Gertie wiped a stray tear from the corner of her eye. She could hear them, they were at it again. For the last two weeks constant arguing. It was even since Miles and Stella had grown tired of the city life and made plans to return to the jungle (this time taking their son), that Arnold's relationship with Helga had disintegrated. Arnold had been torn, now it seemed after his many arguments with Helga that he was fast coming to a decision. She looked down at the floor, knowing her grandson was too dense to realise that his one decision had caused such a change in his girlfriend.
'Why the hell were you hugging Lila? Lila is old enough to take care of herself!'
The shouting was reaching it's end, as it had done over the recent weeks. It was all (unbeknownst to Arnold) one big performance, that Helga could win an Oscar for. Over the last few days they'd rowed over several issues; the colour of his carpet, the way him and Gerald made her feel left out, how he'd hugged her for too long outside her house – when anybody could have walked past. All silly issues hiding the reality – Arnold was leaving. Arnold was leaving and Helga was purposely pushing him away to make it easier for him.
The slamming of Arnold's door shook Gertie from her thoughts. As Helga stomped down the stairs, the expression on her face dark and pained.
'Eleanor?'
Helga jumped, not seeing Gertie at the bottom of the stairs.
'Why must you continue with this act?'
Helga closed her eyes, trying to disguise the fact tears were slipping down from the corners. 'Because sometimes if you love someone you have to let them go. Even if you know it means they'll leave and they won't come back. They never do' she whispered in return.
'Sometimes they do. Sometimes you have to fight to keep the most important things in your life.'
'I'm done fighting.'
Helga and Gertie's eyes met for a brief second, before Helga turned and walked away. Gertie's eyes closed as she heard the sound of the front door opening and closing.
'Grandma?'
She again looked up noticing Arnold on the stairs, his eyes blood-shot. 'Me and Helga broke up. I think I might be leaving with Mum and Dad after all.'
/
'You know what Phil I'm sick of all your lies. Go off to War, see if I care! Don't expect me to be here when you get back.'
'Pookie please...You know I don't want to leave you.'
'No Phil. We're not together any more, you're free to do whatever you want. We're over.'
/
Arnold placed his last suitcase into the back of the car. 'I love you Grandma.' he whispered, hugging her tightly around the neck.
'I love you too Tex.' she whispered in return.
She watched her grandson look around lost. Looking for any trace of pink that would allow him to see Helga had come to say goodbye. He found none. He tried to hide the look of despair as he got into the car, and then his tears as his father started the engine and drove them away from the only life Arnold had ever known.
Gertie looked across the street. Her old eyes spotting something that Arnold had not; Helga. She lifted an arm and beckoned Helga towards her. The young girl stumbled across the street dazed and fell into the older woman's arms and began to sob. It was only then she allowed herself to cry too. Helga had done something selfless, that she herself had not been able to do.
/
'Goodbye Ma!' said Phil enthusiastically, pulling his mother into a hug. 'I'll be bringing you stories how I single handedly defeated Hitler, just you wait.'
His mother did not respond and instead pointed to Gertie before disappearing back into the house, who he had not noticed was waiting patiently behind him.
'Pookie!' a smiled spread across his face.
'Don't leave.' she whispered, a few stray tears sliding down her cheeks.
Phil smiled gently at her 'Is that what all this has been about? The arguments, our break-up? You didn't want me to go? But you knew it was what I wanted?'
She nodded, looking down at the ground. She was never any good at voicing her emotions.
Phil grabbed her face gently with both hands, stroking away her few stray tears with his thumb. 'I love you Pookie, I promise I'll come back to you.'
/
Helga did not have such a promise.