Marin
The day Rachel is leaving for her travels, I’m up early. I have so much to do before she goes, so many plans. I want it all to go off like clockwork and I’m excited.
I dress quickly because I’ve sold off all my excess clothes, cut up my credit cards and am part of an online group of shopaholics who keep in touch to discuss how we are coping with the ‘no shopping for three months’ rule. It’s getting easier, plus getting dressed in the morning is a doddle.
First up, Finn and Sid want to come over to say goodbye to Rachel, before she goes off on her travels.
‘That’s brilliant,’ I say, ‘she’s going to love that.’
Sid is a revelation, a complete revelation. I knew there was something nervy about her when I met her first. But since she and Finn have got together it’s like watching a beautiful flower blossom. She’s still fiery and funny and oh, quirky with knobs on. But she laughs a lot, touches Finn all the time. Mind you, he can’t keep his hands off her either.
She had a pretty intense talk with Rachel as well about travelling with Megan. Both girls told us in confidence – because Sid told them to – that she had been raped by someone she knew, a boss.
Somehow, Sid has managed to talk to Rachel about being careful on her travels in a way I couldn’t manage to.
‘It can be stranger danger but it’s much more likely to be someone you know,’ Sid has told them.
Louise is grateful at this advice for Megan.
I’m still in the angry stage because of Nate and growl to Louise that someone needed to teach the girls that ‘it’s rarely the strangers who hurt us.’
‘Great for you that you are going to make it work with Nate,’ Louise says cautiously, ignoring the outburst. I told her about Bea because, in the early days, I was so desperate to vent, that I rang her up and blurted it all out.
‘Throw his ass out!’ she said.
‘I’m not going to,’ I said quickly and she was silent.
It’s been a bit tense between us since then but things might lighten up, I hope.
‘So you got those moves,’ says Sid, hugging Rachel goodbye.
‘I’ve got those moves.’
‘And it’s your body, your choice, consent, no crap. And remember, when you’re physically weaker, you have to be clever, work with other women, work as a team. Remember: not everyone is good.’
‘Don’t scare the hell out of her,’ says Nate. And I glare at him, not that he notices. Nate thinks everything is back to normal.
He’s been out of hospital nearly two months and his recovery is excellent. Although, he’s still not cycling or swimming. His regimen is cardiac care, walking and light weights till his nextcheck-up.
He wants to come back into our bed.
‘Let’s just leave things the way they are,’ I said the last time he asked.
He had to make do with that, for the moment.
‘I’m going to miss you,’ says Joey to his sister.
‘I’ll be home before you know it,’ says Rachel.
‘She will, you know. You could probably take over her bedroom,’ I say to Joey naughtily, to break the tension.
‘Mum!’ says Rachel. ‘You wouldn’t.’
I laugh: ‘I promise I won’t let him.’
‘But we can think about doing interesting things with your bedroom,’ I say to Joey.
‘Yeah,’ he says, ‘but just you and me and Dad now, we’re going to have loads of fun.’
