2022 WATTYS SHORTLISTED || After being forced into a marriage by her devoutly religious parents, Aspen's husband is diagnosed with a life-limiting illness, and she must find her purpose as well as fight feelings for her husband's nurse. || Aspen Wat...
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I stare at the almost empty flat and sigh – I've lived here for two years. Everything has happened here – we got married and moved here. Gabriel was born while we lived here, he was adopted while we were living in this flat. Joel got sick here, and he died while living here. He had an affair here. I had a, well, emotional affair here.
As weird as it is, I'm both glad and sad to be handing over the key to Summer. It's like the last goodbye to Joel in a way, and although I'll still own the flat, it feels strange. I'm closing the book on that part of my life and moving on to a new one.
The doorbell goes, and I open it to find Summer smiling right beside Monica.
"Summer. Monica," I greet. They both walk over the threshold, and I stare at Monica. Her dark hair is pulled back into a tight bun, and it ages her immensely, though I wonder if that's just the grief of losing both men in her life to Huntington's disease and now dealing with the real possibility both of her grandchildren could inherit it.
It would be enough to send me into a meltdown, and I've only partially gone through it.
"My stuff should be here in two hours, but I wanted to make sure I got the key before they arrive," Summer says.
I stare at Monica's pained expression and give her a small smile.
"Aspen, about the funeral—"
"I'm sorry about her, all right? I didn't mention it to them, I didn't want them there—"
"It's not that, I don't care about that," Monica stops me. "I know I've acted... harsh to you since you and Joel agreed to the divorce, and I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that. I'm happy you've found happiness with Nicholas. What your mother said at the funeral... about him? About you? It's not true. I assume she was right about Gabriel?"
I nod. "When Joel agreed with me that we should tell the adoptive parents about the disease, I emailed the social worker. She told Gabriel's family. Nick and I were... just friends at that point. Nick phoned me that night and told me they'd found out his adoptive brother was sick. A couple of days later, he admitted his feelings and because of that, told me that he'd pieced it all together because I'd told him Gabriel's name."
"Such a small world," Monica mentions. She shakes her head. "Have you seen him?"
"No, I met his parents a few days ago. We're taking it very slowly. The thing is, he isn't my son anymore," I point out.
"Good idea, taking it slowly," Summer agrees.
"After the funeral, I disowned my mum," I blurt out. Monica raises her eyebrows. "My dad and I are... having some space right now, but I never want to see her again. I... I'm not with Nick because of Gabriel, and she's eaten away at me for too long."
