Beyond the Family Ties

Part 20

The next morning, she woke up to her face pressed up against Freen's back, eyes gritty from crying, and a knot of tension within her as she pushed herself up, digging the heels of her palms into her eyes. Freen shifted beside her, still sound asleep, and Becky stared down at her for a moment, taking in the fluttering eyelashes, slightly parted lips and the gentle rise and fall of her chest. A bitter feeling of regret welled up inside Becky, and she angrily tore back the covers, climbing out of bed and leaving her roommate to sleep.

Setting a pot of coffee on, Becky ran a hand over her weary face and thought about leaving. There were so many things to sort out, but she was leaving tomorrow. It was all happening so quickly, with no time for her to come to terms with it, and she brooded over the thought of everything she had to do that day as the rich aroma of coffee filled the kitchen. Checking her emails as she sat at the kitchen table, blowing on the steaming cup, she looked at the travel itinerary that had been forwarded to her and slammed the screen shut. Their flight wasn't until late tomorrow evening, meaning that she'd arrive in London the following morning. Laurel had never been on a plane, and just the thought of managing a small child in a confined cabin was enough to make her worry. Quickly opening the laptop again, she angrily started to write an email back to Querl, who had sent the itinerary to her, informing him that she'd book her own flights. If she was going to be forced to leave, she'd do it in the luxury of first class, a liberty that a government organisation couldn't afford her.

With grim satisfaction, she booked her own flights and then drained her coffee, relishing the bitter taste as she felt herself fully wake up. Walking towards the bathroom, she quickly showered, before wrapping herself in a bathrobe and making her way back into the kitchen, where a bleary eyed Freen had emerged, pouring herself some coffee as she stood in the soft glow of the early morning sunshine. Grabbing Becky's empty cup, abandoned on the counter, Freen silently filled it up for her and held it out, waiting for Becky to take it, before brushing past her and moving towards the balcony door.

Following after her, Becky stepped out into the crisp morning air, the smell of dew and sunshine a familiar comfort as she took in the sight that she was accustomed to. Red and grey bricked buildings, pipes and vents sprawling out across empty rooftops, neon signs lighting up shop fronts of places she'd been in and out of with frequent ease over her time in the apartment. There was a homely feeling to the small balcony with its plants getting ready to bloom in the spring, the soccer ball and the watering can tucked away in a corner. Even the way the sun reflected off the windows opposite them as the sun broke through the skyscrapers brought a unique feeling of warm familiarity.

Leaning against the brick wall, listening to pigeons coo as they rustled about on the rooftop above her, Becky found a lump forming in her throat. There had been a time when she would've jumped at the opportunity to leave Albany City behind, to put as much distance between herself and her family as she could. The grey streets of London, with its perpetual rain clouds and clogged up inner city, would've been a welcome escape. But that was before Freen. Before she'd found a real home, with a real family. She'd never been one to miss people, but the fact of the matter was that she'd never had anyone to miss before. It was an unusual concept, and she wasn't quite sure how it would feel, and wasn't all that eager to find out.

"I'll look after Ducky today," Freen eventually said, breaking the easy silence, "so you can ... sort things out."

Closing her eyes, Becky slowly breathed in, before softly sighing. She pressed her lips together in a hard line, unable to look at her roommate as she swirled her coffee around in her cup. She didn't want to sort things out. She didn't want to buy suitcases that she'd never had a need for, or gather together a few measly things and pack them away, figure out what was important enough to take or leave, and make the rounds to all of her friends and say goodbye. Then there was the job of visiting Imra in hospital, and seeing her mother, to find out what she'd missed, to say goodbye to them as well. It was going to be a long day, and she wouldn't even get to spend it with her daughter and Freen. Laurel didn't even know she would be leaving her home in a day's time. That would be a whole other type of difficult, trying to explain why they were going, and why Freen wasn't coming with them.