Remember Me.....

The Play

"Eve? Tell Tom breakfast's ready love. " Liz's voice floated through to the living room. She'd heard the footsteps and some murmured conversation. It was early, earlier than she'd expected. Eve had been out to dinner with Bruce yet again, potentially arranging to meet some of the family.  The plan was progressing.

No answer, well not from Eve. "She's not here Liz" Tom appeared at the door, phone in hand, "She ... she didn't come home last night."  He said something to the person on the other end and hung up with a huge sigh.

"Oh. Oh dear." Liz put down the plates and came through. "You ok Tom?" she looked at him, his face a mask of restrained emotion. He was dying inside, knowing yet not knowing, what she had been doing. At first, she'd still been kind and loving, just not physical. As the days had gone on, she had touched him less and less, smiled less and less, avoided him more and more.

"Do - do you think she's - she's fallen in..."

"NO! I DO NOT! YOU STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!" 

Liz marched over and grabbed him, sitting him down on the sofa. "You listen to me young man" even Tom smiled at that, Liz wasn't THAT much older than him. "She loves you. Deep down, behind all this nonsense and grief, she's still Eve. She worhsips the ground you walk on Tom. She's also a scared and humiliated girl. Everything she thought she knew is gone - she feels cornered and trapped in something she can't control. And just like all wild animals when they're cornered, they bite back. Once she's chewed them to pieces, the animal will quieten and our girl will come back. " she paused and he took a deep breath, steadying himself. "You have to be ready to welcome her back into your arms when she does. She's going to need you more than ever."

Tom smiled sadly and nodded. "I do understand, really I do and I know she's suffered. I don't mean to be selfish but it's just so... hard. You know?" he put his head in his hands and sighed, "so bloody hard." Liz reached over and gave him a hug where he sat.

"I know lovie, but it will be ok. I promise."

"And you know that for sure do you? IS there redemption for someone like me?" they hadn't noticed as she'd quietly come back in and was standing in the hallway, back against the front door.

"There's always redemption darling" Tom started to walk over and hold her but she beat him to it. In a move that couldn't have any better - or worse - timed, she deftly avoided his embrace and walked upstairs.

"I'm sorry Tom, I'm tired. I need to sleep. I'll be down in a little while." she said, hovering , unsure what to say or do. It would be so easy to give in. To stop. But she couldn't. Not now. The events of the previous evening playing through her mind, she crawled into bed and pulled the quilt up.  Cocooned in the bed, she drifted off into a tear-stained sleep.  She wasn't aware when the door opened and a figure came in.  He walked over and settled the quilt more cosily around her. He paused then sat on the edge of the bed.  Watching her, he could see see her expression move as events replayed themselves.  He reached out and softly stroked her head,

"It's ok darling, whatever it takes, I'll be with you.  I trust you, I love you. Sleep well little one." he reached down and kissed her softly. She murmured but didn't wake.  Tom stood and with a lingering look, walked back out.  Whatever happened next, they would do it together.

The evening had started pretty much like the others in the last few days. In the pub. Bruce would be a couple of whiskies the other side of sober when she arrived and they would leave soon after to go back to his house. They didn't always end up in bed. Sometimes they only made it as far as the hallway. Every time, though, Eve ended up in the bathroom, throwing up in disgust as she scrubbed herself raw.