Post 'Duck and Cover'
She looked to her phone, relieved to see the message light dark. She slipped off her shoes and turned on the kettle. If someone had needed to contact her they'd have called her cell. Except Danny. He'd have called her at work – but not while the nuclear crisis was going on. He'd have called her at home, left a message, patient as ever, not wanting to interrupt her. But he hadn't called. Of course not. Expecting a call was ridiculous. She put a tea bag in a coffee cup and then rubbed her eyes.
Hold hands on the way down, he'd said.
She smiled, held her fingers to her lips, found she'd been holding her breath, and breathed again. She poured hot water into her cup and watched the water change colour.
Carrying her tea toward her bed, she passed the phone, dormant in its cradle. Out of the corner of her eye she imagined the light flashed. She looked at it directly. No, definitely her imagination.
She sat on her bed, sipped her tea, burned her top lip. She put the cup down and lay back for a moment before resolution swept her out of the room. She took the phone with her back to her bed, lay down, dialled, waited…
"Yeah?" Danny answered.
"Danny?"
"CJ?"
"Did I wake you?"
"No, well, yeah, but I fell asleep on the couch so you're saving me a crook neck."
"Oh, good."
"Everything okay?"
"Sure. I just wanted to say I'm sorry for the other night."
"Don't apologise."
"I'm not apologising, as in I had no control over the situation and really did have to leave –"
"Yeah, I figured. It's okay, really, I understand."
"I would have liked to finish the conversation." She waited for his reaction but it was silent.
Eventually he spoke, "Go for it."
"Okay."
After several moments silence, wondering if she was still there, "CJ?"
"Turns out I didn't really know what to say."
"You don't have to…"
"I think a response of some sort would be the nice thing to do."
"Take your time. I have dinner dishes to deal to."
She could hear crockery clunking and a tap running.
"I'm definitely more comfortable with incrementalism."
"You're uncomfortable."
"It's not necessarily a bad thing."
"Okay."
"I haven't really had a minute to think about it till now, but I didn't want to leave you hanging like that."
"That's reassuring."
"Well, good." She waited for the noise of running water to stop. "I'll be thinking about it."
"Okay."
"Alright then. Good night."
"Night CJ."