Killing Me Softly 23
What Are Friends For?
"Where have you been?" Gerry asked as he pulled Sandra a little closed and wiped the tears that were flowing freely down her face.
"I'm not really sure." She pulled the duvet closer around them, he'd always been the one to turn to when she was upset and this is why he was one of her best friends. She loved him dearly but only as a friend and he loved her in the same way. Sandra had missed this, the deep chats and the comfort from someone else, the conversation from someone else who wasn't 3, related to work or some other mum asking where Olivia's dad was. "I went out to speak to Dan, I met him in our old local."
"How'd it go?" Gerry asked and you could tell he was genuinely interested.
"I fell apart. He started asking questions and I didn't know the answer. He made me feel so guilty and I couldn't cope with it, I ran out."
"I'll kill him for making you hurt." Gerry replied so angry at his friend for how he was making Sandra feel.
"It's completely my fault Gerry, he was right. I can't hide from this anymore. Anyway I left, I just walked and walked and I'm still not really sure where I was."
"You know the city like the back of your hand!" Gerry argued.
"I used to Gerry, I've been gone for years. I just walked, I needed some time to figure out a plan. I found a bench somewhere and just sat and tried to think things through."
"It was blowing a gale out there. I had Olivia through here looking for you because she was scared."
"Oh God, was she okay? She's terrified of storms, I never even thought while I was out. God I'm a terrible mum, Dan's right."
"You aren't a terrible mum, you have a lot on your mind and you needed that time. And she was fine, she had a hug with Grace and fell asleep again so I carried her back to bed and she's not so much as stirred since."
"Did she cry?"
"A little but as I said, she was fine. I'm more worried about you, you were outside in that!"
"I'm okay, after a few hours it stopped and it was just drizzling. That's when I decided to try and come back, only I didn't know where I was in the first place. I could hear drunken teens leaving the clubs so I headed in that direction. I bumped into a man in the force who used to be on my team when I was in charge of the murder squad, they brought me back."
"That was good of them."
"That reminds me, one of them was called Mike and said to say hello. He said his dad and you were thick as thieves."
"Yeah, I know who you mean. So are you okay Sandra?"
"I'll be fine, I have a plan but I'm going to have to get you to do me a couple of favours for me if you don't mind." Sandra told him as she looked up at him wondering for the thousandth time whether what she was doing was the right thing.
"Of course I will Sandra. Just tell me what to do and when and I'll do it. Are you going to run me through this plan?"
"I'm sorry I can't, if I tell you then you'll persuade me out of it and I can't do that. I need to stick to this plan. Now I think we both need some sleep because you have work at 9 and I need to get Olivia up at 7 because I can't disturb her routine anymore."
"I'm going to take the day off, I haven't seen you in years and you obviously need me. And even if you don't I want to be there for you."
"Gerry if I was your boss I'd kill you for telling me last minute..."
"Well if you were then I wouldn't need the day off, would I! Anyway she won't care too much."
"We'll just be hanging around tomorrow morning and then trying to find out if any flights are going back to France tomorrow afternoon."
"Even so, I'll hang around with you then. I want to make the most of this time with you."
"Well right now all you'll get tomorrow is a lot of moaning."
"That's no different to normal." Gerry laughed, the fact that it was half four in the morning clearly not having any impact on his humour.
"Very funny. Now sleep!" The pair of them curled up still in each other's arms.
If there was ever a perfect example of a friendship then they were it.