PART TWO.

Before I could object, he was calling her over. Part of me wondered if he had planned this. That he somehow knew she would be here, but I knew I was being stupid. It was just a coincidence. We lived in a small town after all, and this pub is everyone's local. I was bound to bump into Judith again sooner or later. I just hoped it would be later. Much later.

"Judith," he repeated.

Judith seemed to flinch at the second call of her name, and for a long moment she just stood there like she was unable to move, before she finally acknowledged my dad with a bright smile.

"Hello Mr. Busby," she said with a wave of her hand. Her reply was almost lost over the noise of the rowdy chatter, and she begrudgingly wandered over to us.

"Afternoon Judith," Pa smiled. "This is a surprise. Don't often see you in here."

"No." The girl shook her head, standing there awkwardly. I will admit, her dress looked rather pretty. It fell just above her knees, white in colour, and was patterned with large red roses. She seemed almost shy, not the forward girl I met just the other week. She self-consciously began to play with her hair, bringing each thick strand to fall over her left shoulder.

"Cousin Alice insisted that I keep her company," she continued to explain. "She's made plans to meet Paul, and didn't want to wait by herself. He isn't a very good time keeper."

"Young love ah?" Pa smiled fondly, turning his attention toward a couple standing at the bar, deep in conversation. I could only assume that to be 'cousin Alice'.

"Well, while Alice is distracted you're more than welcome to join us," he offered, patting the empty stool opposite him for her to take a seat.

I didn't feel the need to be so welcoming after our last meeting. I still couldn't be sure if she was to be trusted.

"Urm..." Judith pondered the invitation, shifting from side to side slightly as she did so.

"Oh, come on," Pa encouraged. "I'll treat you both to one of those cherry B drinks. What do you say?"

I was learning quickly that my Pa could be quite persuasive, and it was rather obvious that he wanted me to rekindle this lost friendship.

"I suppose," she shrugged, much to my surprise.

After a few more tentative glances around the room, she finally took a seat around the small table.

Pa looked rather pleased with himself, as he squeezed my hand. "I'll get those drinks." He got to his feet, making his way back over to the bar.

We both remained silent. I don't think either of us knew quite what to say. I watched her for a moment as she picked up a spare beer mat, and began to tap it absent-mindedly against the table. Just when I was about to open my mouth to speak, she beat me to it.

"Well, I didn't think I'd be seeing you again so soon."

"Pffftt," I scoffed.

"What?" She questioned. Her brow creased slightly under her fringe.

"I think we both know that you didn't want to see me again." I frowned.

"No. That isn't true," Judith replied quickly, before pausing for a long moment. "I guess... it's actually... urm nice to see you again." Her gaze darted to the floor. "I suppose I shouldn't blame you for thinking that way." She shrugged, her attention still focused firmly on the ground. "I guess I was a little rude toward you the last time we spoke, but you must understand that it was such a shock to see you again. When I stopped by the shop, I didn't think you'd be there. I'd heard that you were bed bound."

It felt odd, being the subject of gossip to complete strangers, but being a small town such as this I shouldn't have been surprised.

A more important question needed to be asked first, before it escapes my mind. The gossips can wait. "Why did you stop by the shop that day?"

She locked her brown eyes on mine with a sudden deep intensity. "I... needed to know for myself how you were. That you weren't as hurt as everyone said you were. And when I saw you standing there... you seemed fine. Normal even."

Normal. If only she knew.

"It was as if nothing had changed." She took a deep breath after that. "I'm guessing it has though. Well, clearly..."

I began to ponder what she had said for a moment. I didn't want the information I had learned to trickle away. To be forgotten. Inhaling sharply, I could feel the familiar pull of tiredness start to creep up upon me. It was quickly followed by a dull ache, that swept across my forehead forcing my eyes to close. I didn't want to sleep, not now. Not here. I refuse to let this feeling cloud my mind.

That was when I heard the meek tones of Judith calling out my name forcing me to open my eyes and bringing me out of my haze.

"Delia are you alright?" She asked, tentatively reaching forward and touching my forearm softly. "Shall I go and get your dad?"

"No," I shook my head, staring down at the small hand still grasped around my arm. "I just get tired sometimes," I explained, as she finally let me go.

"You looked in pain." Judith frowned. "Was it your head?"

"Yes. The pain comes and goes." I mustered a smile. "For the first week or so, all I did was sleep," I told her, relenting on my earlier bite at finding myself in her company again.

Judith fell silent and I noticed she began to tap the beer mat more forcefully against the rickety old table, until she gave a gentle sigh. "You do look pale."

I had to admire her honesty, and of late my appearance was the last thing on my mind. If it wasn't for mam putting my hair up for me every morning, then I'd likely just let it hang down.

"Getting knocked from your bicycle will do that to you." This had been my second attempt at humour, regarding my accident. The first was to Patsy after one of my spells, the day I left for Wales. I remember focusing on her blue eyes as I came round from the dizziness. They looked haunted, and I just wanted to take away the pain she was feeling. Take away the worry I had put there.

The same similar feeling flooded me now, not quite as intense, but I still felt the need to put her at ease. Make things better. Despite what we may or may not have fallen out over in the past. I guess mam was right about my nurse's instinct still being there. Somewhere deep inside of me. Judith looked just as uncomfortable as I felt, and holding onto seeming anger felt somehow foolish now.

My sarcasm must have worked, because she began to giggle. "I guess I really shouldn't laugh at that," she grimaced, her brown eyes still twinkling with amusement.

"No. You shouldn't," I teased.

"And if you don't mind me saying, you have dark circles under your eyes."

"Well, you certainly know how to flatter a girl." I looked at her more closely, questioning her sincerity for a brief moment.

"Sorry," Judith smiled. "I suppose I'm used to speaking as I find. Especially when I'm around you." She shrugged. "After all we did grow up together... We were rarely apart, and when you've spent most of your life with someone like that it's easy to fall back into old habits. I have to keep reminding myself that we're different people now." She sighed.

The weight of her words lay heavy. It was yet another part of my life that was lost.

With a sigh of my own, I answered her earlier question, as to why I might be pale. "This past week... I haven't been able to get much sleep."

"Oh? Is it the... pain?"

Yes it was. Emotional pain.

At my lack of reponse, she added. "I guess forgetting your whole life will cause a few sleepless nights."

The way she said it, I found myself laughing. It was like some sort of cathartic release. Like a small weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

We both started to laugh after that. Maybe it cleared the air. Her laughter was a girlish giggle, that was hidden behind her hand. For a moment I thought I recognised the sound, leaning closer I was startled by Pa returning to the table.

"I must say it's nice to finally hear you laugh again Delia." Pa placed the drinks down, but made no attempt to return to his seat.

"Thank you Mr. Busby." Judith smiled, finally placing down the beer mat she had been holding.

"You're welcome," he replied. "Well, since you two are getting on so well, I might go and have a quick game of darts with Bill. You girls continue talking and I'll only be over there." He smiled, collecting his pint leaving us to it.

"So. Why can't you sleep?" She asked, once Pa was out of earshot, taking a small sip of her drink. She seemed slightly more relaxed now.

"I tend to dream." I really don't know why I told her that.

"I always dream." She began to play with her hair again.

"What do you dream about?"

"A lot of things really."

"Well, that narrows it down," I laughed, as she smiled.

"Sometimes about silly things. Once I dreamed my cat could talk, just like Puss in Boots." She noted my confused expression, and told me a brief tale of the cat serving his master, before she continued. "Dreams can be lovely things. You can be in a world where you won't disappoint anybody." She pouted, and that I understood.

Judith ran her hand through her long hair again, seemingly lost in her own thoughts. It wasn't until I picked up my drink that she noticed the bandage on my hand.

"What happened there?" Judith asked.

"Me and a plate got into a bit of a disagreement." I smirked.

"I'm still always dropping things too. Mum said, there is nobody more clumsy than me. You were always tending to my bumped elbows or bashed knees. You used to say it made good practice." She giggled. "Do you remember that? Oh... I guess you wouldn't."

"No," I sighed, but I didn't want to dwell on that. "So. I always wanted to be a nurse then?" I asked her, intrigued.

"Most definitely," she nodded firmly. "You never wavered, apart from when you wanted to be an explorer."

"I wanted to be an explorer?" I shot her a curious glance.

"Very much so," Judith giggled. "We used to bicker about it. You'd always want to go and find some secluded cove, where as I wanted us to lie down in a field and watch the clouds as they rolled by." She shook her head. "You hated sitting still for too long. You were always looking for the next big adventure. We used to fight like cats and dogs about it, but we always made up..." She trailed off suddenly, and I was sure I saw her blushing.

After a long sip of her drink, she continued. "I do find this all rather strange. Me and you sitting here like this, and you so quiet. I would usually have to fight to get a word in. Or you would have your nose buried in a library book. Reading me facts about nursing and such."

Even though my mind was struggling to take in all of the information, I was starting to get a picture of our former friendship.

"I'm no explorer. Just the thought of leaving Wales fills me with dread."

"Is that why we had a falling out Judith?" I asked her.

My question seemed to startle her, and her hands moved towards her hair again. "I... we..." She faltered. "It's hard to explain..."

I butted in. "Was it because I wanted to move to London? Because you mentioned London the last time we spoke."

"I guess... but it doesn't really matter now."

Before I could push my point further, Pa returned to the table. "I beat Bill with just a couple of throws of the darts," he laughed, with a wide grin. "He now owes me a pint, but I can collect on that the next time." He smiled. "I don't know about you girls but I'm feeling hungry. I thought we could eat some fish and chips on the way home," he suggested. "Your mam will back soon Delia and I don't want her worrying if she finds you're not there."

The next words left my mouth without me even realising it. "We can't eat chips in the street."

"Of course we can," Pa shook his head. "That is what chips were made for, weren't they Judith, and you'll join us won't you?"

"Yes. To both questions," she laughed. "I'll just go and tell Alice that you're walking me home."

Before I could order my thoughts, we were leaving the pub with me trailing a few steps behind Pa and Judith. I could hear them talking about Judith's father and his boat. I could feel my heart begin to beat faster as I tried to keep pace with them. It wasn't that they were walking particularly quickly, but everything around me felt like it was moving just too fast, and my feet seemed to be getting heavier with each step that I took.

"Hmmm. Can you smell that, melys pys?" Pa stopped suddenly. "There is nothing quite like the smell of fish and chips." He squeezed my shoulder placing a kiss to the top of my head.

As Pa headed inside, I was only too glad for a moment to catch my breath. Standing there I began to stare at the shop window and the drawing of a blue fish smiling wearing a top hat that was painted on the glass. With a deep sigh, I could feel a heaviness fall over my eyes.

"It's very nice of your dad to buy me a bag of chips," I heard a voice say, but it sounded muffled in my ears.

"Judith," I muttered, as I turned around to face the girl standing next to me.

She stepped closer to me, but I felt her jump back when another voice sounded. "Dig in girls."

I looked down as Pa handed me a small parcel wrapped in newspaper. I could feel the warmth radiating through the bag, as he tore a small hole through the paper. Picking up a chip, I just stared at it and finally I let it fall from my hand.

'Don't forget my marrowfat peas, sweetheart.' I heard my own voice speak inside of my head, followed by a reply from Patsy. 'I won't.'

Yes. I had spoken these words. "Don't forget my marrowfat peas, sweetheart," I repeated out loud, claiming this memory once again as my own.

"Sorry melys pys, did you want peas?" Pa asked, watching me closely. "Delia?" He sounded more firm as I just stood there.

"I won't." I spoke out the very words Patsy had said to me.

Patsy.

At the very thought of her my vision started to blur and before I knew it I had fallen into Pa's arms sending our supper tumbling to the floor.

"Patsy." I called out, as he lifted me into his arms.

A/N - Thank you for the lovely reviews. Another very BIG thank you, also goes to Steff. For her time and trouble, and for correcting my silly spelling errors. It's very much appreciated. Thank you! More soon. x