Laurel's doing laundry on her day off when an unfamiliar number rings, and she cautiously picks it up. "Erm, hello?"
"-Laurel? It's Ellie." She sounds worn out.
"Oh, hi!" Laurel switches the phone to her other shoulder and goes back to folding. "How are you?"
"Oh, God, Laureeeeel..." Ellie groans, rubbing her temples. Her voice more than a little hoarse and exasperated like she's been using it extensively. "Hi. Sorry- I'm all right, but it's Hardy. He's gone and - ugh, he's done something incredibly stupid, Laurel, even for him. He's fine at the moment, I've got him here, but, uh- how are you? I'm sorry to call so early, it's just…"
She covers the phone to muffle the noise. "Yes, it's Laurel, you dolt- your nurse!" A light groan and she uncovers the receiver. "Sorry, Laurel."
The "dolt" comment- which Laurel has no trouble understanding despite the muffled voice- makes her grin. "Oh, what's he done, love?" She stands up, putting on a pair of shoes, feeling as if she'll be leaving her house soon. "I'm sure I can help."
Ellie sits down for this one and sighs. "Ugh, Laurel... He's dismissed himself from the hospital. Went over this morning to visit and they said he'd checked himself out at three... Went over to his house, and there he was, working-" coughs 'knob' under her breath- "I'm here now. Is he in any immediate danger, d'you reckon? 'Cause I will make him go back if I must."
"Oh, damn," Laurel mutters under her breath. She's not entirely surprised. "Mm, I'll grab my kit and come over, if you'd like. I can't force him to go back, of course, but I can try to talk to him and if nothing else, I can make sure he's doing alright for now. I'm sure he's in no immediate danger."
She pauses and grins. "I get awfully bored on my days off, anyway. It's no bother at all."
"Laurel, you're a scholar and a saint. I'll text you the address, or- d'you have it? Thank you, bless. Christ. I'll make sure he eats something."
"I think I know where he lives, but go ahead and send it to me just in case, love. Won't take me five minutes to get there… Oh, and Ellie?" She grabs a bag that she keeps packed for things like this and leaves, locking the door behind her as she goes. Hardy's street is just across the fairgrounds from hers, if she remembers right.
Ellie sighs in relief. "Mm?"
"Pour yourself a glass of wine, sit down, and relax a bit. I know he's stressing you out, but I'm coming to help. It's not all on you, okay?"
Ellie laughs a little breathlessly. "Aaaah, all right, then. I'll do that, too." There's a grin on her face for the first time all afternoon. "Thank you. See you."
Laurel smiles. "Chin up, Ellie. I'll be right there." She hangs up and checks the address she's been sent- she was right about where the house is. It's not another minute before she's knocking on the glass door.
Ellie slides the door open, glass of wine in hand.
Hardy's dropping a stack of papers on the table in the room behind her. "For god's sake, Miller-"
"Laurel!" Ellie smiles. "Thank you for coming over." She steps back to welcome the nurse inside.
"Any time," Laurel says kindly, touching Ellie's arm in solidarity as she passes into the house. She grins when she spots the glass of wine. At least one patient will listen to her.
Hardy gives them both a very flat look, his hands on his hips.
"So, Mr. Hardy," Laurel starts lightly. "I see you've taken it upon yourself to leave the hospital early."
"Yes, I have. I'm not going back."
"And why's that, love?"
He sighs, beyond exasperated. "I've spent enough time there." This is said with an air of finality as he turns to gather up the next stack of papers.
Miller tries to keep out of it for the time being, quickly drinking the rest of her glass and closing the door. "Don't be such an ass, sir. She's here to help."
"Thanks for that, Miller." Snide.
Laurel chuckles at the both of them. "You know we keep patients for a reason, right? Not just for our own entertainment." She approaches him with her bag in hand.
He drops the stack he's holding and watches her warily. "Is this necessary?" he asks dryly.
"I highly encourage you to go back, but if you're set on staying here, will you at least let me see how you're doing?"
Miller pours herself more wine, feeling as if she'll need it.
Hardy takes a deep breath. "I suppose."
"Thanks!" Laurel chirps. "How've you felt since you left? Have you been taking everything you were prescribed?"
He crosses his arms and sighs. "Yes, yes, I have been. Dutifully. Feel fine."
"That's good," Laurel says encouragingly. "Keep doing that, please." She pulls her stethoscope out of her bag. "Open your shirt for me, love."
There's a very brief eye roll, but he does as she says.
She presses her stethoscope to his chest, listening for the sounds of a properly functioning pacemaker. Though he's annoyed with playing the patient, he takes steady breaths to help "You're sounding alright," she murmurs. "Open up, I want to get your temperature."
Hardy buttons up his shirt and opens his mouth as he does so.
Laure's thermometer comes out of the bag next and she sticks it in his mouth til it beeps. 37°. Perfect.
"No signs of infection," she says softly. "We need to keep you that way."
"Mm."
"Let me get your blood pressure and then we need to have a bit of a chat, alright?"
He sighs. "Fine."
She takes his blood pressure- also fine- before sitting down next to him.
"You told me that Ellie's a mum of two, right?" she starts softly.
Miller's busying herself with other things, but she's feeling very smug listening to him being bossed around.
Hardy glances at Ellie and then clasps his hands, leaning his elbows on his knees a little. "She is," he confirms, raising an eyebrow.
Laurel nods. "You've got a daughter, too, so you know how much work it is to raise a child. She's got two. Twice the work."
He sniffs and doesn't answer.
"To be completely honest with you here, love, she doesn't need the extra stress of trying to keep you alive."
"It's not her responsibility." He glances over at Miller.
Miller rolls her eyes. "It is if you make it, sir."
Laurel shakes her head. "You don't know how women work, do you?" She's being very gentle even though he's frustrating her.
"...seriously?"
"She cares for you... so yes, she's going to see it as her responsibility."
"I don't-" He pauses, scrubbing his face with his hands and leaning back on the couch. "Of course I don't want to add stress, Darvill… But I'm not a child."
Miller snorts from the other side of the room as if this is questionable.
"I know you're not a child. But it doesn't matter. She's a mother and you're important to her. Mr. Hardy, all I ask is that you make a real effort to take care of yourself- you don't seem to want to do it for yourself, so do it for her. And for your daughter."
Hardy softens a bit, but he's still grim about it. "Alright…" He swallows and looks away. "But I can't go back. I've got-" Pauses. "I've got things. To deal with. People, they're included. I have to take care of them."
Miller mumbles something to herself about 'yeah, well, not if you /die/.'
Hardy doesn't miss this and he shakes his head. "Believe me, if I didn't have to, if it weren't urgent, I'd stay in that hospital until I was 100%. But I have people whose lives are in danger."
Laurel nods. "That's fine... But you've just had a very serious operation, love, and you need some monitoring. I'd like to come over a few times a day to check on you like I'd do in the hospital." She looks at him straight on, evaluating. "But I need you to trust my professional judgment. If something changes and I say you need to go back, I want you to go back. I don't know what it is you do, but I understand that it's important... And Ellie is right. You won't help anyone if you're not breathing."
He slowly leans back, nodding. "Alright. No, you're right. Thank you." Deep sigh.
"Good." She smiles at him again. "And please, call me Laurel. I genuinely prefer it."
"Fine. Laurel." He frowns a little, hoping he remembers it.
She chuckles. "Thanks. I'll go ahead and leave you to your work. But I'll be back this evening, okay?"
Hardy nods, moving to get up again. "Right."
Laurel moves toward the door. "Ellie?" she calls.
Ellie peeks out from the kitchen and hurries over.
"Laurel, thank you so much."
"Not a problem at all. I'm coming back this evening to check on him."
Ellie warmly squeezes the nurse's shoulder and nods. Low, so Hardy can't hear: "You're saving him, you know."
Laurel's got a touched smile on her face. "No, that's all you. He wouldn't listen to me if you didn't make him."
Ellie shakes her head and glances back over at him… he's already absorbed back in the pile of papers nearest him. "Oh, kind words... He's stubborn no matter what." Half smile and she gives Laurel a nod.
Laurel laughs. "I can tell." She hesitates for a moment. "Just so you know, though, there's wine at my house, too. I'm just one street back if you'd like to come visit sometime."
Ellie brightens a little. "I will, then, thank you." She grins; seems like she's found a new friend and a new ally.
Laurel heads for the door. "Alright, I won't keep you from your job any longer. See you in a few hours, Mr. Hardy. Bye, Ellie."
Ellie bites lip, a wee bit less worried and now able to focus on Fred a little better. "Bye," she says softly.
Hardy waves vaguely, but he's already busy again.
Laurel comes over midmorning of the next day. She knocks on the door and calls through the glass. "In there, Mr. Hardy?"
Hardy steps over some paper piles on the floor, pulls a cloth over a pin board and slides the door open. "Um. Laurel, hi."
"Good morning!"
"Morning," he replies. Quick smile.
Laurel steps in the house and starts pulling out equipment, following the little routine they've already established.
"Still improving?" She thinks his color is better today.
He steps back carefully over stacks, too, following her and nodding. "Mm. Not dizzy."
"Excellent." Laurel gives him a happy smile.
He finds place on the couch as established, thinking wryly that it's somewhat more convenient than a hospital bed if nothing else. The blonde nurse offers him the thermometer when he sits, which he carefully accepts and sticks in mouth.
Laurel reads the number and makes a note in the tiny notebook she's taken to bringing along.
"Shirt, please?"
He opens it, straightens his back.
Laurel examines the incision sites, clucking under her breath. "Little bit more red than I'd like today, but I'll keep an eye on it. Should be nothing to worry about."
Hardy nods once.
Daisy has let the "new answerphone message" notification sit on her screen for two whole days by the time she does anything about it. It makes her a little anxious, a little angry, a little belligerent because her shit father doesn't know how to leave her alone. She knows he knows how much she doesn't want to hear from him, at least not on /his/ terms, but he continues to try. He's come back once recently and she has to admit that it was nice to see him— well, sort of nice, at least— but that doesn't mean she wants to chat with him every bloody day.
Still, the answerphone notification taunts her, sitting there on her mobile in the form of a little red dot on the calling app, same as it does every time he calls. Finally, gritting her teeth and in full eye-rolling glory, she hits the playback button.
She thinks it's a good thing that she's alone when she listens to it, because it's not what she expects. She's known about his "broken heart" for a long time, but she's shoved it out of her thoughts, doesn't like thinking about it. The way he phrases it, though… they've "put" a pacemaker in him. She doesn't know much about pacemakers, but that sounds dangerous. With shaking fingers, she pulls her laptop computer off of her bedside table and starts to search and read.
She feels more and more like shit herself as she takes in the information that Google has to offer her. This surgery could have killed him, she knows it, and while yes, he's apparently made it through, she's let his call fester for two days. He could be dead now. Logically, she knows that makes no sense— someone would tell Mum, Mum would tell her, but she feels the urge to call him back and make sure. She's never really wanted to call him back before, but there's something about the possibility of losing him altogether that puts a damper on her resentment.
It doesn't help that he says "call me - when you get a chance," as if he knows she won't— and he's not stupid, she's sure he knows what to expect by now… but the "love you" clenches her heart because she does love him. She's just angry.
There's no question of ignoring him now, though, at least not til she knows he's alright. She hits the right button to phone him back and sits against the headboard of her bed with closed eyes and a pained expression, waiting for him to answer.
Laurel pulls out her blood pressure cuff and gets it situated on Hardy's arm. Once he decides he's going to be a patient and do as she asks, he's a fairly good one.
Hardy rebuttons his last button, quiet throughout the process. He has no problem doing what must be done.
"Do you have a scale here, Mr. Hardy? I'd prefer to track your weight once every couple of days... Just to make sure you're not losing weight."
"Sure. Think there's one around here."
He gets up to go check the linen closet, under the tub, a few other places it might be stuffed away… there it is! On the way back to the room, he swipes his phone off of the table, his scale tucked under his arm. "Shit," he murmurs, freezing and wincing at the notification on the display.
Laurel watches Hardy suddenly stop moving. "Everything alright?" she asks, concerned that he's had an unexpected pain.
"Yeah," he answers quickly, focused on calling his answerphone. He swallows when he hears Daisy's voice: "Hi, Dad, it's Daisy. I just heard your message, and, well- er, call me back?"
Softly, "shit, shit, shit..." He immediately rings her back, leaning on his knuckles on the table… frustrated with himself for missing her call. She never calls.
Laurel sits on the couch as she waits, worried about him but not at all impatient.
He's muttering under his breath. "Come on, come on…"
Daisy jumps when her phone rings, just a few minutes after she leaves a message of her own. She takes a deep breath before hitting answer. "Dad?" She sounds younger than her years right now because she's so worried.
His heart clenches when he hears her voice. There's nothing around him now except Daisy on the receiver. "Hi, darling… Got your message."
"Are you- are you okay?" Daisy asks hesitantly. That's more important than anything else she wants to say.
Hardy swallows, shifts a little. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine, everything's looking fine. I've got someone checking up on me and everything's working now." That's about all he wants to say about it.
"Oh, good." She's not sure what else to say about it, but her lip is trembling and she's so relieved.
"How've- how are things?" he asks, leaning on the table.
"Um, things are the same as always. I have Friday off of school, so that's nice."
"Oh, good. Conferences? Classes going well?"
She sighs. "Classes are awful. Conferences were two weeks ago. And Mum got a very good report, thank you very much."
He grins. "Ah. Glad to hear it."
"Listen, Dad…" She trails off, wondering if this is something she really wants to suggest... wondering if it's time to swallow her pride and start letting go of her resentment.
"...Yeah?" He pauses, proud little grin fading. Gently, "sweetheart, what is it?"
"Um, I was thinking, if you want, maybe I could come visit this weekend, since I have that day off? Mum could drive me over Thursday after school and pick me up on Sunday. I haven't seen your new town yet…"
Hardy has to take a moment, surprised, and the pause is just half a second too long.
"Or, or not," Daisy mutters.
"...I would love that, Daisy, yes. You're always welcome here."
"Oh!" She took his silence for a no at first. "Um, that's good, then. I'll have to ask Mum, of course, but I thought it might be a good idea, after your surgery and all."
He's got a smile on his face that's tentative but very genuine. "I would love to have you over, yes."
"I'll text you after I talk to her." Daisy's slightly nervous… apparently she's going to visit her Dad voluntarily for the first time ever.
"All right, darling. Talk to you then."
"Bye, Dad... I love you." It's grudging, slightly, but she means it.
"Bye. Love you, too."
He cannot believe it… cannot believe it! This is the first time Daisy has volunteered to spend time with him in… God, he doesn't want to think how long. He's just got to stand there leaning back against the table for a moment after hanging up, a slow, slightly painful smile growing on his lips, making him feel loads lighter. He turns the phone volume up- not going to miss anything from Daisy this time- and puts his phone in his pocket, returning to the couch.
"Right... Sorry about that, Laurel." He lets out a big sigh, but it's not a sad one. "Er—" He awkwardly sets down the scale he's apparently holding very tightly.
"Nothing to worry about." Laurel pauses. "It's nice to see you smile."
Hardy smiles again in spite of himself, laughing a little. "Yeah…"
"Talking to your daughter?"
"Yeah. That was Daisy. Going to talk to her mother about visiting... this weekend." He leans back and stares at the floor for a minute, lost in thought, wearing a very tiny, worn smile.
"I'm glad you got to talk to her. Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop... But that's lovely. I'm sure it will be so nice to have her here with you." She knows his smile isn't for her benefit, but she returns it anyway.
He looks back at Laurel and nods a little- "It's all right... I had to take it, right there - didn't mean to put you in that position. Thanks."
"Well, anyway, I hope it works out for you."
"Mhm."
She gestures to the scale. "Ready to take your weight?"
"Ah. Yeah." He stands back up, carefully stepping onto it. Squints vaguely down at the numbers, his mind wandering a bit.
Laurel notes down his weight. "We'll do it again in two days."
Hardy nods, steps off. "Laurel…"
She stands up and shoulders her bag. "Yeah?" There's a smile on her face.
"Thank you. For helping me," he says sincerely, his hands sliding into his pockets. "I know this is outside of your hours, and I want you to be paid for it."
"Oh, you're welcome! No, there's no need, I promise. I... I like doing it."
He quirks an eyebrow.
She opens her mouth, closes it again.
"And I like reading case briefings. I'm paying you." There's a little humour in his voice. "But you'll need to tell me how much, I don't want to underpay you."
She snorts. "Oh, yeah, you're a copper, right? I think I heard someone mention that."
Slightly wry smile. "Miller, probably. Can't keep to herself."
Laurel laughs. "She's great. But, I, um…" She's debating again, wondering whether or not she should share.
Hardy quirks his eyebrows, waiting.
"I lost someone. And he was alone when he died. John Doe situation, didn't identify him til he was gone. You were alone when you came out of surgery and onto my floor. I thought of my- the man I lost, and…" She pauses a little again, swallowing. Not the easiest thing to talk about. "It just helps, helping you. I don't want to be paid for it. Helps with the grief, I mean."
Wearing a grim expression, Hardy listens, keeping his eyes on her. "...I'm sorry."
She shrugs, a little uncomfortable. "Thanks. It was a few years ago. I've mostly accepted it."
He nods a little, contemplative. "All the same."
"Funny that you're police, though... Because the Bournemouth police never found out who did it. Ironic." She's not sure what made her say that.
"Mm." His voice is a little constricted. "Some cases…" A little awkward, he shakes his head and returns tentatively to the couch. "I'm sorry to hear that."
She shakes her head, too. "I know. I'm sorry. I didn't mean that as an insult. I'm sure they did everything they could to figure it out."
"No, it's all right. Sometimes it's not enough…" Hardy swallows back the tightness in his throat and has to drop his gaze, thinking of the various times that he's felt his own work hasn't been enough.
She nods, a small smile playing at her lips. "I appreciate what they did... or tried to do. I just miss my- the man I lost."
Very gently, "…your fiancé?"
She blinks at him a few times. "Yes. How did you know?"
He shrugs a little but still can't look at her again yet. "Said you weren't married... Sounded like you never had been. I don't know. Either that or your brother, but I thought…." He finally looks back at her.
"Oh. Well, yeah. We were two months out from the wedding."
He nods, unsure of what to say in response to this.
Her expression turns more bitter than it usually is. "Car accident. Hit and run."
Hardy doesn't want to push this, but if it helps her… "Oh, god…" He bows his head a little.
"He was supposed to be going on a business trip to London, and he went for a last minute jog before he drove over. But since he was supposed to be gone anyway, we didn't know to report him missing. They might've figured out who it was faster if we had. He was in a coma for three days. I found out he'd been hit on the fourth. The day he died, a few hours after his heart stopped."
He looks up again at her as he listens. She's going into it. She clearly needs someone to listen.
Laurel swallows and lets out a slightly shaky chuckle. "Sorry, Mr. Hardy. You didn't need to hear all of that."
His voice when he replies is very soft and a bit pained. "No, Laurel... I did. Because you needed to tell it. And I am so sorry."
She laughs again- it's still not a happy sound. "You're a patient, not a counselor. But still, I very much so appreciate you listening. Thank you."
Hardy leans back, settling in a little. "No, but I do hear these stories often. They never get less painful. I may not know how to counsel, but I do know how to listen, Laurel... And if you won't let me pay you for what you've done, then as least know that you have an ear, if you want one." He smiles slightly. "Think I can safely volunteer Miller's as well."
"The work you do... It's underappreciated. I couldn't do what you do and not become completely jaded. It's very kind of you to continue doing it even when you're supposed to be at home relaxing," Laurel offers in return, soft.
"Well…" Doesn't want to mention it's killing him instead of just making him jaded. "It's a lonely town."
She nods. "I've thought that myself. I've been here for six months and haven't really made any friends in that time. It's quiet, though, and I appreciate that." Bournemouth was too big for her. She misses it but she's happier here, even alone.
He nods back. "It's become less friendly, since that boy died. But the people here- they still care a lot. They've just been scared."
"Everyone has been very kind. Just not- I don't know, not overly welcoming. Like they expect me to do something."
"...Yeah. It wasn't always like that. It's a tourist town, so it's normally very welcoming... I'm told."
"Oh, what happened with that, that boy's death? You must know, since you're the police. It was on the news in Bournemouth, but I didn't pay much attention to it. Stuff like that- it just makes me too sad. I like to live in ignorant bliss."
Hardy sucks in a breath. "Well-" Slight pause. "It's why I came here... technically speaking."
"Oh?" It occurs to her that he may not want to talk about it. "I'm sorry, you don't have to tell me. It was callous of me to ask."
He shakes his head. "Not at all. You live here now, you ought to know what happened. It's changed things completely."
She swallows and shrugs. "Be that as it may, I don't want to tear open old wounds. It's such a childish thing, but... Every so often I find myself just /wishing/, wishing on a star or something like that, that bad things didn't happen. That people didn't die. Especially not children."
"Well..." Averting his gaze again, he speaks very quietly. "I don't think you're alone in that. The loss of that boy tore this town apart. Something like what happened here... it leaves holes. Ones that can't be filled."
Alec's phone dings with a text from Daisy. "Mind if I…?"
"Oh, no, of course," she replies, gesturing to his phone.
Mum says ok. See you Thursday at half eight or so, the text reads.
He can't help grinning a little, and he quickly replies. Thanks for the update. See you then. Love, Dad.
He pockets the phone, sighing a little. "Daisy said she'd come."
Laurel gathered from his expression that the text was from Daisy even before his words, and her smile is more genuine than it has been since she told him about Ben. "That's lovely."
He gives her a small smile because yes, it really is. Some part of him had been anxious that Tess wouldn't let her come, despite the agreement that they have in place.
He shakes himself, back to the grim subject at hand. "Anyway, it- it's worse for Miller, quite frankly…"
"Why is it worse for Ellie? Did she work on that case, too?"
"Yeah… yeah, Miller did work that case. She was my DS."
"Oh, I'm sorry for both of you. I can't imagine. And she's got kids, too..." She feels wrong for her morbid curiosity.
Hardy's a bit torn, on the verge of telling Laurel more of the story but changing his mind back and forth. "...it was her husband, Laurel. Her husband Joe was guilty."
It takes a moment for that to filter in. Her jaw drops when it does. "Oh, God," she whispers.
"The family whose son was killed... They were her best friends. Or- among them at least."
This time, her hand rises to her mouth. "That son of a bitch." It's the most venom she's had in her voice since coming to Broadchurch, and it sounds strange in her normally soft voice.
Hardy shifts a little because this is a bit uncomfortable, brows staring at a place on the ground again. "Mm."
"I'd never know something so terrible had happened to her from talking to her. She's made of steel. How horrible all of this must be for her... And she's such a lovely woman." She shakes her head, aghast.
"Well… Yes, it's destroyed her life. She's coping."
"She needed that glass of wine worse than I thought she did." This isn't intended to actually be spoken, just a thought, but it does come out. She shakes her head. "I'm very sorry. For her and for you and for this town. No wonder everything is the way it is."
He shakes his head. "...it's changed everything here, yes. I'm sure she'll appreciate your sympathy."
Laurel quirks her head. "Maybe I shouldn't try to give her any. It might be nice to have one person who doesn't know about it. I know it's been nice for me being here where no one knows about Ben- um, my fiancé- because back home, I stopped being Laurel. I was just the girl who lost her fiancé."
Hardy nods. "I know she enjoyed meeting you. She could really use friends right about now. It's much the same, here. Can't go down the street without people whispering."
"I would dearly love to be her friend," Laurel murmurs sincerely. "I just wish I could offer more than that."
Hardy opens his hands a little, almost like a shrug. "You've already done so much."
"Have I?" This both surprises her and pleases her. It's a discovery of sorts that she has friends here.
He finds himself half-smiling at her expression. "She mentions you every other hour, seems like."
Laurel laughs. "That's probably because you need regular reminders that you're supposed to be keeping up with your health, Mr. Hardy."
He's got to laugh at that. She might be right. "Be that as it may. She trusts you, already."
Laurel pinkens and smiles. "She may just be my first friend here." She's sure Ellie's trust isn't the world's easiest thing to gain these days.
"I think she might," he replies, smiling at her again.
She's getting a lot of enjoyment out of the conversation, but she now has a far greater understanding of what he does and why it's so important, and she feels as if she's taken up too much of his time as it is.
She lays a hand on his forearm and squeezes lightly. "Thanks for... talking and listening and- just, it's been nice. I'll go ahead and get out of your hair and leave you to your work."
He gives her a soft, very genuine smile… it's a rare expression for him. "It's been my pleasure, Laurel. Thanks for looking after me."
She feels a little bit like she's earned something unusual, taking in his expression. "Of course, love. And Mr. Hardy, if you ever find yourself in need of a friend... Well, my door's always open to you, too." She starts to gather up the remaining pieces of her kit.
"Thanks, Laurel…" He stands, too, picking up the scale to put it away again and trying not to hover.
"I'll see you this evening." She heads for the door.
"Yep. See you then." He waves.
This time, when she walks home, she's got a smile on her face.