I crumple to the couch, and Phoebe goes down with me, her arm across my shoulders, comforting me as a sob escapes.
People trail out. Donna offers me a coffee and I shake my head. The agent packs up and heads out to the next life-changing battle. He says he’ll be in touch.
“About my lease?”
He nods. What a way to make a living.
“Who bought it?” I ask. “Who was the other bidder?”
“I’m not at liberty to say, ma’am.”
“Of course not,” I say.
Donna throws her arms around me and hugs me until my ribs hurt.
“Sorry, Lucy,” she says. “Gotta run. Call me.”
“I’m sorry, Mom,” says Phoebe. It breaks my heart for her to see me so defeated.
“Don’t worry, Ms Beston,” says Jaxon, so young, so earnest. “Something will work out.”
I almost laugh. Now who’s using platitudes? Jaxon clearly hasn’t graduated yet.
Chapter 47
Lucy
When everyone is gone; when my beautiful apartment is empty and quiet, I grab my apartment key with its jaunty diamante heart on a chain. It should be a broken heart, cut into zigzags.
I drift down my hallway and out into the stairwell.
I am empty, barely breathing. Spent. I failed. I lost. Again.
I descend the stairs, down and down and down, and lean on the door which leads to the garden. I push it open and sleepwalk out, out into the quiet chaos, cold sky above me and jagged branches all around.
I cry out once. Great snivelling sobs follow as I find my way to the old stone bench and table and bury my face in my arms.
