What Goes Around...

Part Forty Two

Chapter Forty Two

A few days passed, and Freya was much happier. It was a long way from perfect, but she realised that they both had a lot of work to do before they became more comfortable with each other. But the old Mitchell Cooper was back, she was still sleeping in Oscar's bed, but he was clearing out the spare room gradually for her. He disappeared to work most days, and she had her new baking course. In the evenings they'd sat and talked. He was still reserved, guarded, but they talked about their school lives, the early days. It was safe; there was no mention of all that was happening, though he did reference the baby, their baby.

She was still devastated for him, and had an admittedly morbidly fascination in finding out what had happened to his little boy. She had no idea how someone could cope with losing child, and he blatantly hadn't coped. But their happier symbiosis wasn't ready for attacking that issue yet, because she knew that it had to be explored, cleared, dealt with. Whilst it wasn't now a 'mystery' that sat in the room, it was still an elephant that they had to accept and get past. Easier said than done.

Freya herself was feeling far less tired than she had been, and loved the baking course. Her first sponge cake was divine and she found herself over thinking the chemistry of it all. Each afternoon when she got home she'd spent hours covering pages with formulae and equations hoping to improve the reactions caused when her products were in the oven. She was often deep into that when Mitchell Cooper got home.

Today was no exception.

"You ok? Good day?" He shrugged out of his jacket and crossed to the kitchen for a drink. "Wow! What is this creation?"

She looked up from her place across the open plan room at the dining table and it took a moment to register what he was talking about. "Ah, carrot cake, complete with cream cheese frosting. Today's lesson."

He groaned, "can I cut a piece?" When she nodded he paused, "I am going to be the size of a house if you keep doing this."

She laughed, "you clearly need will power."

Unable to resist, he cut a piece, then set about making some coffee.

Freya concluded her thougths, and started to pack up her work, "so was the bar ok?"

He nodded, "Natalie is amazing, she takes it all on."

"So now you're not needed?"

He shrugged, unable to answer for the mouthful of cake for a moment, "there's always an opportunity for something new."

"What about hockey?" It was part of her agenda, Freya, to open more of those closed doors. Lying in bed at night, she'd long since realised that his cessation of the sport he loved had ended around the time that he hinted his son died. So she was attacking him from a different direction.

He had frozen, she could tell that. But she sat quietly waiting for an answer. He lifted his head to look at her, and she fought to keep her expression static.

"You won't let it lie, will you?"

She shook her head, "you gave up the sport you loved...your life."

He nodded, "I spent too long away from home, and wasn't there for Milo..."

Shrugging she watched him, "doesn't mean that you have to stop playing, does it?"

"I can't do that."

Standing she walked across to him, "what are you not telling me?"

He averted his eyes, "nothing, I chose to walk away from the sport. I won't go back."

"You think that, but you enjoyed it back in St John's, if you have a chance, some time to spare, you should do the things you love. Have fun. Plus I hear you were good...at hockey."