Why didn't she tell her girlfriend about me?
Sian was putting away groceries in the kitchen and couldn't stop thinking about her run in with Sophie, no matter how hard she tried. Maddie had no clue who Sian was. Maybe Sophie was embarrassed. She can see why Sophie wouldn't want to tell her new girlfriend how she had cheated on her ex-fiancée and was found out on their wedding day. That might put a damper on their relationship. But was that it? Maybe Sian just wasn't important enough to mention? It had been eight years…That's a long time. It must be over and forgotten in Sophie's mind by now.
But Sian hoped it was the first reason. Not only because she still held the tiniest bit of resentment toward Sophie for breaking her heart, but because she wouldn't want to think that Sophie had completely forgotten about her and everything they had. It would be understandable if she had. But Sian hoped she hadn't.
Sian's doorbell rang before she could psychoanalyze the situation even more. Sian opened the door and she was met by an old neighbor carrying a container of food that looked to be brownies.
"Hi Sian. I don't know if you remember be, but I'm Mrs. Weatherbee. I used to take care of you when you were younger and I knew your dad very well. I just wanted to come over here and offer my condolences. I also baked you some brownies. You used to love my brownies when you were little."
Well, she wasn't wrong. Sian did love brownies when she was little and they're still her favorite treat.
Sian said thank you to her old neighbor and retreated back into the flat. The next ten hours were filled with sporadic knocking on her door by neighbors and family friends who had come to check on Sian and bring her some sort of pastry to drown her sorrows with. She received a chocolate cake, chocolate chip cookies with a gallon of ice cream, more brownies, and a fruit salad. At least someone was courteous and recognized that she might need something healthy to mix in with all of this chocolate.
But Sian couldn't eat any of it. It didn't feel right. She would normally call a friend over to have a movie night and pig out with all these delicious desserts, but not when they're sympathy sweets. Sian looked around the kitchen and living room and saw emptiness. She was the only one there. The only living thing in that house, actually. There wasn't even a goldfish or a plant that she could share the space with. It was just her and some furniture. And then it finally hit her. For the first time since she had come back to Weatherfield, her loss settled in. Her dad died. He's gone. There is nothing else in this house that is alive besides her. And that scared Sian. She didn't expect it all to come pounding at her at once. Waterworks exploded from her eyes. Sian didn't understand why she was crying so hard all of a sudden. She had been there for almost two days and the finality of the whole situation was just setting in now? Sian didn't know what to do. She just knew that she didn't want to be alone.
Sian threw on a pair of shoes and a light jacket and walked out the door. She didn't know where she was headed; she just had to get out of that house. She hadn't even realized it had started to rain until she felt her socks start become wet from the puddles on the ground seeping into her shoes. Before she knew it, Sian was standing in front of Rosie's apartment. How did she even remember where Rosie lived? Sian slowly walked up the front steps and knocked on the front door. Rosie answered quickly. Rosie opened the door to find a soaking wet Sian, shivering slightly, and ushered her into the apartment. It wasn't until Sian was inside that Rosie could tell Sian was crying.
"What happened?" asked Rosie.
"My dad is gone" answered Sian. "He's gone and the plants are gone and..." Sian slowed down to try to catch her breath. "I just don't want to be alone," Sian whispered.
Rosie pulled her into a tight hug. Sian didn't understand why Rosie was being so nice, but she really appreciated it.
"Tell you what. We're going to have a girls' night. I have ice cream and rom-coms."
Sian smiled the first real smile she had all day. All she could muster out was "okay."
Rosie went straight to the kitchen and brought back a gallon of chocolate ice cream and two spoons. Now this Sian was okay with. The rest of the night was spent laughing and crying (but only over the movie) and laughing some more. And for the first time since she got back to Weatherfield, Sian slept through the entire night.
*beep* *beep* *beep*
"Arghhhhh!"
Sian's alarm went off. Sian looked at her phone. 7 AM. "Ughh," Sian grunted. Her and Rosie had stayed up well past two in the morning watching movies and talking. Sian was way too tired and unprepared for today to start. She had to meet some extended family at the funeral home to prepare for the wake that evening and the last thing she wanted to do was get out of bed.
"Turn that blasted thing off!" Obviously Rosie wasn't too happy about waking up this early either.
"Sorry" mumbled Sian before she pulled herself up and climbed out of bed.
After a quick shower, Sian got dressed and headed out.
The day dragged on. Sian had no idea how to plan service arrangements, but luckily her long-lost aunt and uncle stepped up. Sian simply followed orders and answered questions when she had to. The last thing she wanted to do was spend her afternoon standing in a room full of people she barely knows, talking about her father and crying over his body. It was so morbid, she thought. Nevertheless, Sian stood in a line with her family, next to her mother and some relative she met maybe twice in her life, and greeted people as they walked in.
Three hours? I can barely stand another five minutes of this, Sian thought to herself.
The first hour went by rather quickly as friends and acquaintances of her father flooded into the room to pay their condolences. By the time Sian was able to escape the greeting line for five minutes, an hour had already passed.
After getting a drink and using the toilet Sian went back into the room, plastered on her fake smile, and continued the assembly line of hugs and hand shakes. She had no idea her dad knew this many people. Eventually Sian struck up a conversation with a couple of cousins she hadn't seen since she was young. It was refreshing to be able to casually talk to people without having to feel the sympathy oozing out of them. One of her cousins had a job as an accountant in the financial district and the other was going to medical school in London. Sian made sure to get both of their numbers before they left. Having a couple more friends in London was never a bad thing.
Sian looked at the clock. Only 30 minutes left. Thank god, Sian whispered to herself.
She hopped back in line to greet the remaining people trickling in. She didn't pay attention to any of them though. Each face was a blur and they all said the same things. "I'm so sorry for your loss." "Your dad was a good man." Yada yada yada.
Sian stared at the ground most of the time and looked up briefly whenever someone came to shake her hand. Like clockwork, when the next person approached her, Sian looked up and stuck out her hand for a handshake. But as soon as she looked up, both Sian's hand and mouth dropped simultaneously.
Sophie was wearing a gorgeous black dress with black wedges and a light belt around her waist. She stood slightly taller than Sian and in that moment Sian couldn't breathe. She was shocked, mostly by Sophie showing up, but partly by how amazing Sophie looked. She can pull off any outfit and even turn a wake into a fashion show.
Before Sian could say anything, Sophie leaned in beside Sian so her lips were right next to her ear, "I am so sorry, Sian. So so sorry."
And with that Sophie moved on to shake Sian's mother's hand, hoping Sian's mother didn't recognize her. Fortunately for Sophie, even if she did recognize Sophie, she sure didn't show it.
Sian watched Sophie smile and shake her mother's hand, say a quick prayer, and then walk out of the room.
Sian was stunned. Why would Sophie come? Sian replayed Sophie's words in her head. Sian forgot to breathe again when Sophie leaned into her and she was too nervous and confused that she barely heard what she said. I am so sorry, Sian. So so sorry. Sian replayed Sophie's words in her head. Sophie's tone was deep, serious, regretful. Almost like she wasn't just talking about Sian's dad. Her short apology was so heartfelt, so strong, Sian had only dreamed of one like it many years ago.
By the time she had fully processed what had happened, it was time to leave. They would be back tomorrow for the funeral. And then Sian could leave Weatherfield once again and go back home.