Episode 1, Scene 1
Author's Note: Set after bingo when Rose leaves Mandy and Helen to walk home on their own.
Helen and Mandy walked home from the bingo together arm in arm until they were at the end of the road from Helen's house. They paused on the corner, just out of sight of the street, and Helen turned to her colleague. She brushed the fringe out of Mandy's eyes and stroked her cheek gently. It was clearly a familiar gesture as Mandy seemed to relish the attention.
"You sure you don't fancy that curry, or at least a cuppa?" Mandy shook her head sadly. As much as she wanted to she knew that Steve wouldn't last forever on those tablets and she couldn't risk being too late. Besides, Mandy was intelligent enough to read between the lines of just what exactly the offer of a 'cuppa' meant.
"I really can't, Steve'll go mental and I've got to get back for our Rhea." Helen probably knew more than most that Mandy's home life wasn't the happy one she liked to portray but she wasn't fully in the picture and couldn't understand why Mandy didn't just up and leave her husband. She wouldn't be the first to go off with another woman and she earned her own money so could survive without him. And of course Helen would be there, ready and waiting, to pick up the pieces. Like some unspoken agreement the two women came together and their lips met in a firm kiss.
"You know how I feel about yer Mandy, I just want ter see yer 'appy." Helen searched her colleague's eyes for that sparkle she'd once seen when they had first met at the hospital. Mandy tried to cover up her problems by giving the patients and her friends the usual bubbly patter but Helen had always been able to see right through it.
"I know Darlin' and if things were different…" Mandy paused and let out a big sigh at her wishful thought. She shook her head in resignation at her situation.
"But they're not so we 'ave to make the best of what we've got." Mandy gave Helen a big, bright smile that went right through her and pulled her in for a tight hug.
"Anyway, thanks love. It means so much to me, more than you realise." They parted slightly and kissed a couple more times.
Mandy felt that their kisses held so much more restrained passion and willingness then her earlier forced show of affection for Steve. It was sad to think of how they had got to that point after thirty years together. She could understand being so comfortable with each other that the passion had run dry but it was the things he did and his behaviour towards her that had killed the marriage stone dead. Mandy said her goodbyes to Helen and made her way home. The heaviness in her heart and the feeling of dread increased with every step closer and she just hoped to god that Rhea was settled and fast asleep.