75
He texted her the next morning as she was climbing into the bath, informing her that he would be gone most of the day and had to be at the hospital in the late afternoon to be there for Morag’s release. Apologised for not texting last night, he had been caught up with work.
Rose didn’t respond, a lump in her throat at his tone, something distant and impersonal in his text, she wavered over the call button, but something held her back. Knowing that he would have called if he had wanted to talk, suddenly unsure how to read him. Trying not to be that desperate clingy woman who needed constant reassurance.
There was no mention of how it had gone with his father. If he had seen Abby. No conversation, just bare facts and plans and nothing personal. She was trying not to feel hurt by it, but it was taking all her willpower.
After a morning of no more calls or texts, she took herself out of town to try and ignore things for a while, ignore that he was pretty much blanking her out while he dealt with Morag. It was an hour’s drive to a huge shopping complex filled with designer outlets and fashion boutiques, but she needed the distraction. Abby also appeared to be avoiding her, texts this morning unanswered, no doubt afraid of some sort of backlash or upset and she hadn’t the energy to really chit chat today. Lost in her own problems.
Her mother had left her several voicemails over the last few days and she hadn’t returned any. She wanted to tell them so badly, but she knew the lingering Morag problem would be her first question and she had no definite updates.
Why was it never straightforward? Had she been a truly awful child and now karma was getting its own back on her?
She couldn’t help herself but check her phone quickly every time she opened her bag to retrieve her purse or replace it. He had never gone this long without some sort of affectionate text. it just felt so out of character as though he was miles away. It felt like they were fighting even though nothing had happened between them and she knew that he was just behaving in the only way he knew. Closing everyone out emotionally until he got a better handle on things.
Abby had previously told her this, a million times, but being in the midst of it first hand was blotting out any rational thought. Aware how easily one person could alter your entire mood, she tried not to think about him, but that was like willing your heart to stop beating for a moment.
Rose threw handful of bags in her car, after splashing out on dresses and shoes. She was a woman who shopped when she was stressed, it was the only kind of therapy that actually helped. She had eaten lunch at a small cafe and even browsed the art store, stocking up on some inks and supplies.
Finally, seeing her mother’s name flashing on the phone for the third time that day she gave in and answered, trying to mask the weird tone in her voice with a bright smile.
‘Hello stranger, we’ve been trying to reach you for days. Is everything okay?’ Her mum sounded worried and it only made Rose feel even more guilty and uptight than she was already.
‘Sorry mum, things have been hectic. Work; fitting in Rob, and things I just had to do.’ She hated lying to her, but sometimes it was a necessity.
‘You sound tired darling, stressed. Are you sure everything is okay? You and Rob are okay, right?’ Her mother hadn’t been fooled, sensing the turmoil in her fake happy tone.
‘No, we’re fine. Better than fine. I’m just having one of those days, honest. I’m out shopping, and it’s made me tired. Walked around too many shops.’ Rose was torn, whether to tell her mother over the phone or do what she intended, and video call them with Rob by her side. She bit her lip, in complete turmoil and tempted to just tell them.
‘Better than fine? That sounds a little interesting.’
Her mum cut into her train of thoughts and it just slipped out, completely of its own accord and completely shocked Rose.
‘He asked me to marry him!’
Rose inhaled sharply, trying to figure out what the hell had made her blurt it out like that. Smiling, she had to pull the phone away from her ear as her mother screeched in happiness. She could picture her rushing to her father’s side, she could hear her loudly repeating it to him with all the excitement of a child going to Disneyland.
‘Please tell me you said YES!’ Her mother squawked down the line and Rose burst into giggles.
‘What do YOU think?’ She shook her head and once again her mother went off on another little happy squealing run around her Livingroom. She could always count on her mother to raise her mood anyway. Even when, right now, her fiancée was doing a great job at making her feel left out in the cold.
‘Does this mean the situation with that girl is finally sorted out?’
Her mother very successfully burst her little glowing bubble in one sentence; Rose sighed and looked towards the roof of her car interior.
‘It’s getting there, she gets out of the hospital in a couple of days.’ This time she did manage to hide the emotion from her tone and surprised even herself with how normal and upbeat she had sounded.
‘Well, I guess that’s good, right? I hope you can all just move on with this, you’re all adults after all.’ Rose bit her lip to quell a response, not liking the reprimanding edge to her mother’s voice. Last thing Rose needed right now was any sort of row with her mother over how Rob had handled things so far.
‘Right.’ She finally ground out. ‘Look Mum I need to run, I have to get back to the village for Abby, so I need to be off.’ Rose was sickly sweet, fluttering her lashes even though her mother couldn’t see them.
‘Oh, Okay darling. We will call you later. We have plans to start.... A wedding to look forward too.’ She was back to sheer happiness and bliss and Rose finally said goodbyes with a little more warmth.
