A Heart Worth Healing

Chapter 17

The next morning, Kirsty awoke from an uneasy slumber. She did not like waking up with a headache. She realized that she should have taken a pain killer before she had gone to bed.

After Kirsty got dressed and went downstairs, she found Maggie in the kitchen.

"Good morning, Maggie," she said, going over to the counter to pour herself a cup of coffee.

"Mornin' , Miss," Maggie answered, stirring a pot of porridge on the stove.

"I want to apologize for getting angry at you last night, Maggie," Kristy said sincerely. "I shouldn't have been so rude to you and I'm sorry."

"Oh, that's quite alright, dear," Maggie answered cheerfully. "I know you haven't been feeling like yerself."

Kirsty smiled gratefully and accepted a bowl of porridge from Maggie's outstretched hand.

"Thanks," Kirsty said, going into the dining room.

After breakfast, Kirsty told Maggie that she had some errands to run and she went downtown to her lawyer's office.

Mister Bannen's secretary showed Kirsty into his office the moment she arrived. Mister Bannen walked around his desk and shook her hand.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Miss McLaren," he said, smiling. "Please have a seat."

"Thanks," Kirsty answered, sitting down.

"You look as though you have recovered from that awful car accident," he noted, sitting down across from her.

"Yes," Kirsty replied. "I feel much better now."

"That's good," Bannen said. "Now, what can I do for you today?"

Kirsty pulled some papers out of her purse and handed them to her lawyer.

"I would like you to draw up my will," she began. "I wrote most of it myself, but I don't know all of the proper legal terms."

"I see," Bannen murmured, reading some of what she had written.

"You seem so young to be worrying about things like this," he observed, looking over the papers.

"Yes, I realize that. But who's to say I won't get hit by a bus on my way home? Or you, for that matter?"

Her lawyer laughed. Kirsty's dry humour amused him.

"If it wasn't for cynics like you, I wouldn't have a job," he chuckled.

Kirsty smiled wanly. She never used to be so cynical.

"Well if you have nothing else to add to this, then I see no problem in writing it up for you," Mister Bannen said.

"I think I remembered everything," Kirsty answered.

"I'll need until next week to fix this up for you," he said. "You'll need to make another appointment to come and sign it."

"Okay," she answered, standing up.

Bannen also stood up and walked Kirsty to the door.

"It has been a pleasure to see you again," he said, shaking her hand.

"Thank you, Mister Bannen," Kirsty replied, making an appointment with him for the following Monday.

After Kirsty left her lawyer's office she went shopping. She did not feel like buying anything; she only wanted to walk around and watch other people. She felt less alone when she was among humanity.

She was sitting on a bench resting for a moment when a woman pushing a stroller sat down beside her. The baby was whimpering and the woman proceeded to change its diaper. Kirsty watched in morbid fascination as the woman picked up the child and held it close to her. Such a touching moment between mother and child was too much for Kirsty. She stood up and quickly walked away.