It was just after eight when Sophia returned. Magda got up from the armchair she’d been cosying up in, and went into the darkened hallway to greet them. It wasn’t until Michael had stepped into the light of the kitchen that Magda realised something bad had happened. The skin around his nose had already turned a dark purple. He winced every time his mouth moved, and went to hold his nose but thought better of it. Sophia ushered him to chair and then grabbed him some painkillers, before making them all a hot drink. Harry ran into the kitchen and went to jump on his father in joy at seeing him. A few hours could feel like a lifetime to a child. But once Harry caught sight of his father’s face, he stepped back and frowned. Michael assured his son that he was okay, that it was just a bruise and would get better. After a couple of minutes, Harry and Esther returned to the living room, bored of the adults.
Magda took this chance to get a proper look at Michael. She hadn’t stuck around long enough to really take in his features at the reunion, but now she could see what a handsome man he truly was. Dark haired with even darker eyes, he reminded Magda of someone who could pull off the whole vampire look in a movie. He didn’t really speak to her, but to Sophia instead, although he had said hello to her in the hallway when they’d first got back to the house.
‘He had a fight with Tom,’ Sophia explained once she was sure Michael was okay. She leant against the counter and looked at Magda. ‘Can you believe that?’
Magda looked at Michael, her eyes narrowed. ‘As in Tom?’
‘Yes, that Tom,’ said Sophia.
‘Why?’ asked Magda, genuinely curious. ‘What happened?’
Michael told her the same story he had told Sophia, although he left out the bits that had made Sophia so confused earlier on in the hospital. Magda felt just as confused as Sophia had, wondering what had pushed Michael to react in such a way. From what Sophia had told her about this man currently nursing his nose, he didn’t seem the type at all to start punch-ups in the high street. It didn’t make sense, until Magda clocked on and began to put the clues together. She glanced between Sophia and Michael and wondered if she was correct. They were so easy with each other, tender, it seemed, but honest when they needed to be. It was the sort of thing Magda had always seen between her parents. The same thing she’d always hoped to find for herself. She continued to watch them, knowing now that she was one hundred per cent right. The bust-up in the high street between Michael and Tom was just further evidence.
He was in love with Sophia. He really, really was. As Magda sat in her chair and sipped at her coffee, she couldn’t ignore it now that she’d realised. And she couldn’t understand how Sophia hadn’t. Was the woman blind? Even now, as Magda watched from behind the rim of her cup, she could see Michael biting into his lip as Sophia tended to his nose yet again. She was so careful, but Michael’s body tensed up in a way Magda had never witnessed before. He was leaning towards Sophia in a way that felt private and intimate. She suddenly felt out of place and finished her drink as quickly as she could.
‘Right, you two. I better get off. Poor Dad will be wondering where I’ve got to. And I’m excited to hear about how his coffee went with that old friend of his.’ She said a hasty goodbye, poking her head into the lounge to say goodbye to the kids too, and then left, wondering when Sophia would finally realise what was staring her right in the face, and probably had been for all this time.
Chapter Twenty-Four
‘So, how was it?’
Sitting with her legs curled up beneath her, across from Charlie, Magda waited to hear all about the coffee catch-up he’d had earlier that day.
‘It was grand,’ he replied with a smile. ‘It was really good to see her again, and we didn’t stop talking once we got started. We must have been sat there for a good few hours. Four or five, at least.’
‘Blimey,’ Magda nodded. She was impressed. Just weeks ago, he didn’t step foot out of the house full-stop. He’d become a sad and grumpy recluse, refusing to move forward in life unless he had his wife beside him. Now, it seemed, Magda’s words had given him a kick up the bum and she couldn’t have been happier for him. ‘Will you see her again?’
‘Yes, definitely. I’ve got her number. She’s got my mine. I’m not looking to fall in love, I’m not even looking for romance. It’s companionship, I think. Whether it will lead anywhere, God knows, but it felt nice to sit down with someone and while away the hours doing something pleasing, rather than being here in this ratty old armchair with my eyes glued to the television screen.’
Magda laughed. ‘I can understand that completely. This probably sounds bizarre, but I’m very proud of you for today, Dad. And Mum would be too.’
Charlie shifted his position in the armchair and nodded. ‘She would be. I know that. But mostly, it’s thanks to you coming back and giving me a good talking to. I may be your old man but I’m a bit stupid sometimes, Magda. It was exactly what I needed, so thank you.’
‘Please, Dad. Don’t thank me. It’s what any daughter would do. I’m happy to have helped you in any way.’
‘Well, I just want you to know that I appreciate it, more than you’ll ever know.’
‘Another cup of tea?’ Magda rose, pausing beside her father before leaving the room. She acknowledged Charlie’s nod and took his empty mug, along with her own, with her as she strolled into the kitchen and boiled the kettle.
It was amazing really, how quickly she had got used to her surroundings, the home she’d grown up in. Despite having been away for so long, it now felt as if this was where she had always been. It was cosy and warm, and she felt like she belonged here more than anywhere else in the world. She knew, if she were to ask, that her father would allow her to come back without a question. In fact, he would probably love having her around for good again.
But before she began to think way ahead of herself, Magda knew she and Greg had things to talk about. The thought of going home caused her stomach to pool with a thick, sludgy, overwhelming sense of dread. She was reluctant to leave this place. Things weren’t one hundred per cent between her and Sophia. They’d talked, sure, but that didn’t mean they were okay. There was still a sense of unease that sat between them, but surely Sophia felt trusting towards her? She’d left Esther and Harry in her care, hadn’t she?
Once Magda had returned to the lounge and delivered a fresh cup of tea to Charlie, who thanked her and sipped slowly, she checked her phone and was relieved to see that, since the email, Greg hadn’t bothered to get back in touch. It released some of the pressure, she supposed, to not have him on her back or harassing her to get home. But yet again, it was another piece of evidence highlighting that he simply didn’t care any more. Well, good, Magda thought firmly, because neither did she.
‘I suppose I better make a move on Monday,’ she said to Charlie, who was flipping through a car sales leaflet. She tried to sound upbeat about it, but failed miserably.
‘Are you sure?’ he asked, without looking up.
‘Yep. I don’t really have a choice. I have to go back. I need to sort things out with Greg, once and for all. Although, I suppose I could stay here for ever, hiding away from him, couldn’t I?’ She smirked. It wasn’t a bad idea, but she knew it was entirely unrealistic. This was real life. Not a fantasy world, unfortunately.
‘Well, if you ever need a place to stay, you know you can always come back here to your old man. It’d be nice to have you around again permanently.’
Magda rolled her eyes. ‘I knew you’d say that.’
‘Just an idea,’ he added before slurping up more tea.
‘It’s better to face up to things, isn’t it?’
Charlie answered with a nod.
‘It wouldn’t matter how long I stayed here. All of my problems would still be waiting for me when I got back.’ She sighed. ‘Time to be a proper adult, I guess.’
‘Being a proper adult isn’t so bad once you get the hang of it.’ Charlie smiled at her, finally pausing in his perusal
of the leaflet. ‘You’ll be fine, Magda. And if you need me, for anything, then just call me. I’ll always be here for you, no matter what. If you need a safe place, somewhere to stay while you get your shit together, this is your place. Mum would have said the same thing. This is your home, no matter how far away you are.’
Tears brimmed in Magda’s eyes. He had no idea how much comfort those words provided her with. She felt safe, knowing that, if she needed to, this was where she could come. She felt protected and loved and couldn’t put her gratitude into words. Instead, she and Charlie fell into a comfortable silence as they each sipped their tea and wondered what awaited them in the next few weeks once Magda had left.
She saw Sophia once more over the weekend. They took a walk along the harbour with Esther and reminisced about the numerous nights they’d spent down there as teenagers. They laughed at the memories so hard that happy tears arose, and at other moments, they fell silent as they both retreated into their own thoughts.
‘How do you feel about going home then?’
‘Not delighted, I must admit.’ Magda laughed. ‘I don’t know. I feel reluctant to go back but I know it’s something I’ve got to do. I can’t continue in this way, and I’m sure Greg can’t either. He’s never been very good at talking about the things that truly matter, preferring to brush them beneath the carpet and ignore them completely. I’m sure he thinks I’m stupid. But he’s in for a surprise. He wants to talk to me once I’m back, and I’m more than ready to let him know how I feel.’
Sophia nodded firmly. ‘Good for you. I wouldn’t stand for it either. I honestly have no idea how you’ve lasted this long, knowing what he’s been doing behind your back. Haven’t you wanted to scream and shout at him? Throw something at him maybe?’
‘Of course, I have, but that’s the problem, isn’t it? How can I do that when I retaliated by doing the exact same thing as him. Sure, it was mostly out of anger, but I still did it, which makes me just as bad.’
‘It’s tricky.’
‘That it is,’ Magda replied. ‘Still, it’s got to be done. It’s time we both came clean and called an end to it all.’
They both leant against the iron railings parting them from the sea.
‘I know we haven’t really sorted things out properly, Sophia, but it’s been so good seeing you again. I’m glad I came back.’
She nodded. ‘Me too. I suppose, in a strange way, I want to forgive you, simply to have you back in my life again, because it’s too short, isn’t it? Life is too short to hold grudges, especially against people you care about. It all seems like such a waste now, the time we spent apart. I wish none of it had ever happened.’
‘You do? Imagine how I feel then. I’ll live with the regret of it every single day, but it helps to know you missed me too. I’ll never be able to apologise enough for what happened back then. It didn’t mean anything. I guess I lost control of myself for a while.’ Magda focused on Esther. ‘Have you seen Tom since the bust-up he had with Michael?’
‘Nope. Not once. I did contemplate going into the chip shop and asking after him but then I changed my mind. What’s the point? I’m still angry at Michael for even thinking that what he did was okay. I can understand he’s protective over Esther, but it was still uncalled for. Don’t you think?’
Magda smiled. She wouldn’t voice her opinions on the matter because it was Sophia’s life, not hers. She believed what Michael had done was something that couldn’t be helped, considering his true feelings for Sophia. He clearly didn’t want Tom trying anything with her simply because he wanted Sophia all to himself.
When the time came for Magda’s departure, she felt like breaking down in tears and locking herself in the bathroom. Her stomach hadn’t stopped rolling since she’d woken up that morning. She hadn’t slept very well at all the previous night and now felt even worse because of it. She didn’t feel prepared at all. She wasn’t sure how she would react when she saw Greg. She’d been away for a little over two weeks so it wasn’t long at all, but within that short time, she’d realised a lot of things about herself. The girl she had once been, the girl who had discovered she could give herself an orgasm, had resurfaced, and this time, she was here to stay. Still, the nerves were terrible and she noticed a slight tremor in her hands.
‘Don’t leave it so long this time, eh?’ Charlie squeezed her tightly. ‘And be brave. Don’t you dare let him push you around, Magda. You know what you’ve got to do.’
She nodded while still wrapped in her father’s arms, feeling like a child all over again, clinging to the only familiar person she knew, and that was exactly how she felt now. As if Greg was a stranger, rather than the man she had married. ‘I won’t,’ she sniffed, finding the courage to break away from the embrace. ‘No more Mrs Nice Guy.’
Charlie smiled. ‘Good. You deserve better. I know you did wrong too, but despite that, this thing has got to come to a head. Hasn’t it?’
‘It sure has, Dad. Right. I better get going. I’ll give you a call in a couple of days, let you know what’s happening. And keep me updated on the outings. That sounds ridiculous but I don’t want to be left out of the loop. Keep it up too. Don’t lock yourself away. People want to see you, Dad. They care about you, so care about yourself too.’
As Magda reversed off the small driveway, she waved at her father who was standing beside the lopsided bench, fingering the broken chain. Somewhere inside her, a hope began to bloom that finally he would get around to repairing it.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Sophia waved as Magda passed her by in the car. As their eyes caught, it was as if time stood still. The contact seemed to have a deeper meaning for them both, and Sophia hoped perhaps that, one day, they’d be the friends they had once been. Things between them were certainly not perfect, but they were better than before, so that was something at least. A pang of sadness hit as Sophia stood at the side of the road and watched as Magda’s car got further and further away. She only stopped watching when she could no longer see it, and she hoped it wouldn’t be too long before she saw her old friend again, and that Magda would be okay until then.
She was on her way to have coffee with Michael. Since the whole hospital ordeal, they seemed to have stopped talking as much as they used to, and Sophia wondered if perhaps Michael was avoiding her. If so, there was no need for it. Despite her disbelief over Tom smacking Michael in the face, it wasn’t something she would hold against him, so she wasn’t sure why he’d been staying away from her.
Once in the warm café, Sophia sat down opposite Michael and smiled. The skin around his nose was still bruised, but he still looked incredibly handsome, just like he always did.
‘How are you?’ she asked. The atmosphere felt strange and stilted between them.
‘Good, thanks. And you?’
‘Yeah, I’m fine. Magda’s just gone. I was sad to see her go. I really hope that by the next time I see her, she’s got her life back on track.’
Michael nodded. ‘I was hoping to see you, Sophia. I have a few things I’d like to say to you.’ He looked down at his hands cupping the mug of coffee.
‘Oh?’ Sophia frowned. That sounded ominous. ‘Okay. Go ahead.’
He cleared his throat. ‘I got into that fight with Tom because I’m in love with you. I have been for a long time but I didn’t want to ruin what we had. But it’s true. I love you. And I couldn’t stand the thought of Tom getting close to you again, especially after how much he hurt you when he left the first time. It was immature of me and I’m sorry but… I guess I just couldn’t stop myself.’
Sophia stared at him. ‘I’m in love with you too.’ She could barely believe she had said the words out loud. But as soon as they tripped off her tongue, she felt physically sick. Her head spun and her mouth went dry. ‘I think I have been for a long time too.’ She forced herself to continue. ‘And I don’t know. I was scared to tell you, because you’re perfect and I’m just…’ Sophia shrugged. �
�I’m just me.’
Michael didn’t say anything as he considered her from across the table, and Sophia felt the urge to run rising within her.
They stared at each other, neither one of them knowing what to do or say next. Suddenly, the café around them faded into nothingness.
‘You love me?’ she asked, wondering if she’d imagined it.
‘Yeah,’ he nodded. ‘Yeah, I do. I love you a lot. Like you, I think I’ve known it for a long time but I wasn’t sure what to do with it. I didn’t think you would consider me in that way. I mean, we’re friends. Best friends. And don’t they always say that when friends become romantically involved, there’s a chance of that friendship being ruined? Well, the thought of that frightened the hell out of me, enough to ensure I kept my feelings to myself.’
‘Fucking hell.’
‘Yeah. I agree.’ Michael smirked.
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