Authors Notes: Thanks to Fabio, Stacey Ellen and Phoenix Angelwolf for reviewing, will try to update soon. Please read and review.
Chapters 3 and 4 were meant to be one chapter but i have split them up otherwise it would have been one very long chapter!
Chapter 3
It's Tuesday morning. Neil Manson hurriedly makes his way out of his flat, a set of keys in one hand. He stops and locks the front door, before continuing to his car.
Climbing into the car, he drops his coat on the seat next to him. Shutting the car door, he places the key in the ignition. He's about to turn the key to start the engine up, when obviously remembering something he grabs his coat again. Hands searching the pockets of the coat, he finds what he has been looking for. Folded up in one of the inside pockets of his coat, is the letter containing the address he is heading for.
Its mid-morning and Andreais busily racing around trying to restore her some what chaotic flat to some sort of order. This isn't unusual of a Tuesday for her. It's one of her few days off each week and the day is normally spent tidying and doing any chores. Except this Tuesday she has less time in which to tidy, what with Neil coming round early that afternoon. And her messy flat which looks like a bomb has hit it, does not comply with the impression she wants to give Neil. The disaster stricken living room does nothing to imply that she is coping with life.
It's heading on for mid-day and Neil is pacing around a baby store. He's been in there for 5 minutes now, aimlessly walking down the aisles. He's looking for something although he's not exactly sure what. He wants to buy Annabelle something, to give to her that afternoon, but with babies not exactly his specialist subject he doesn't have a clue.
He begins to head up an aisle, containing shelves full of toys, when a shop assistant approaches.
"Can I help you sir?"
"Yeah, I'm looking for something for... for my daughter." He smiles at the last part a hint of pride in his voice.
"Right, and your daughter is how old sir?"
"She's a baby, yeah, 3 months old she is. I was thinking of a toy or something, or a teddy, I'm not sure really"
With this the shop assistant continues down the aisle, Neil following behind her.
"Okay, sir." She stops at a selection of baby toys. "these toys here are in your daughters age range, I'm not sure how much your looking to spend but if you just have a look."
"Okay then, thanks for your help"
The toys on the shelf still look as though there from a different planet to Neil but eventually he finds something. A soft, pink teddy that plays a tune when you squeeze its hand is what he decides on buying for her. He makes his way to the checkout and pays for the teddy.
It's now early afternoon and Neil should be arriving at Andrea's any time soon. Andrea's sitting on her sofa, feeding Annabelle, who has just woken up after a nap. The flat is now all tidy. Dirty washing has been put away, baby toys in one corner instead of strewn across the floor.
Annabelle's now finished her bottle and Andrea gently lowers her onto a blanket on the floor, whilst she puts the empty bottle to be washed up. Her eyes keeping glancing at the clock, like they have done all morning. She'd hate to admit it but she's nervous about seeing Neil again. It's been over a year now, the last time they'd spoke, Neil had been furiousandshouting at her. Not that she hadn't deserved it but it the memories of it all, still hurt and seem to increase her feelings of nervousness. She knows though she needs to stay focused on what is best for Annabelle instead of dwelling on the past.
A knock at the front door interrupts her train of thoughts and she immediately glances up at the clock. It'll be Neil. Her heart has starting to beat faster and she seems to have become paralysed to the spot. Another knock at the door and she starts to move. Leaving Annabelle lying on the blanket she makes her way to the door.
Neil is standing outside Andrea's ground floor flat. The letter containing her address, in his left hand. He keeps checking the address making sure he's come to the right place. In his right hand is the carrier bag with the teddy for Annabelle in it. His eyes glancing round at the area once last time, he folds the address and puts in his pocket before taking a deep breath and knocking at the door.
He stands there, head down, staring at his feet, waiting for the door to be answered.The sound of a baby's cry makes him look up at the door but a glance over his shoulder reveals it to be that of a child in a buggy from across the road.
He continues to stand there shuffling his feet and then decides to knock again. He tries to listen for sounds of life coming from the flat but he can't hear anything except the to-ing and fro-ing of cars along the road. It occurs to him that maybe she has gone out on purpose to avoid him, causing a sense of panic to rise in him but he thinks back to the letter where she'd said he was welcome to visit. Andrea may have lied to him in the past but he can't believe she'd go back on her word without contacting him. He decides to continue to wait a bit longer before he tries knocking a third time.