"Jill."
"Mmm?" She answered, pausing in her actions; one hand immersed in the soapy water of the washing up bowl, the other holding a dripping but clean glass as she waited for the voice behind her to continue.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Yes..." She replied cautiously, realising he wanted something, the glass still suspended.
"Can you and Dad play a game with us tonight, please?"
She smiled, turning to face her 8 year old stepson. "Of course I will." Her smile widened even more as he beamed at her. "You'll have to wait until your Dad comes home to ask him though." She couldn't prevent a catch in her throat in as she spoke.
"When will he be back?"
"I don't know sweetheart." She replied, the smile now forcefully fixed, no longer resting naturally on her lips.
It was a Sunday, usually meaning no work, and a day they used to look forward to eagerly through the week: a time to spend quality time together as a family. But those Sundays had become a distant memory. The past few weeks, Jill had been called out to accidents, or emergencies at the hospital. These had become events Jill was eager for, to give her an excuse not to be trapped in awkwardness all day. This Sunday, however, Gordon had answered the telephone first and so he had attended, leaving her to spend an enjoyable day with the children. She'd missed them; with her early starts and late finishes she'd barely seen them.
She cooked dinner for herself and the children, and then helped them finish their homework for the next day, all the while nervously dreading his return home, whilst the children eagerly anticipated him. They were practically bouncing around with impatience by the time the unmistakable sound of the front door clicking shut reached her ears. The children dashed out to greet him, whereas, in contrast, she was sat, practically frozen to the settee. They'd barely spent any time together, and she was unsure how she was going to act normal around him, for the children's sakes.
The heard them excitedly babble to him, eventually breathlessly ask him to play a game with them, as if his answer was the most important thing in the world. She held her breath, part of her hoping he'd say no, but the other part knew this was selfish on her part and not fair on Tom and Katie.
She swallowed back tears as he said yes and made his way with the children in tow into the room in which she was sat. She murmured 'hello' without looking up, painfully receiving a tight greeting in response.
Tom and Katie sat behind the Monopoly board, already set up on the floor in his absence. She lowered herself to the floor, realising, as she settled that with the position of the board, the furniture, and the three of them, the only comfortable place for Gordon to sit would be next to her. And indeed he did so without comment, obviously consciously ensuring he didn't touch her, didn't even brush a hand against hers.
