It's Nice To Have A Friend

47) Pizza

Alice was sitting on the couch, but instead of focussing on the book in her lap, she was staring into the room, her mind clearly distracted. Fred looked at her from his position in the kitchen, and could feel what she was spiraling about.

He wasn't sure how to help his friend who had just lost her baby, while his own baby was growing healthy and strong. However, maybe it was for that very reason even more important to show his support.

He sat down next to her, his hand landing on her knee, making Alice realize she had been staring into nothingness.

"I have been meaning to ask, how are you feeling, Smithy?" Fred wondered, his eyes soft.

"I've been better." Alice gave him a sad smile. She wasn't even sure how to feel anymore.

"Yesterday I ran into Hal at work." She confessed, explaining her dull mood.

"What did he try to do?" Fred was bracing himself for the worst, but Alice looked calmer than he understood.

"Nothing, he left." She said, sighing quietly.

Her eyes filled with tears, and when she met Fred's gaze, she was on the verge of breaking down. Fred didn't know what to do, nor did he get what was happening.

"Do you ever look at someone, and realize all that they took from you?" Alice's voice broke, and Fred could swear she was talking more to herself than to him personally.

"He took the one thing I love most, Fred." She cried silently, and Fred scooted over closer to his friend to be able to give her some physical comfort with of an arm around her too.

"He took FP from me." She hid into Fred's shoulder as she cried, and Fred could feel his heart clench.

Alice always looked so strong, and sometimes that made it hard to see how deeply rooted her pain still was.

"You haven't lost FP, Alice. You have him, if you want to." Fred shushed sweetly, hoping to make her see that not all was lost.

"He loves you so much, do you realize that?" He said quietly, while stroking her shoulder.

"I love him too. So, so, so much. More than I love anyone." Alice lifted her head up from his shoulder, and looked at him with pain her eyes. Fred could see that she was speaking the truth. It was impossible not to believe her.

"You should tell him that, Alice." Fred said, believing she owed that to FP and herself. Alice remained silent.

"I know you're trying to deal with your pain all alone... but you don't have to. That's the most beautiful thing, you don't ever have to do it alone anymore." He told her encouragingly.

"FP let go of the past Alice... he really did. He wants to be there for you, in whatever way you need." He pulled her a little closer, and the doubt in her eyes broke him a little too. As if she couldn't believe that FP could love her.

"Does your heart ache to be with him?" He wondered softly.

"It does, every single second of every single day." Alice said, with a shaky breath.

"And you're sure it's your grief and guilt keeping you away? Or are you simply scared to lose it all over again?"

"I've hurt him before, Fred. What if it happens again?" She looked down at her nails, her lip quivering.

"Things are different now. You're not your past mistakes." He told her, which he firmly believed in.

"Go for it. Go after him. Be together." He smiled brighter when Alice chuckled sweetly.