Lessons to Learn
Chapter 18
Robert was getting slightly irritated. The traffic was losing tempo with every minute, and he would hate to get into congestion. A sigh of annoyance slipped through his lips. His fingertips drummed on the steering wheel.
He had made an effort to leave Leicester timely although he was held up here and there. He had skipped breakfast except for a quick coffee and a croissant on the go. The remnants of the rather dry croissant lay on the passenger seat wrapped in a paper napkin. Until now, Robert hadn't been bothered by hunger but if the motorway was getting as jammed as it seemed, he was sure his empty stomach would badly affect his mood.
The car in front of him slowed down even more and Robert had to hit the break. Now, he really found himself stuck in an annoying stop-and-go of traffic. He groaned and pressed his right palm to his forehead. His elbow rested against the inside of his car door as he reached out to turn up the volume of the radio with his other hand. He would probably have to spend some time here now.
"But I remind myself,
Of who we are," ABBA's lyrics sounded from the speakers. The melody was as slowed as the traffic, and Robert wasn't sure if he liked that. Listening to the lyrics, he tried to decipher which song it was.
"How inconceivable it is to reach,
this far"
It had to be one of the new songs. He hadn't yet listened to them with Cora. And ABBA had been something they had always listened to together.
"Do I have it in me?"
Robert changed the radio station. He wouldn't listen to their music alone. It didn't feel right. The weather report he heard now was a better option.
He lost a decent amount of his headstart in the traffic jam on the motorway but once he got out of it, Robert sped down the roads. He felt a sense of relief when pulled into their street and finally parked the car in front of their house. He always liked walking up the stairs to their door because he knew then that he was home.
He turned the key and opened the front door. As he stepped inside, his business luggage in hand, he tried to listen for any sign of life in the house. But there was nothing to be heard. No voices, no telly, no rustling. It was a bit strange for a Sunday but maybe his girls had decided to make it a chill weekend for a change. Robert put his luggage down next to the sideboard in the corridor. He took off his coat before he made a beeline to the kitchen. He wanted a cup of coffee, and it was also the place his wife would most likely be. However, the kitchen was deserted. On his way to the coffee machine, Robert noticed the two plastic bags full of waste glass. Only on second thought, he realised that it looked like countless empty bottles of liquor. He was confused. This was strange. He was away for one night and he already lost control over the ongoings in his house. He bent down and lifted one of the bottles. Gin. He took the next. Rum. The third was a half-empty bottle of vodka. Robert thought he might choke from the shock he was suffering. He put the bottles back down and his eyes caught sight of the rubbage on the kitchen counter. Empty bags of crisps and snacks.
His blood started boiling. Unsure about where to aim his anger, he knew no matter which daughter might be connected to this, one person definitely was at fault. One person who had not fulfilled their supervision.
Robert came home with one goal in mind; mending things with Cora. Lately however – and that was likely the whole problem – she made it very hard to be on her side with all the things she disregarded. It was so frustrating. And where was Cora now? They had to talk. Robert assumed she would be in her study. She seemed to drown herself in work recently.
Without a coffee, he left the kitchen and sought Cora's study down the hallway. He had already raised his fist to knock at the door but he decided to take a few deep breaths first. He wanted to be closer to Cora again. It would be best if this discussion didn't escalate too quickly, otherwise, they were worse off than before. His anger and disbelief at Cora were still present but Robert tried to push them aside as best as possible. He wasn't particularly successful. He still knocked briskly. There was no answer, so he cautiously opened the door a crack. It was dark inside. As he pushed the door completely open, Robert saw that this room was deserted too. Now that was really strange. There had been no question that she would be busy bustling around the house or flipping pages at her desk. Cora was always so stressed on Sundays in the last few months. And with the impending Easter holidays, she surely had an abundance of tests to grade. Why wasn't she working? Why weren't things as they always were? Robert was irritated.
Apparently, there was more for him to mend than he realised.
With half a dozen questions burning on his mind, Robert walked upstairs and sought their bedroom. On his way, he threw glances into the living room and bath, but just like he thought they were empty. He opened the door to their bedroom, not knowing what to expect.
Through the light half-drawn curtains, rays of the late morning sun peaked and fell onto their wide marital bed. Cora lay on her side of the bed, fast asleep. It confused Robert that she was still sleeping. The back of her head was the only thing visible to him. He walked around the bed and as he stood at the foot of the bed, he saw her face. He noticed her drawn features and unhealthy complexion. The pale and greyish skin was marked by dark circles under her eyes and deep lines on her forehead and around her mouth. She looked utterly exhausted.
He realised that Cora was in control of absolutely nothing. It was worse than he had thought. All his anger with her dissipated. Cora was the one who suffered the most.
He was unsure what to do. He considered letting her sleep some more but it was nearly noon. She had to get up at some point. So, he carefully sat down on the edge of the bed next to her. For some seconds, he listened to the sound of her breathing and watched the way her fist clutched the covers close to her chin. Though she was sleeping, there was little relaxation in her state.
Robert quietly cleared his throat before he whispered her name.
"Cora?"
She showed no reaction. Some of her wild curls moved slightly with puffs of air that left her lips.
"Hey," he tried again and put his hands on the covers where he suspected her knees. "Hey, Cora. I'm back," he said in a soft but more assertive voice.
Cora grumbled slightly. She stirred and groaned before she rubbed her eyes with her fists.
"Hey, sleepyhead," Robert commented. Cora protested incoherently at first. Then she grew quiet as she peaked through her hands at Robert next to her. Her eyes were swollen and she looked confused.
"Robert?" Her voice was hoarse and cracked on the second syllable. "You're in Leicester," she remarked and shuffled clumsily beneath the sheets, trying to sit up.
"I'm back," he repeated. "Everything in Leicester is settled and I tried to quickly come back to my wife."
"Oh?" The lines on her forehead became even deeper as she furrowed her brow in confusion. "Did you drive through the night?" she asked.
Robert emitted a short laugh. "No. It's the middle of the day, Cora." Her tired and sleepy expression changed into one of panic in a matter of seconds.
"What?!" Her hands scrambled for her phone. She checked the time and touched her brow anxiously. "I have to work!" She flipped the covers to the side and tried to get out of bed past Robert.
"Hey, relax!" He put his hands on her shoulders. Looking deep into her eyes, he tried to hold her gaze. He inhaled demonstratively for her to copy him. She sighed. Her shoulders slumped. "Don't you want to say hello properly first?" Robert asked softly.
"I'm sorry, Robert." She sounded deflated and lowered her gaze to her lap. "But I just need to get a grip, and I really have to start somewhere now."
Robert lifted one hand off her shoulder and very lightly touched her cheek. He saw her closing her eyes at the touch. It made him brush his knuckles gently over her cheek and he felt a tug at his heart when Cora leaned weakly into his touch.
"How about you start with us?" Robert said.
"Mhm?" Cora looked up; her brows knitted together in confusion.
"I mean maybe we start with getting a grip on the two of us. We have been so distracted lately," he explained. He wanted to sound understanding and hoped there was no trace of reproach in his voice.
Cora sighed again. She looked at Robert from under her lashes with her head slightly tipped to the side as if he didn't know anything. It was her disillusioned teacher look. And she hated when he told her she had that look again.
"Before you say anything," Robert quickly added. "Imagine us having a relaxed afternoon on the sofa in the living room, banning the girls from there, and maybe opening a bottle of wine later."
"That's very sweet, Robert," she said and he already heard the 'but' in her tone. "But I don't have the time for that. Not now. In a week, there will be holidays and I'd love to have some time together." She paused and looked at him contemplatively. "We have been distracted," she agreed.
Now it was Robert's turn to sigh. "I guess I can't change your mind?" He took his hands away from her and rested them in his lap but he didn't move from his seat on the bed to let her get up easily.
"Robert," she said with her head sinking to the side. "Don't make me feel worse about it than I already do. Believe me, there is nothing I'd love to do more than snuggle up on the couch with you."
Her words made him smile a little. Even though, he didn't want to, a tiny part of him had considered that she really didn't want to be with him today. Her sad eyes reminded him that of course, that was untrue.
However, now she looked thoughtful. "Although…" she reconsidered.
Robert looked at her expectantly. What would she love more than snuggling on the couch with him?
"There would be sleeping. I'd prefer that," she said with a weak smile before she extricated herself from the bed and slipped out beside him.
"You just slept in," Robert called behind her. Cora headed for the bathroom and answered without turning around. "I know," she called in overstated annoyance. From the way she dragged her feet and pulled her head in between her shoulders, Robert could tell she was less annoyed with him than with herself and her state of exhaustion.
He heard her turn on the tap and what usually was accompanied by her soft humming was an otherwise silent act today. Robert still sat on her side of the bed. He realised that their conversation had been the longest in a while. When he found her crying in the living room about not being pregnant, they also talked and exchanged more than three sentences. But it felt like ages ago already and gladly, today it had also been a bit more light-hearted.
When he heard her turn on the shower, he finally got up and decided to unpack his luggage before making himself the coffee he had wanted. He would make one for Cora too. She would probably need one. A short image flashed before his inner eye. Cora smiling at him with surprised gratitude as he handed her a steamy mug. It was gone again as quickly as it came. But the feeling of her skin – even if it had only been her cheek – made him suddenly strangely aware of the fact that he had a wife by his side. Over all this time actually, she had been there. And what a wife!
Thoughts about her accompanied him to the kitchen. Robert witnessed how the stress really took a toll on Cora. Maybe Dr Baxter was right and it was really just all too much for Cora at the moment. If this was the case, Cora should take a step down. Who knew what burden Elsie had put on her with this strange promotion? If it was a real promotion at all and not only a manoeuvre to get someone to do the unwanted additional tasks. Perhaps Robert should talk Cora out of continuing it. Or maybe, he thought, maybe it wasn't only stress. Maybe there was more to it; something else that put her in this state. Even though, Robert had no idea what this could be. He shrugged his shoulders as he listened to the wheezing of the coffee machine, supporting his body with one hand on the kitchen counter.
He knew he wasn't good at this. Analysing personal problems. He hoped he could still help Cora somehow.
When he heard her come down the stairs sometime later, he took her cup of coffee and stepped into the corridor. He saw how she was already on her way right to her study.
"Hey, darling. I've made a coffee for you." He caught up with her as she pushed the door handle, turning around at the sound of his voice. She looked at him surprised.
"Oh!" Cora turned around and stretched out her hands to take the cup. She smiled up at him cautiously. "Thank you," she breathed. "That's considerate." She took a sip. It still had to be hot but she didn't seem to mind. Robert remembered that there was only one person who could beat him to his almost professional coffee consumption, and that was Cora. She looked up at him again after taking her sip, apparently considering something. Robert was oddly surprised when she rose to the tip of her toes and pressed her lips quickly on his cheek.
"I'm trying to hurry," she said with a nod to her study behind her. "But you know, I'm already behind."
"Well, mainly, don't stress yourself out, dear. And tell me if there is anything I can help you with." The smell of her flowery soap stuck in his nose now.
"Thanks. It's alright," she said before turning back around to enter her workspace.
He knew she had only put on something casual she had found after showering but he found himself transfixed with the way her worn skinny jeans hugged her hips and bottom. Robert shook his head to stop the train of thoughts that threatened to overtake him. Cora would probably get mad if he made a move or maybe even just an innuendo now.
Robert trudged back to the kitchen when Cora closed the door of her room. He enjoyed his coffee and tried making a plan in his head. He wanted to find a way to help Cora so that they could overcome the last week before her holidays started. He hoped she would be cooperative though, otherwise, it wouldn't work.
As he planned out today's lunch, he heard the creaking of the stairs, indicating that one of his daughters had woken up finally. Robert skimmed through a brochure of a pizza delivery and looked up shortly to see Mary walking in.
"Papa!" she called out surprised. "I didn't know you'd be back so early." She looked as if she had been up all night. Her hair was in a loose bun with nearly all of her hair slipping from the hairband and sticking out in all directions. Her probably dark eye bags were covered with these nonsensical skincare eye patches that the girls loved to buy.
"No, it seemed no one anticipated my return," Robert stated, moving his arm in a wide gesture to refer to the empty house.
"Where is Mama?" Mary asked with more interest than normal. She made herself a coffee while looking at Robert expectantly.
"In her study." Robert picked up his phone, preparing to dial the number of the pizza delivery. "But don't interrupt her now. She has a lot to do," he added.
"But–" Mary protested, but Robert raised a finger.
"No, no. Not now, Mary. She can't solve all your problems all the time. She has enough on her own plate," he made clear.
"I know," Mary drew out the words and rolled her eyes.
"You better tell me what pizzas I should order." Robert tapped on the brochure that lay on the counter.
"We're having pizza?" Mary hurried over. She swiftly flicked through and pointed out the two favourites of the girls while Robert called the delivery service. As he gave up their order, Mary made to leave the room but Robert quickly waved her back in. He hung up and pointed for Mary to stand closer in front of him.
"I'm not quite done with you," he said.
"Oh?" His eldest daughter looked at him warily. He pointed to the bags of empty liquor bottles and the waste on the counter.
"I decided to not confront your mother first thing. Though she should have prevented whatever was going on here, I don't want to add to her stress right now. Can you explain what this means? Or do I have to ask Edith or Sybil?" he said sternly.
Mary only had to look quickly at the offending items to know what he was talking about and pressed her lips together as she listened to him with a serious expression.
"Don't blame Mama, please!" she said. Her voice was even and cool as a cucumber, as usual. "She had nothing to do with it. I told her only a few friends would come over and she was already in bed when they came. And nothing happened, Papa. Really. It was very casual. There were no incidents." She turned to the counter as if she was looking for something. After a second, she grabbed a bottle of wine from the far end.
"Here!" she said and stretched out her arm to give him the wine. "Evelyn brought this. I shall extend greetings from his parents." Mary looked at him with hopeful eyes. Robert knew what she was trying to do. Appease him with something innocuous.
"But you are cleaning this up, right?" he said as he took the wine. Mary nodded. "And if I find anything that indicates last night has been wilder than you've let on, I will think about the proper consequences." Mary nodded again and started collecting the empty snack bags. Robert turned around and refilled his coffee cup.
"Oh? And Mary?" he added.
"Yes?" She turned to look at him, looking a bit chaotic still in her pyjamas with her messy hair, the baby pink eye patches under her eyes, and the crisp bag dangling in her hand.
"I don't want you to take advantage of your mother like this again. Do you understand me?" His words came out dangerously low, and he wasn't really sorry about that. Robert knew that Mary must have thought her mother's recent inattentiveness posed a great chance to do things she usually wasn't allowed to.
"Yes, Papa," she said quietly and looked at him with a sorry expression. It almost seemed as if she also felt sorry for him and not only for what she did.
Cora was surprised by the weird and unexpected turns of events this day. First, she overslept which wasn't at all like her. And then there was Robert sitting at her bed, more attentive and softer and closer than he had been in long when she actually thought him Leicester. She was so overwhelmed by his sudden gentle presence that she didn't find herself in the right mind to respond properly. Sitting at her desk now, she was afraid she had rebuffed too much. But his sweet gesture of bringing her coffee was a sign that even if that was the case, it hadn't thrown him off completely. He was still trying and this gave Cora great relief. She was so happy that he tried to reach out to her. The few soft touches she had received from him this morning made her realise how lonely she had been lately and how much she had missed his real presence beside her. Not only his physical presence in the house. No, she had had that most of the time over the last months. No, what she missed was him looking at her and not through her. And it seemed that maybe she would get that back after all. She had no idea what changed that he took such initiative – in a way she would have liked to do herself weeks ago if she just had the time and energy – but it didn't matter. She was just glad they were finally both willing to try again.
It pained her that she couldn't take him up on his offers right away. But she just had to sit at her desk now and get her grading done. She really had no choice. Oh, how she wished for the holidays to already be there!
She sneezed. Her cold didn't help the many burdens she had already. Cora looked for a tissue somewhere in her pockets. This sickness was really nasty. Her head still pounded nearly as bad as yesterday, her neck was stiff, and her throat was painfully sore.
After more than an hour of working, there was a knock on her door. Cora looked up from her essays and quickly blew her nose before calling out.
"Yes? Come in!"
The door opened a crack and Robert peaked in. He looked at her cautiously.
"I hope I'm not bothering you," he said. "But I thought you might like some lunch."
Lunch? Cora was baffled. Apparently, she hadn't known what this man was capable of.
"I ordered some pizzas for all of us," he explained. "Maybe you want to take a short break and come eat with us."
Cora nodded. She didn't even give herself a chance to think about the piles on her desk and just imagined how nice a warm pizza would be. "That sounds great!" she said.
She clapped her hands. "Let's go!"
Robert looked at her in pleased surprise. "Alright," he gave back. He held the door open for her as she stepped into the corridor after turning off the lamp on her desk. When she entered the dining room, the smell of fresh pizza rose to her nose. She inhaled deeply and sighed. There was warm food on the table and she hadn't been the one who had to take care of it. This fact alone would ensure that the pizza would taste better than anything she had eaten in the last month.
Sybil already stood at the dining table and looked through the pizza boxes.
"Hey, I told you to put out the plates and cutlery," Robert cut in as he came in after Cora and saw Sybil idly with the pizzas.
"Mary's doing that already," Sybil just gave back. When she noticed Cora, she let go of the pizza box and turned to her mother briskly. "How are you feeling, Mama?" she asked. Her sweet Sybil.
"I'm alright," Cora assured and gave Sybil a tight-lipped smile. She patted her youngest daughter's shoulder as she went to the table. "Do you think Mary needs my help?"
"No! You sit down already," Robert said in an assertive tone. He guided Cora to her chair and gently pushed her down.
When the table was set and everyone had appeared to eat lunch, the girls already dug in before Robert could say anything, and Cora could see how it annoyed him a little. She tried to appease him with a gentle look and was glad when he caught it eventually. He nodded to the pizza in front of her, encouraging her to have some too. She took a slice of the tuna pizza and took a hearty bite.
Cora nearly choked when she noticed the look Mary directed at her. Her daughter pierced her with an insisting look that travelled silently over the table. Everyone was busy with lunch and so, it went unnoticed. The tomatoey dough in Cora's mouth suddenly was a thwarting lump since her mouth had gone dry. Mary's eyes seemed to plead with her in a threatening way and Cora had a bad foreboding. She instantly had to think of the last time Mary confided in her. Cora's thoughts ran wild. She had to take a deep breath through her nose to calm down a little.
When Mary had finished her first slice of pizza, she pointed to the kitchen with her eyes. Cora, who wasn't nearly done with her piece of pizza, gulped down what little she was able to chew on and followed Mary while everyone else was already talking animatedly.
"What is it?" Cora brought out. She sounded both worried and irritated and she knew it, but she couldn't control her tone.
"I didn't want to alarm you," Mary started and she looked at her mother with a doubtful look without continuing talking.
"Well, but you did."
"Mama." Mary's voice was even. Cora felt something dangerous coming. "I have to confess something. And I have to tell you I'm worried."
"You're talking in riddles," Cora breathed.
"Maybe you want to sit down."
"Is it so bad?" Cora's eyes grew wide as her brows knitted together.
"I don't know actually," Mary began sounding a bit frantic now. "But since you're still sick I don't want to risk anything," she said with impatience.
"Tell me already, okay?" Cora said but sat down at the kitchen counter nevertheless.
Mary took a deep breath and after looking at the floor for a second, she implored Cora with her dark eyes. "I locked into your phone and read a message."
"Oh." Cora was confused. A bit relieved but confused. "But why would you do this?" She was genuinely wondering. "Isn't your old mother too boring to spy on like this?" she tried to joke lightly.
"What I found wasn't boring at all," Mary stated coldly. Cora gulped. She had no clue what this could be about but all the same, Cora felt caught. She just looked at her daughter, towering over her, and waited for further explanation as she felt an irritating heat rise on her face.
"So, you don't have anything to say for yourself?"
"Mary! Just tell me!"
"Oliver sent a pretty disturbing message."
The words hung in the air.
Both of them had a lot to stomach. When their eyes met again, Cora could see that Mary now had the tiniest hint of empathy. As she spoke again, her voice was a lot softer.
"I didn't want to spy on you. And I hadn't gone into your messages if I wasn't seriously worried, Mama. Maybe… maybe you can explain it to me."
Cora cleared her throat. "Uhm, could you show me the message?" She pulled out her phone. She quickly found the message herself. With Mary standing next to her, Cora let her eyes fly over the text and she felt a heavy weight settle in the pit of her stomach.
She read it again before releasing the breath she had held in.
… please Cora, I don't want to be played with. I had been so sure we had been clear with each other … Do you even still want it? I told you I was patient if you needed time, but I need to know if this will actually lead to something … But you would tell me if you changed your mind, wouldn't you? How about we at least go on a coffee date and talk? … Just let me know when you have the time.
Mary was right. This was seriously worrying. She turned her head to her daughter. Even though she was a helpless bundle of nerves, she tried to answer her lightly.
"Well, we can already rule out that he accidentally sent it to the wrong person when he's using my name. Even if that would be the most logical explanation."
Mary was about to interject something when they suddenly were disturbed.
"Hey, what is going on with you?"
Both their heads turned sharply at Robert's voice. "We are still having lunch," he proclaimed. Cora nodded instantly.
"Yes, darling. We're coming."
She heard Mary sigh when she got up to leave the kitchen. She knew there were still so many questions. By god, she was plagued by a multitude of questions herself. But the last she wanted to do now was worry Robert with this absurd story. She knew better than to risk their newfound harmony. So, she ignored Mary's pull on her wrist and instead tried to give Robert a sweet smile. He looked a bit concerned. Cora patted his shoulder when she passed him and said, "I'm still ravenously hungry. I hope there is still something of your nice pizza."
"It's not my pizza," Robert said. "I just ordered it."
"Well, I'm very grateful," she said as they went back into the living room.
Her stomach was in tight knots but Cora still tried to get down some more of the pizza. She really wanted things to get better between Robert and her, and whatever Oliver was up to, Cora was determined it wouldn't get in the way.
She practically sensed Mary's worried look on her but she didn't look up. She was too afraid she would pull Robert's attention to the issue.
When lunch was over and everyone cleared the table, Cora got a quick moment with Mary to make sure everything was alright. She put a hand on her shoulder and whispered into her ear as they stacked the dishes in the dishwasher.
"You don't have to worry, my dear. Oliver must have misunderstood something pretty badly but whatever you were suspecting isn't true. You know that, right?"
Mary breathed deeply before she nodded. "I was worried about… well, you and Papa for a moment, but of course, I actually know this is not true," she spoke quietly. "But, Mama, this is still super weird and I'm kinda worried about you." She turned to look into her mother's eyes.
"Well, there is no reason for that, and I will clarify this as soon as I get the chance," Cora emphasised.
"If you say so."
Oliver's strange message gave Cora no rest. Throughout the remaining hours of the day, it interfered with everything she set her mind to. She went back to the piles on her desk and tried to get something done before the next demanding week of work would start. Oliver's words still rang in her ears. The symptoms of her cold challenged Cora additionally. She could not get rid of her headache and by the early hours of the afternoon, a growing limb pain started pestering her. Even though she dreaded it, a part of Cora hoped for the next day to arrive so she could settle this weird struggle with Oliver.
When she went to bed this evening, her body ached from the sickness she couldn't properly cure with everything else she had to take care of. Robert came from the bathroom as she sat down on the edge of the bed with a groan.
"Maybe you should get a sick leave for tomorrow." He looked her up and down with a furrowed brow while trying to rub a splotch of toothpaste from his shirt. Cora rolled her eyes but even her facial muscles were a bit sore.
"No. I mustn't miss tomorrow. We have to set up the school fair and nobody knows how to properly set everything up with the paintings and such," she started explaining but she felt the last remnants of her energy waning, so she broke off her justification. "Never mind. I'm well enough, so I'll go." She slipped under the covers and turned off her bedside lamp.
"You act as if nothing would work without you," Robert's voice came from the still illuminated part of the room. "Do you really think everything would fall apart?"
Cora opened her mouth to protest. Why did he have to say such things when she finally tried to get some rest? He had been so sensitive today and now he invalidated her role that cost her so much of her energy and sanity. But as she wanted to call him out for the outrageous things he said, she felt herself deflate. His words took the strength out of her that she had hoped she still had.
She just sighed into her pillow and hoped to escape this as fast as possible. Her exhaustion better put her to sleep in an instant, she hoped.
The mattress shifted when Robert sat down. Cora sensed that his movements were cautious and thoughtful.
"I didn't mean to say this," he breathed. "I know you are doing a hell of a job. With everything." The room went completely dark when he switched off his lamp too. He settled beneath the sheets before he shuffled a bit closer to her without touching her.
"It's alright," she murmured. She was a lot less calm than she had hoped for. Oliver's words set her into a state of anxiety.
"Good night," Robert whispered.
"Night."
His hand came to rest on her hip and it made Cora hold her breath for a moment. She wasn't sure if she was in the right state for affection tonight. Luckily, he didn't go further and Cora could settle into the simple gesture of reassurance. It made her heart a little lighter, and even though she didn't have a deep and restful slumber this night, she felt a tiny bit safer.
Edith pulled up to the school's parking lot. She wasn't particularly thrilled to spend hours of her afternoon at her mother's school but she would do it anyway. Her father had said it was very selfless of her to help Mama, and Edith liked being appreciated like this. Part of her knew though, that she also had nothing better to do today. So, it wasn't that hard being selfless.
She parked the car and pulled her tote bag with the lemon print from the passenger seat. Mary always mocked her for this bag. You're not 14 anymore, right? But Edith didn't care. She liked the bag.
Edith walked up to the main entrance. A few students still played basketball in the yard but otherwise, the place had already cleared out. Everyone enjoyed their free time, Edith thought. As she entered the school, she saw some teachers in between boxes with decorations, talking and pointing around. She recognised Joseph Molesley and smiled back at him when he quickly raised a hand to greet her. Apart from him, she didn't really know anyone so she walked in the direction of her mother's office. She wondered how far Mama already was in her preparations. Maybe there wasn't that much to do anymore. But she tried to suppress this thought quickly. She came to help Mama set up the projects for the school fair she supervised and she knew Mama could need all her help.
When she arrived at Mama's office, she saw her a little down the hallway on a ladder, measuring something on the wall. She picked up her pace and walked over to her.
"Hey, Mama!" Mama turned her head and looked down at Edith. Her face was flushed and she looked exhausted. "I'm here. What can I help you with?" Edith asked.
"Oh, great, darling!" Mama lowered her hands and gave Edith the tape measure. She brushed her hands on her thighs before she clutched the ladder tightly and came down. "You don't mind standing on the ladder, right? Could help me take the measures, so we can hang up the pictures with the right spacing?" She looked a bit shaken when she came to stand on the floor.
"But you're not afraid of heights." Edith would know that.
"Could please just get up there?" Mama sounded slightly peeved.
"Sure," Edith hurried to say. She climbed onto the ladder and took Mama's directions as she marked the right spots on the wall. They made a short break to get all of the paintings from Mama's classroom. Edith had to say that some of them looked really good. They leaned them against the wall of the corridor, so they could put them up one by one. Mama showed her a scribbled plan on a piece of paper so that Edith knew in which order they had to go.
"This one is a bit crooked," Mama called from behind her.
"This way?"
"Yes–no, this was too much! I think it's best if you come here for a moment to look at it."
Edith stepped back and went to stand beside Mama. The picture was indeed crooked. She threw a sideway glance at her mother and wondered why she looked so distressed.
"I got it," Edith said. She went back to the picture and pushed it a little, hoping it had the right angle now. "Like this?" But no answer came. Without taking her hands off the picture, she turned to her mother and saw her looking nervously down the hallway as if she was looking for something. When the sound of voices came from the other end of the hallway, Mama's head snapped around, scanning the group of teachers. Edith could tell that she didn't find what she was looking for.
"Everything alright?" she called.
"What? Oh, yes, sure!" Mama quickly said and smoothed the front of her blouse.
"And?"
"And what?"
Edith pointed her head to the picture. "Is it good like this?" One really needed to have the patience of a saint for Mama.
"Yes, perfect!"
Someone needed to give this woman a proper holiday leave. Best send her far away. To a warm beach, where she could thoroughly take care of these frail nerves, Edith thought.
A/N: Thank you for your patience! I'm really glad about every reader that is still here. I know that the updates on this story aren't at least as regular and often as would make for a pleasant reading experience but it's the most complex thing I've written so far, so I need a lot of clear headspace to map out and write every chapter. Thank you for sticking with me nevertheless :) We are nearing the chapters I had envisioned since the very beginning. It's not particularly the end of this story (we have a lot to resolve still) but maybe the climax. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this new chapter! Since it's a lot of work I put into this story, your reviews mean more than anything! So please leave a review and stay safe!