Before Another War

Chapter Three

The key clicked as it turned in the lock, and the door swung open. Sighing, Alex stumbled in, dumping her bag on the worn grey sofa and moved to the kitchen to switch the kettle on. She lived in a small flat in the suburbs, a little shabby, but it had character. Besides, it was cheap.

Her mind felt cloudy, probably a mixture of sleep deprivation and shock. She was still struggling to decide on her next steps. It hadn't even been twenty-four hours yet. What the hell am I meant to do?  She knew she had to tell her mother. Alex never liked to keep things from her, and she would know exactly what to do. But Alex decided to call her later, once she'd calmed down.

After taking some ibuprofen, she filled up a mug with water, and rushed around the flat, giving each of her plants a drop of water. Alex knew she had too many of them really, but she just couldn't give the plants up. Ever since she was young, she'd always had an Aloe Vera or a Yucca somewhere in the house. Unlike people, plants didn't talk back. 

Alex paid special attention to her Japanese Peace Lily, which stood on the windowsill in her room. She'd had it for years and was secretly proud of just how well it had grown. She closed the window above it, assuming she must've left it open that morning, and remarked at how chilly the draft was. Edinburgh was bitingly cold this year, especially for a Southerner like her. But Alex wasn't sure she could even call herself that anymore. Not that she was counting, but this was the tenth place she'd stayed at in just as many years. She'd never been able to stay in one place for too long, they always found her in the end. 

She was placing the mug back on the kitchen counter when her mobile rang. Assuming it was her mum, Alex shuffled over to her bag which was still lying slumped on the sofa. Hurriedly, she plunged her hand in and scrabbled around, hoping to find it before it stopped ringing. 

Eventually, her hand closed around the phone, and she gleefully pulled it from her bag, only for that joy to dissipate as she read the name of the caller. 

'Hello?'

'Hey,' David answered. Then, the pair were silent, neither of them wanting to speak next.

'What do you want?' Alex asked, knowing he'd be after something.

'I wanted to talk to you, about, well, you know.'

'About the baby?'

'Yeah,' he said, the awkwardness clear in his voice. 'Look, let's not do this over the phone. Maybe we could meet for a coffee or something?'

Alex hesitated, she didn't want to seem rude.

'I don't know.'

'Please, I want to be involved — I need to be.' 

This was odd. David seemed different. Maybe the time apart had finally let him get himself together — or maybe not. 

'Okay.' Alex gave in, sighing. 'Give me a couple hours.'

'What? Really?'

'Yeah, I'll give you more details in a bit,' She said, hanging up. 

She was relieved the call was over, but there was something new in David's voice. Something that made her think it could work. She held the phone tightly between her fingers, letting herself feel a small nugget of hope. Maybe they could fix this. She didn't want to do this alone, she wasn't even sure she could. 

The kettle boiled and, trying to think of something else, she poured a cup of tea. As she pressed the teabag against the side of the mug, she remarked that something felt off in the flat. Like something was missing. Alex knew it was exactly the same, but she couldn't shake the feeling...