Meant To Be

Chapter twenty-two

Ronnie was sitting on the floor with her back against the bed, biting her fingernails. Lucy chatting through the phone. She could hear little Elle babbling in the background and was more attentive to her sounds than Lucy's constructed sentences. She pictured Elle playing with colourful number blocks on the cream carpet that had a red wine stain by the edge of the fireplace, Lucy lying stretched out on her grey couch. The vividness made Ronnie feel like they were only over the road. She held the notion tight, fending off the lonely wolves.

"Have you made friends with anyone yet?" asked Lucy.

"Naw," said Ronnie in a huff. "But I did meet a real-life cowboy."

"Is he good looking?"

"Hmm," Ronnie's lips pushed forward. "I didn't look much at him. In that way I mean."

"I'm so disappointed in ye."

"Meh. Even if he is, he's a dick."

"If he's good looking, we can surely let him away with it."

"Huh, I think not. It's just my bloody luck he's the only neighbour I have and he's an absolute gob shite." Ronnie lifted her mug of tea off the windowsill, it looked murky and cold. She screwed up her nose, setting it back down.

"Did he get you all hot and flustered?" teased Lucy.

"Aw aye. Him and his bad manners."

"I bet he did."

"My flippin arse."

"When was the last time you had sex?"

"Before you even start, I am not sexually frustrated." Ronnie pointed her finger down the phone. "He's rude, end of."

"Ronnie."

"Lucy."

"Ronnie."

"I'm not having a conversation that involves my ex-husband!"

"Oh. Flip. Sorry." Lucy winced.

"It's alright. I forgive you," said Ronnie in a small voice. She found it odd how much she had been thinking about sex recently. Like she was having loads of it before. At one time, maybe. Definitely.

"So why was the cowboy so rude to you for? What did you do on him?"

"What makes you think I did anything?"

"Well, you can be a bit sarcastic at the best of times."

Ronnie slouched, her shoulders curling at the ends as she leaned over her knees, knowing it was true. "I actually didn't do anything. His cows broke into my garden and trampled all over my fence. I spent the whole night painting that thing."

"You were painting at night-time? How could you see in the dark?"

"I eat my carrots." Lucy tutted. Ronnie smiled. "When I say night I mean like before it got dark dark."

"If you say so Ron. So what happened after the cows broke in? Did he come te get em?"

"Aye, and then he just goes te me, 'who are you?' no hello or how are ye. Nothing."

"He asked a strange woman who she was? Boy. He's some craic."

"Look whose being sarcastic now."

Lucy laughed. Ronnie did too, enjoying the banter. It always left her wanting more. Lucy had become like a drug that injected meaning back into her life. "And it wasn't what he said, it was the way he said it. And then, to top it off, he called me British!"

"He did not!"

"He did!"

"What a wanker," said Lucy.