Chapter Thirty-Eight
Cassia Carver has left the chat
Kaleidoscopic dreams of a weird cosmetic surgeon, Simon’s compost toilet and the face of Gabe Dix bring me to the morning of the next day. The first thing I do is touch my nose, which is still covered in a large dressing. The pain in my head is identical to back in January, like I’ve leant forward on a pencil, so I reach over and grab some ibuprofen from the bedside table. I can barely remember getting to bed, but I think Cassia helped me.
Right on cue there’s a knock on the bedroom door, and there she is in a perfect#OOTD: Zara jeans, white Veja trainers and an oversized blazer. If she hadn’t been so kind to me, I would tell her to influence off for looking so put together when I look so… pulled apart.
‘I’m going to go now, Erica, do you need anything?’
I didn’t actually know she’d stayed the night. ‘Erm… no. Thank you.’
‘You’re welcome. Remember to keep us updated on the group chat,’ she says. ‘Professor Brandt said it went as well as could be expected so… good luck, sweetie. See you on the other side. The right side.’
And she’s gone.
It’s quite humbling (by which I mean maddening) to be schooled by someone like Cassia, but I admit she’s got the whole ageing thing sorted out a lot better than me. And now, I wait. It’s the weirdest feeling. I know I won’t be welcoming back the old parts of me like I welcomed the bouncy, youthful skin. But with my jowls, lines, cellulite and all of that, comes a chance to returnto my old life and do it properly. I’m like a perimenopausal version of Scrooge on Christmas morning.
Make Erica Old Again
Group: Six Members
24 August
09:20 Erica Pells
Thanks @Cassia for staying and keeping an eye on me. And thanks everyone else for last night. Fingers crossed now…
09:22 Cassia Carver
So welcome sweetie!
09:24 Merlyn Vye
Buona fortuna Erica!
09:26 Josie Gauthier-Magennis
Sending lots of love @Erica from all of us.
09:29 Laure Gauthier-Magennis
How is your nose today? Mon Dieu, that thing went up quite far.
09:31 Josie Gauthier-Magennis
I’m sure Erica doesn’t want to hear that @Laure. Are you still inthe shop? Can you get Helly some Hula Hoops?
25 August
06:28 Laure Gauthier-Magennis
I think we should send Rosamund a thank-you gift.
09:54 Portia Crump
Might be better to wait and see if the reversal actually works? @Erica any signs yet?
19:08 Erica Pells
