‘Well done.’
Jessica was standing very straight, with a pile of exercise books clutched to her chest. She was smiling but something about her seemed different; Edie couldn’t put her finger on it.
‘Nearly the weekend, thank goodness,’ Edie said brightly. It was Friday and the mood in the staffroom and round the school was always cheerier. ‘What are you up to? Got any nice plans?’
Jessica would normally reel off a list of arrangements: a visit to some or other historical site, a running challenge, a tennis match or theatre trip, for instance. Whatever she’d organised always sounded interesting. Edie sometimes felt a teeny bit envious.
Her weekends were mostly taken up with marking, housework, catching up on admin and watching TV with Ralph, possibly with a takeaway thrown in. She’d occasionally suggest inviting friends for supper or offer to book theatre tickets, but he was never that keen. He always said he had work to catch up on.
It seemed Jessica did most of her activities alone – she rarely mentioned friends. Feeling a little sorry for her and also seeing her as a potential companion, Edie had once asked her along to a film they’d discussed. Jessica reciprocated soon after with an invitation to a blues event.
Both evenings had gone well and Edie had suggested arranging another night out soon.
Jessica had never followed her up on the idea, however, and not wanting to be pushy, Edie had decided to park it. Perhaps her colleague preferred her own company. She was certainly very independent.
Edie was slightly in awe of Jessica, actually. She herself would never go to a film, play or concert alone; she’d be far too self-conscious. Silly really. She probably missed out.
She was mulling this over while she waited patiently for a response from Jessica but for once, she seemed lost for words.
‘Are you OK?’ Edie asked, looking more closely at her friend and noticing her downcast eyes and the slight quiver in her lip.
‘Actually, no.’
Jessica’s face reddened and her features sort of scrunched together, as if she were fighting back tears.
‘What’s happened?’ Edie asked in alarm, patting the empty space on her right. ‘Come here. Tell me what’s wrong.’
Jessica hurried round to the other side of the sofa and sat down. It was a shock to see her so vulnerable, her thin knees, encased in opaque black tights, pulled together as if for comfort, and she was staring blankly at the pile of books on her lap.
‘It’s my dog – Ernest,’ she began, with a catch in her voice.
Edie frowned. She knew Jessica was very fond of her pet, a dachshund. She mentioned him quite often.
‘His heart’s been bad for a while but he was doing OK on medication,’ Jessica continued. ‘But last night when I got back from work, he was coughing and gasping for breath. He seemed really distressed.
‘I rushed him to the vet and they kept him in for tests. The vet rang just now; I just spoke to her. She said his heart’s giving up and there’s nothing more they can do.’ She swallowed, wincing as if it hurt.
‘They’ve dosed him up with sedatives and painkillers but he’s not happy. They said the kindest thing would be to put him down.’
‘Oh, Jessica, I’m so sorry.’ Edie wrapped an arm round her friend’s shoulders and squeezed.
It was too much for Jessica, who let out a sob, attracting the attention of a group of nearby staff, who were sitting round a table eating lunch.
Most looked away quickly but Janine Murray, the gossipy Art teacher, caught Edie’s eye and raised her brows in question. Edie quickly glanced in the other direction, pretending not to notice.
Jessica’s hands shot up to cover her face.
‘He’s been such a dear friend to me these past twelve years,’ she said falteringly. ‘I couldn’t have asked for more. I’m going to the vet’s after work today to say goodbye.’
Tears pricked in Edie’s eyes, too. She could only begin to imagine how Jessica must feel, and she didn’t even have a husband or partner to support and comfort her.
‘I’ll come with you,’ Edie blurted, before hesitating. ‘If you’d like me to, that is.’
There was a pause, while Jessica weighed up the offer.
‘That’s very kind of you,’ she replied at last, ‘but no. You’ve got enough on your plate. I’ll be fine. I knew something like this was going to happen sooner or later. I’ll miss him, that’s all.’
‘It’s no trouble, honestly,’ Edie persisted. ‘I can drive you there. I’ll wait outside if you prefer.’
