Broken Wings

Part Ten - Finding your feet

Chapter Ten

It was strange to live in Aaron's home when he wasn't there. Everything made her think of him - his coat and shoes in the hallway, his Manchester City FC mug in the kitchen...but he wasn't there when she woke the following morning. And she felt a little sad about that.

Over breakfast she skyped Abi who was about to start an afternoon shift and was walking to the hospital as she connected the video call.

"So tell me AAAAAALLLLLLL about it!"

She smiled at her friend's enthusiasm, "NYC? It's pretty special. Work colleagues seem cool...Aaron's in Chicago...but he did show me around yesterday. It feels like I've been here for years...but it's just two days."

Abi rolled her eyes, "I am SO jealous. I told Luke I was going to fly out to see you...but with all this wedding shit...I have neither the time nor apparently the money anymore."

Julia sighed, "I would so love it if you were here with me, we could change this town as a tag team, mate." Abi laughed, but it was a sad half effort. "Don't let this wedding planning detract from the point, girlfriend. You've only been engaged for a few weeks. Don't let the hassle spoil it."

"Spoil what? Keeping the world and his wife happy? Cos that's what it seems like."

Shaking her head, Julia blew her a kiss, "nope. Not at all. It's about you becoming Mrs Harding, about marrying your perfect match, your soul mate. Don't destroy everything with the fuss. You hear me?"

She bit her lip, "I do, but maybe not the mother and mother-in-law-zillas. They are making that Big Fat Gypsy Wedding look like a quickie at the registry office...hell they make Will and Kate's seem under planned."

"Bugger the money, come see me? I can't hug it all away down a camera." She offered her arms, holding the phone at arm's length and her friend grinned.

"You instantly make it better. I gotta go...work. I'll email you my shift pattern for the next 10 days; we're going to have to plan out catch ups, hey?"

She nodded, "this time difference puts the evenings out of the question...and that was our best calling time."

The call ended rather reluctantly on both parts and Julia had to swallow the sadness that the loneliness of being alone made more obvious.

She found a great local supermarket and started to adjust to the changes to pallet and diet. The dogs - feeding, walking and cuddling took up a lot of her time too. They were a loving pair, and she hated leaving them in the morning. But then Carrie reassured her that a dog walker took them out at lunchtime. That meant that her morning and evening walk totalled three a day. Spoilt

She had also cast eyes on the basement gym...but that was as far as it went. It had never been her fave thing, but it was there...she explored the building, laundry, fire escape...everywhere. But she didn't revisit the roof garden, however much she wanted to. There was something wrong with going into Aaron's bedroom uninvited. Even if she craved the view.

Aaron sent her a text, sometime most days, Are you ok? Or the equivalent. She always replied with a yes...of course or a smiley emoji, not really sure what else to say. When they'd gone to dinner and sat in the roof garden then conversation had been easy. But with distance came awkwardness.

Then there was work...which was getting busier. The area for the exhibition was almost complete, and Bogda was due to arrive the following day. Friday. It was a monumental day, and they'd all felt the excitement building all week.