Then Because She Goes - Matty Healy

When you leave, I cry on the inside

*alcohol consumption

Human - dodie, Tom Walker

28 November, 2018

The train ride felt excruciatingly long.

Cate and Este sat facing each other in their seats, talking occasionally, but Cate was busy on her laptop and Este had her nose tucked into a book. Matty graciously offered Este to bring a friend, so of course her roommate was tagging along. He sent her a couple messages to let her know that her and Cate's name would be on the guest list.

Other than those few to let Este in on the details of their Pryzm show, not many words had been shared between the two since he'd been over to her flat. Not much time had passed, and Este knew Matty would be super busy with the album release, so she didn't feel the need to reach out. Even though she finished reading You Are Here earlier in the week and surprisingly found it really eye opening and worth the read.

"I'm getting sick of riding the train to London, to be honest." complained Cate. Este moved the left side of the headphones covering her ears to listen to her. "It feels like it moves slower every time I'm on it."

She had been coming into London a handful of times a month to meet with her company's head office. They were based in London but had a branch of staff and offices over in Manchester, so Cate usually worked from there. But, the merch collection she'd been working on for the past couple of months forced her to travel there often.

London was in her bad books for giving her constant headaches and for being so busy compared to her hometown, so Este was lucky that Cate was willing to come down voluntarily. Both of them were excited to be able to see the show so she obliged easily.

"Just remember, in an hour or so we'll be all warm and cosy in my nan's house. And she'll be force feeding us a bunch of food," Este reminded her. "Plus, my granddad finally got his hearing aids fixed so you won't have to repeat everything you say until he understands it!"

Cate laughed and continued clicking away on her laptop while responding. "Are you sure they're okay with us staying there? We could've easily just booked a hotel, I don't want to be intruding."

"Seriously, they love hosting guests. They'd never feel like we were intruding. I haven't visited overnight in a while too, so I'm sure they'll enjoy the company," Este assured her.

Continuing in and out of conversation and drowning their ears in music through their headphones, the journey came to a close as they rifled through the bodies in the tube station to catch a cab over to Florencia and José's house. The elderly couple welcomed them with open arms and, like Este assumed, immediately fed them a hearty dinner.

José, Este's grandfather, sat in his usual spot on their leather reclining chair to face the television while Florencia and the two girls sat at the dining room table. Both had full stomachs.

"What are you two in town for again? A show?" Florencia asked, struggling to remember what Este had explained over the phone.

"Yeah, a concert. It's Matty's band, actually. You remember Matty," she said, although she was sure her nan remembered him. When calling her about coming down to London, Este brought up the fact that she was his nurse back in 2011 and even sent the photo her way. Florencia fully gushed about how wonderful he was—showing her pure excitement that they'd managed to meet again years later in a Starbucks with her granddaughter. Este recalls her using the words 'a fine young man' to describe him.

"Oh yes, of course! You know, you should invite him to the party in February. I think he'd enjoy himself."

Cate and Este both laughed at the craziness of her suggestion. The party she was referencing was her and José's 50th wedding anniversary celebration that they'd been spending the last couple of months planning. It was a dinner and dance event with a program, a DJ, and the works. Most things Florencia mentioned as of late had all somehow looped back around to be about the party; it was practically a second wedding.