Forked Roads Back

40 - TESSA

WHEN JAMIE AND I get back home from a food shop a couple of weeks later, Millie is back.

We were supposed to go and get her, but Dad had helpfully blocked us in with his car and gone for a school reunion weekend away... but she didn't mind.

She comes in rolling her huge duffle bag, looking awesome as always, but as soon Jamie goes to open his mouth, no doubt wanting to ask about WEH, she shoots him down immediately.

"Jamie... as much as I wanted to tell everyone what the hell just happened, that requires actually understanding myself." I laugh as she looks at me. "So maybe save those questions for another week..."

It comes out as a joke, but I can hear the warning behind it. I take it she may not be as okay with the decision as she thought, or at least she would be, just isn't yet. I know this because I know her, and I know to leave her be until she's processed it.

"But what I do know is that drinks are on me tonight..." she annouces. "If anyone fancies it?"

I smile, same as Jamie. "Hell yeah, I'm up for a drink." I hadn't been out for a drink since before we left Edinburgh.

"Yes!" Millie pumps her fist. "Oooh, and let's get Chloe and Char in on this. Oh my god, let's make it a girl's night!" She suggests excitedly.

"Aw what!" Jamie groans.

"Hey, call Danny and Greg. They'd be up for guys night too. Maybe we can all meet up at the end?"

He smiles and kisses my cheek, placated by my suggestion before he heads into the kitchen to start unpacking the shopping as Millie pulls me downstairs to the TV room, out of earshot of Jamie.

"Are you okay?" I ask, whispering quietly as I pull her down onto the sofa with me. Now that we were just the two of us for a few minutes, I could ask the genuine question.

"Honest answer?" She says, half joking but clearly not joking. "No."

I laugh as she does but she continues.

"But I will be. Same with Archie... It's a lot to get our heads around." She shakes her head with a smile. "But I will tell you one thing."

"What's that?"

"Did you hear about the Foundation we're setting up?"

I nod.

"It's still really early days yet, but we want to name it after Matt," she smiles. "It was Archie's idea."

My heart swells at the thought and sings with a new sense of immense pride.

"After Matt?" I beam wider, holding my chest. "Really?"

She nods. "Absolutely, no doubt about it. We want to help kids people, kids like he was, so no one has to go through all that pain and suffering... so they can escape and get out."

"Millie, I think that's incredible. So incredible." I lean forward and hug her tightly. "Have you told Dad yet?" I ask, wiping a tear away as I pull away, hearing Jamie's footsteps on the stairs.

"Not yet, but I will," she tells me, winking as Jamie appears with a tray laden with cups and our biggest teapot. "I figured you'd want to be a part of that conversation."

I hug her as Jamie puts the tea down on the ottoman in front of us and sits on my other side. I lean into him as he opens up his arm and sigh happily as he kisses my forehead.

"So are you going to tell me about these mountains then?"

***

Drinks tonight? Millie is buying... we've booked a table at Christopher's! xx