Bridget drove into her drive and turned the ignition off, her head turned to look at the back with all her stuff in the cardboard box, she then looked at the passenger seat with the bottles of wine and cat food. Did I do the right thing? Walking away, I need to compose myself, she thought. Bridget let out a long sigh. At the corner of her eye she saw her noisy neighbour coming home from work, staring at her, probably thinking why the hell has she not got out of her car yet. Bridget gathered the shopping bag from the passenger sea and opened the car door, she nodded at her neighbour, "g'day," trying to act normal. The neighbour nodded back and watched as Bridget struggled to juggle the shopping, the cardboard box and her laptop bag. Bridget herself trying hard to find her keys and making sure the wine bottles didn't clank too much. She succeeded in finding her keys and managed to get in without dropping anything. When Bridget was finally behind the door, she threw her keys on the hall side table and threw the box on the kitchen unit, she reached for the wine glass left on the table from last night, It's only 3 o'clock Bridget thought, "fuck it," she opened the red and poured the wine up to the top of the glass. Bridget looked inside her box and saw her framed psychology degree, she picked it up and walked around the living room with it, glass of wine in one hand, degree in the other. Years it took me to get this, Bridget thought, was it all worth it? Bridget knew that she shouldn't have let Frankie get under her skin and into her heart, Frankie has been locked up for nearly two months now and Bridget could still smell her, Bridget even had some of cloths still here. Bridget had always been cautious with her clients, but Frankie was something else; that smile, her hair, those perfect eyes and body, always making me laugh, something I've always wanted for years and I threw it all away. Bridget looked down at her degree and started to cry. I threw it all away. Her hands were shaking, and Bridget threw her degree across the room making the frame smash into little pieces. I threw it all away. Bridget drank half the glass of the wine and kneeled over and started to weep. Frankie is locked up and I broke her heart, but I had to do this, I needed to leave because I'm not strong enough, I wonder what she is doing now Fucking that Allie, no doubt. Bridget got up and drank the rest of her wine and poured another, she finished the bottle and threw it in the bin probably smashing it, she picked up the shopping bag with the remaining bottles in it and headed to the sofa.
Vera pulled up to Bridget's house, she wanted to see how Bridget was getting on, so she decided to check in after her night shift, she thought that Bridget would be up at eight o'clock. Vera could see Frankie crying and shouting on camera from her cell. She never approved of Frankie and Bridget, but Bridget is Vera's friend and the best friend Vera has ever had. Vera got out of her car and as she walked up the garden
path, she could hear loud music. At least Vera knew she was up, the music was of a band that Vera has never heard of before. Vera knocked extra loud so Bridget could hear her, no answer, she knocked again, still no answer. Vera then decided to look in the window, treading on Bridget's garden beds she looked through the window and saw Bridget passed out on the sofa with three bottles of wine around her and for some random reason cat food, "ah, shit," Vera said. Vera ran around to the back and tried the back door luckily it was unlocked. When Vera entered the smell of booze hit her, Vera turned the kettle on and made Bridget a black coffee and placed it on the coffee table. "Bridget, wake up!" No response, Vera lifted Bridget's head and started to gently slap it, Bridget mumbled and opened one eye, Bridget put her hand over her head, "rough night," Vera said. Bridget grabbed the remote for the speakers and turned them off, she couldn't think straight with this hangover. Bridget stared at Vera, at first Bridget panicked, why is she here? Did something happen to Frankie. Vera with her hands behind her back, "Frankie is fine," Bridget sighed with relief, "but are you?"
"Yeah course," lie number one
"So, what's all this," Vera was staring at the bottles.
"I had some friends over last night and I got a bit carried away," lie number two, why the fuck am I lying, it's everything I stand against.
"Uh huh," Vera sat next to Bridget on the sofa, Bridget was in the same clothing as the day before, her hair was a mess and face was tired, "you know it's fine to say
you're not okay." Upon hearing this Bridget broke down crying, "I don't know Vera, I
don't know." Bridget put her head on Vera shoulder. "What don't you know?" Bridget
dried her eyes, "whether I am coming or going; do I trust Frankie, is Frankie fucking Allie, is Frankie a murderer, Frankie, Frankie, Frankie, that's all on my mind now." Bridget leaned in Vera shoulder and started to cry. "Well I can't say nobody warned you, because we did, but... Honestly Bridge, you're the best thing that's ever
happened to Frankie, I really don't think that Frankie would throw what you guys
have away for Allie, plus Allie is grieving." Bridget lifted her face out of Vera's
shoulder, Vera wiped Bridget's tears off her uniform.
"You think"
"Yes Bridge, the murder stuff, well, that's something I can't help you with, all I can
say is from when I first met Frankie to how she is now, well it's like looking at a
different person, that's something you need to discover for yourself." Since when Vera defended Frankie, Bridget thought. But she was right, years of training in the
psychology field, that's something that she would say to one of her clients. Bridget leaned back into the sofa, she looked at the floor and saw the mess. Vera picked up an empty wine bottle, "and this, you know that won't help, or make this go away." She was right about that too, Vera put the bottle down on the table, Bridget was eyeing it up as it had enough for one glass. Bridget got off the sofa, she still felt dizzy from the night before and stumbled, Vera caught her. "I'm fine, please," Bridget walked around the living room and saw the broken frame on the floor, she ignored it and instead went to the kitchen and got a glass of water. Vera looked at her watch, "I have to go, night shift and I'm late for 'bedtime'," Vera got up and walked to the door, Bridget still stayed by the sink, "look if you ever need me, please, ring me and maybe have a shower might do you some good." Vera looked Bridget up and down and exited through the front door, Bridget breathed a sigh of relief, she walked over to the coffee table where the wine is and picked up the bottle.