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56
You Didn’t Give Him A Chance
Istood on the doorstep to April’s new house and counted my breaths diligently. She only lived a few streets away from us, which was something to think about.
I hadn’t seen her in over two years.
She opened the door and smiled at me. She looked just the same. Maybe a little more harried, but still bright and bubbly.
April had always been a breath of fresh air.
I hugged her, and she hugged me.
And then she led me into her house and introduced me to her new baby. Harrison ran about in the back yard while I cuddled Kimberly. April made us a coffee and came and sat down opposite me.
“You look good,” she said.
“So do you,” I replied. “And this little angel is gorgeous.”
“She is, isn’t she?”
I nodded, and April shifted in her chair.
Harrison came barrelling through yelling at the top of his lungs. I cringed, Kimberly started crying. April laughed and said he was definitely going to be a loud one.
I said, “He takes after his mummy.”
April looked at me and then looked away.
That had come out wrong. I hadn’t meant to say it. But there it was. April was loud and often got told to be quiet in Comms. It was one of the things I had loved about her. She was so full of life; it had burst out of her; loudly.
But, right then, my words sounded more like a judgement.
I didn’t know how to say sorry.
I didn’t know if I should.
I handed over Kimberly and took a drink of my coffee. The silence stretched too long.
“How’s Comms?” I asked.
“Oh, you know, busy.”
“Is Gregg still there?”
“Yeah,” she said, smiling. “He’s expecting a baby.”
I smiled back. April relaxed marginally.
“George Blunt is still in charge,” she said conversationally.
I grimaced. He’d been hard to work with.
“Funny thing,” she said. “He talked a lot about you when you left.”
I looked up from my coffee and silently prayed April wouldn’t go there.
“Everyone did.”
