‘It’s fine. She’ll understand. The most important thing is that you rest.’
‘Thanks. Enjoy yourself.’ Perhaps I’m doing him a favour. After all, if I’m not there then he can call the woman for a date even sooner.
‘I won’t enjoy it as much without you.’
I give him a fake smile and pretend I am gullible enough to think he means it, and bid him goodnight.
Then I return to the knitting and clickety-clack until I get cramp in one of my hands and feel the start of a genuine migraine.
In the morning, when I am still in bed sulking, I hear a knock on the door. The last thing I want to do is answer it, but I need to check in case it’s the postman with a parcel I’m expecting from Debbie. She said she was going to send me some of my favourite tea bags.
I throw on my dressing gown but find Abe at the door.
‘Good morning, I brought you some pastries. They say sweet things help migraines. Are you feeling any better?’
‘No, not really. I’m still in bed.’
‘Sorry I disturbed you. Take these, and I’ll leave you to sleep a while longer. You get back to bed. Shall I pop over later to check on you?’ says Abe, handing me a plate of various pastries.
‘No, don’t worry. You go and enjoy yourself doing whatever you fancy. I’ll only be here, miserable, with a headache.’
‘I don’t mind. I’m happy sitting on the sofa with you.’
‘It’s fine. Thanks. Maybe we’ve been seeing a lot of each other recently, anyhow.’
Abe stands back.
‘I thought you liked spending time with me. I’m sorry if you felt it was too much.’
Oh, Abe. It was never too much. I have loved every moment with you, but I have to protect myself here. I am not about to get myself into some polyamorous relationship. I just don’t know how to say it out loud.
‘It wasn’t. I just feel that maybe we should cool things down a bit, you know?’
‘Wow. I wasn’t expecting that. So do you really have a headache, or are you trying to get rid of me?’
He might be direct, but I am not as confrontational.
‘No, I do have a terrible headache. I just also think we need a bit of space between us.’
‘Well, that’s difficult when we live next door to each other, but I get the hint.’
I look at his face. It surprises me that he seems so disappointed.
‘Thanks anyway for bringing this over.’
Abe doesn’t answer and storms off. Looking at the delicious pastries with blackberries and blueberries, I feel a teeny bit guilty for upsetting him, until I remember the reason behind it. Perhaps it is just his pride that is hurt and not because he cares.
For the rest of the weekend, I keep a low profile. I don’t want to bump into Abe until things have cooled down a little, and so I stay within the confines of the houseboat to ensure I avoid him.
As my mind is consumed by Abe, how much I miss him and how we should have started paintingNew Beginningstoday, it completely slips my mind that it is also knitting Monday until I hear a knock on the door and chattering outside. Oh, heck.
I quickly throw some magazines on the shelf under the table and try to clear up. There isn’t enough time to get the place as I’d like it but, following another knock on the door, I have no choice but to answer it.
‘Beatrix, hi.’
‘Hi, did you forget it’s knitting tonight?’ she says, looking at me as I put my hand through my hair to tidy myself up.
‘Yeah. Sorry. The weekend went so fast. That’s what happens when you’re not working, I suppose. You don’t realise what day it is.’
