"So, this is where you'll be staying!
Everything he said seemed to come with an exclamation at the end of it, as though she should be impressed.
Dr Mollengraaf, or Henry as he kept insisting she call him, pulled up into the driveway of a large detached white board house, a proud pole in the middle of the perfect garden, a giant American flag fluttering and billowing against it, streaking out straight as she stepped out of the car, as if trying to gain her attention.
"My wife is inside getting breakfast."
He held open the front door for her so that she had to bob under his arm to enter, she caught a whiff of his aftershave, strong but not unpleasant.
A clattering of something in the kitchen, followed by the hurried scuttle of footsteps and a woman appeared at the end of the long wide hallway. She was untying an apron that she wore, her dark hair, thick and waved bouncing on her shoulders.
"Dr Hanna! Hi, I'm Helena!"
She was all teeth and smiles, she offered a delicate hand to Zoe, who shook it, momentarily worried she was expected to kiss it.
"Breakfast is just about ready, so If you'd like to come through...?"
Her smile didn't falter, her teeth impossibly white, her skin the colour of milky tea, her eyes two clear blue jewels surrounded by perfectly applied Kohl.
Henry ushered her forward into the kitchen, a long, wide room all white and chrome with a long lantern skylight along the ceiling which showed the tempestuous clouds overhead.
"We had that installed when we moved in. Pretty impressive hey?!"
Henry followed her gaze up to the lantern, the odd glimmer of sunlight set the glass ablaze with yellow light.
"It's beautiful."
She agreed, suddenly realising she hadn't said a word since they had entered the house. All this strangeness all at once had made her dizzy.
"Oh! I love your accent!"
Helena stopped whatever it was she was doing to glance at Zoe, her excitement over the way she spoke oddly overacted.
"How long ago did you move here?"
Zoe asked, glancing about at the pictures on the walls, abstract art pieces, was that a Kandinsky by the fridge? She peered at it before Henry stepped in front of her.
"Just last year. It's been tough. We moved from Chicago last September from a two bed flat."
He answered, still grinning unnervingly at her. Wasn't it a German who had eaten someone once, she wondered absently, glancing back to where the large family dining table was set for breakfast.
"Take a seat folks! Breakfast is served!"
Helena bought over a plate stacked high with thick looking pancakes drizzled with what she assumed to be maple syrup, the plate teetered on her arm as she placed it, her smile wobbled with it, for a moment she looked agitated.
"How very American..."
Zoe smiled in thanks, looking at the pancakes, steam rising from them. Helena turned her attention to the coffee machine.
Henry speared three pancakes and plopped them onto her plate in a rather unappetising manner, the syrup leaking from them, watery and insipid.
She took a mouthful while Helena carefully placed a mug of black coffee down in front of them, followed by milk jug, spoons and sugar, neither of which Helena nor Henry used. But they watched intently as Zoe ladled two teaspoons of sugar and a good glug of milk into her own.
"How was your flight?"
Helena asked, taking only one pancake and pushing it about her plate with a fork while Henry stacked four or five onto his.
Zoe nodded through a mouthful, they tasted mildly better than they looked.
"Fine...long..."
She smiled, Helena seemed to be desperate to make her feel at home. The original family that had planned to put her up in three weeks hadn't been able to do so at such short notice and Guy had had to find another in the hours before she arrived. She felt as though she had interrupted something between them.
"I'll show you to your room later, Henry has work so you can rest. I'll just be here until 3 when I pick the children up."
Helena explained, smiling again, nibbling at the edge of a piece of pancake that she had on the end of her fork, her eyes swivelled to Henry who was rushing through his own.
"Children?"
Zoe asked, attempting something that she hoped sounded like interest.
"Angelica and Milo."
Helena pointed above Henry's head with the prongs of her fork, where a black and white print of two young faces peered out at them.
"Ah..."
Zoe looked at them, fair haired, delicately featured children with fixed smiles and their mothers teeth.
"How old...?"
She asked, suddenly feeling as though she were expected to take an interest.
"Five and seven, Angelica is the oldest. She thinks she is a teenager already..."
Helena tailed off with a faint laugh, Henry looking at her, his blue eyes cool and stern.
"Have you got a family, Zoe?"
He asked, swallowing the last bite of his breakfast and raising his coffee to his lips, blowing across the top of it so that it bubbled.
"No..."
She shook her head as she spoke, forcing a smile.
"No husband?"
He asked, glancing to the ring she wore on her hand.
"No..."
She said again, catching his gaze.
"My mothers."
She raised a hand, her ring catching the light.
"Well you never know, you might meet someone while you're here."
Helena spoke unexpectedly, her voice had an edge to it as though she meant something other than what she had said.
Henry placed his coffee cup down with a sharp clip as it hit the saucer.
"Time to save some lives I think..."
He said pointedly, pushing his chair back so that the back legs grated noisily on the stone floor. He stood up and belched. Helena touched her lips with her fingertips, turning her cheek so that he could kiss her, chastely on the pale skin that she presented.
"I'm looking forward to having you on my team tomorrow, Zoe."
He placed a large, strong hand on her shoulder, his fingers brushing her collar bone as he exited.
"Bye folks!"
He called, overly cheery.
As the front door closed a calm seemed to settle over the house.
"This must seem so strange to you, and when you're so jet-lagged too!"
Helena spoke so softly into her coffee cup, her blue eyes meeting Zoe's, a smile at the corners of her lips.
"It's certainly different."
Zoe cast her eyes over the room again, trying another smile. With an unexpected lurch in her stomach she realised she missed home, missed Holby, missed...
"Shall I show you to your room?"
Helena asked, standing and pushing the uneaten pancake away from her on it's plate.
"Yes...please. I didn't bring much, I thought I could do a bit of shopping while I'm here."
She found herself speaking as though she were someone else, cringing to herself as she followed Helena up back through the house and up the grand front staircase, collecting her bag from the banister as she did.
"Oh, I'll have to take you shopping."
Helena glanced back at her as they reached the top of the stairs.
"Henry applauds me on my ability to spend money."
Zoe wasn't sure whether to laugh, smile, or whether it was even a joke. She nodded briefly instead and Helena lead her along the landing to the far door, pushing it open, and stepping aside so that Zoe could enter first.
The room was decorated with intricate pale pink wall paper, the skirting boards gleamed a glossy white, white curtains hung at all three windows, and the white carpet squidged seductively between her toes.
"I hope it's alright?"
Helena asked, watching her guest take in her surroundings.
"It's gorgeous."
Zoe moved instinctively over to the window, looking out over the tree lined street beyond the manicured garden.
"Thank you..."
She said turning her back on the view.
"For letting me stay."
She added. Helena smiled again, this time a soft, pretty smile, she dipped her head.
"That's ok, I like to have something to do...someone to look after."
Again there was the hint of an alternate meaning in her voice.
"Shall I leave you to it? I could wake you for dinner? Henry is back at four, then in again at seven. I could take you out while the children are with their father?"
She sounded eager, Zoe guessed the days must be long with Henry working so much and the children at school.
"Take you shopping I mean."
Helena corrected herself, flushing a little.
Zoe smiled despite the unease of their exchange.
"Ok..."
She watched as Helena smiled again, and dipped her head as she retreated from the room, she reminded Zoe of a 1930's maid, not a successful doctor's wife.
She turned back to the window. There were houses just like the one she stood in all the way down the street on both sides, all bright white with their dominant flags and sleek four wheel drives parked in the drives.
She looked above the houses to the flat farm land beyond. She hadn't expected it to be like this, she'd expected to be in the middle of a city. She touched her fingers against the silk white paint of the window sill, breathing against the glass. A flicker of a memory lifted the corners of her mind, poking it's head in before she had a chance to chase it away. She remembered that first night, when Max had stood against his bedroom window, his breath clouding the rain stained glass as he looked out, wiping the window to see Robyn and Lofty coming home early.
She drew in a long breath, and exhaled like he had, her breath clouding the glass so that she could no longer see the pretty street beyond.
She turned away, padding over the carpet, climbed into bed and slipped her feet under the duvet. She rested her head on the pillow, hearing the soft crunch of feathers under the weight of her head. She closed her eyes, wishing despite herself that he was here.
First update of this evening! There will be more action soon I promise, I am awful at getting stuck in the detail and taking forever to get where I'm going, sorry :)
Thank you again for all the lovely supportive comments that keep me going! xxx