."
She added, glancing to Connie who tilted her head towards her.
"It does get easier."
She spoke quietly and again she pressed a hand against her lower back.
They stopped at reception for Connie to collect her post.
"And remember."
Connie said, flicking through the pile of unopened letters that she held whilst they continued on their way along the corridor to the office.
"I've been there, remember. If you need me..."
She added, tailing off as Dr Ashford approached them. Connie leant back against the office door.
"See you later."
She murmured, pushing down on the door handle with her elbow and backing into the room with a brief nod to Ash who slowed as he neared Zoe.
"Zoe!"
He waved a half-hearted greeting and stopped before her.
"You're looking very..."
He paused and looked at her, suddenly unsure of how to word what it was he wanted to say.
"Is that a new dress?"
He asked instead. She smiled and shook her head ever so slightly.
Ash glanced down at whatever it was that he was holding and cleared his throat, his forced enthusiasm seeming to wane.
Eventually he looked back up, his head tilted to one side, the expression everyone, with the exception of Connie, seemed to adopt when they asked...
"So...how is he?"
He asked, a frown furrowing between his eyes.
Zoe raised her shoulders slightly, hunching them and releasing them slowly, pursing her lips.
"Much the same."
She said with a vague nod of her head.
"I'm on my way up there now."
She added with a half-hearted gesture to the stair way behind her. Ash glanced towards them and back to her.
"Ah..."
He pushed the item in his hand into his trouser pocket and clapped his hands together quietly.
"Well, I'd better let you get on then!"
He said with obvious relief. Zoe nodded yet again and murmured a good bye as he backed away from her.
She turned and looked again towards the stairs, she moved forwards, could feel the soft squelch of the damp inside her shoes, she clenched her fingers, felt the cool metal of her wedding band against her fingertip.
And at the foot of the stairs she turned left.
Welcome to the Absolute Beginners sequel! I hope everyone reads and enjoys as much as the first one. Comments and reviews greatly appreciated! xxx