Just Rose

18

The girls spent the rest of the day at the cottage in Rose's work room, she had been glad of being able to go straight to the car when Abby went in for Muffin and even more glad to see Morag's car was nowhere to be seen anymore.

At the cottage, she had been teaching Abby about illustrating whimsical creatures and magical forests, watercolor and the use of inks and pens in her work; together they had been creating some little art pieces for Abby's room. Magical Unicorn and princess style pictures in soft tones and muted colours.

There was something relaxing and healing about sitting side by side in silence and painting, the companionship of another artist in the way her aunt and she had sat as a child. She realised just in that tiny moment why her aunt had loved bringing her here and it pained her to think of her again. She had got so good at pushing it away. Forcing the memories down until she could deal with the pain, but today she felt more able to let them linger for a moment. Reminisce and remember her. Picture her sweet face and her long flowing dark hair that she loved to wear down; it still hurt a lot but not in the heart-wrenching, breath stopping way it had after the funeral.

She watched Abby, engrossed in her painting; her eyes watching the way her brush flowed on paper, the gentle tilt of her head and the innocent chew on her lip and felt an overwhelming maternal surge.

Rose had never had a sister. She had two brothers she rarely saw but she had never had someone she loved to death the way she loved this girl. Not since her aunt. Not in this way. A real friend but something more; a sisterly protective love, she knew she would beat down walls to look after her no matter how things ended with her brother.

Abby felt her gaze and glanced up smiling at her. There was something in that trusting look, the eyes full of affection, trust and happiness and mutual love that instantly broke her. Out of nowhere the sob flew from her throat and the tears fell like a waterfall that had just erupted from a damn and she just could not contain it.

Maybe it was the meeting with Rob's father and his words, maybe it was having no one to talk to about this and bottling it up inside for days on end. Maybe it was allowing the thoughts of her aunt to overwhelm her in that moment, making her fragile or maybe it was the exhaustion from lack of sleep and a hellish night, but whatever reason; it came crashing out like an eruption and she could not stop.

* * *

Two hours later, calm and curled on the couch, surrounded by screwed up tissue Rose was sat with a snuffly nose and puffy eyes. Her skin sore from repeated wiping and she was cradling a cup of cocoa as Abby sat perched on the arm of the chair, watching her studiously. The picture of calm wisdom despite the fact Rose had told her everything.

Abby had not flown into a rage, angry at the lies and the deceit or betrayal of both brother and best friend. She had not stormed out or cried and gone off on one. She had instead wrapped her friend in a hug and let her talk and sob until there was nothing more to say. Nodding and stroking her hair; she had told her she knew deep down something was going on between them. Gut instinct. Knowing both of them well enough to see the subtle signs and she wasn't mad at either of them. She was hurt, but she understood why they hadn't told her; Abby herself admitted it would have been used as a weapon the first-time Morag riled her, she was just glad she finally knew. That she finally had the whole picture instead of hopeful suspicion and half guessed facts.