‘Do you still want to come over?’ he asked.
‘Yes please,’ she said. She wanted to get out of the flat as quickly as possible. She needed a distraction. It was horrible not to be with her daughter at the weekend. She worked so hard during the week that she treasured more than anything the time she got to be with Izzy on her days off. Luca was taking that away from her and she felt incredibly alone; she needed company. She watched him drive off, then waited a few minutes before setting off for Angus and Jules’s house. It was a relatively cool day for June, for which Libby was grateful, considering the physical labour ahead.
Angus answered the door and wrapped her in a huge bear hug. There was a cobweb in his auburn hair. Libby reached up to remove it.
‘What is it?’ he asked.
‘A cobweb.’
‘I’ve been in the cellar bringing up the packing boxes,’ he said.
‘Well, your helper has arrived,’ she said. ‘I am at your service.’ She was looking forward to some hard work to take her mind off Luca.
‘Thanks so much for coming,’ he said. She was pleased to see that his bright blue eyes had regained a hint of their usual sparkle. The idea of moving house and having a fresh start seemed to have given him a small spring in his step. This house belonged to Jules. Angus hadn’t had enough money to contribute towards it as a struggling artist, and she had been given a helping hand by her parents to buy it. Now that Angus was doing so well with his art, he was earning more than enough to rent his own place and had wasted no time in doing so. He had collected the keys to a small flat near his studio by the river the previous day.
‘I can’t wait to see the new pad,’ Libby told him.
‘Well, depending on how long you want to stay and help, you can,’ he laughed. ‘I’m planning on packing for a few hours and then moving straight in.’
‘Is it furnished?’
‘Fully. Most of this stuff belongs to Jules anyway, so it shouldn’t take me too long to pack up my possessions and get out of here.’
They taped the flat-pack boxes together and began to fill them with piles of Angus’s belongings.
‘How do you feel about leaving?’ asked Libby.
‘Do you know what, it’s strange, but I feel quite good. There are so many happy memories from this place, of course, but there are also so many terrible ones. It feels like the right thing to do. I know it’s going to take a long time, but I think I’ll be able to move on much better in a new flat. Plus Jules could come back at any moment, and there’s no way I’m sticking around to be here when she does…’
‘Definitely not.’
‘How was it seeing Luca?’ he asked.
‘Weird,’ she said. ‘I literally hadn’t seen him once since I kicked him out. It was hard seeing him with Izzy. They are so alike. It’s strange getting used to the idea that we will never be a family, all three of us, again.’ Realising she had welled up yet again, Libby wiped her eyes with the back of her T-shirt sleeve. It was so hard to talk about it without getting emotional.
‘I’m so sorry, Libby.’ Angus came over and gave her a hug. She loved his hugs; they were so warm and reassuring. She loved the smell of laundry powder that clung to his T-shirt and she held him closely as she breathed it in.
A couple of hours later they stopped for lunch. Angus made them cheese and pickle sandwiches and they sat in the garden to eat them, enjoying some fresh air after their hard work. Libby tried not to think about Izzy and Luca, but she couldn’t help checking her phone in case he had tried to call. There were no messages, so she had to assume that everything was fine.
Later that afternoon they loaded up the car with as many boxes as would fit and drove over to the flat.
‘I love it!’ cried Libby as she walked around taking a good look at his new place. There was a large bedroom and a small boxroom off to the side, which Angus was intending to use as a study. The walls were painted a bright off-white throughout, which added to the sense of light and space. A large galley kitchen was separated from the sitting room by a breakfast bar. The flat was furnished with comfortable sofas, a table and chairs, and there was a huge double French door which led from the sitting room on to a spacious balcony. ‘It’s got such a nice feel to it.’
‘That’s exactly what I thought,’ said Angus. ‘It’s very light and airy.’
‘And the view of the river is amazing.’
‘It’s not bad,’ agreed Angus. He looked pretty pleased with his new home. It was in a newly built block of flats overlooking the Thames, and was fully fitted with all the mod-cons you could hope for.
They carried all the boxes up the stairs and into the flat, repeating the journey several times until there was nothing left in the old house that belonged to him. As they stood in the hall of the home he had shared for so many years with Jules and looked around for one last time he said, ‘I can’t believe this is it.’
‘Are you sure you’re ready?’ Libby asked, taking his hand and giving it a squeeze.
He nodded. ‘It’s time.’ He shut the door and locked it, placing his keys into an envelope and sealing it shut before posting it through the letterbox. They took a step back and looked at the bright red door. So many memories raced through her head as she stood there; she could only imagine how many must be tumbling through Angus’s mind. They stayed for a few minutes in silence, alone with their thoughts.
Eventually Angus walked away, opening the car door and climbing in without a backward glance. Libby joined him in the passenger seat. Angus looked at her and raised his eyebrows. She smiled at him and nodded her head. He turned the key in the ignition and they set off for Anglesea Road and his new home, leaving all the memories behind them. They were in the past now… where they belonged.
Libby helped him unpack the first few boxes. The radio was blaring out some classic eighties tunes. They had stopped to buy some cold beers from the corner shop and they sipped their drinks as they worked.
Later that evening, Angus ordered some Indian food and they sat on the balcony and watched the sun go down as they ate. Libby’s mind had been put to rest when Luca texted her a photograph of Izzy sleeping peacefully in her travel cot.
‘To new beginnings,’ said Angus, chinking his bottle against Libby’s.
‘To your new home,’ added Libby. ‘And a fresh start.’
‘It feels good,’ he said. ‘Strange, but good. I’m glad you’re here with me, Libs.’
‘I’m glad I’m here too,’ she smiled.
