Snapshots of a life, lived

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Marjorie had never thought much about Autumn having nicknames. She didn't seem like the type, and the name didn't lend itself to a lot of variation.

Then Reece had started calling her Aut. And okay, he was her brother. He could have that one. Then Mia started calling her Aut. And fine. They had been close when they were younger. Then Katherine walked in...

Why does everyone else get to call her Aut?

Marjorie looked up from her computer, watching Autumn out of the corner of her eye. "Aut...?" Autumn's eyes immediately snapped to look at her. "Tumn," Marjorie finished quickly. "Autumn. Do you have the diary over there?"

Autumn handed the diary over silently then turned her attention back to her computer. Marjorie took it, cursing her cowardliness, then started flipping through the book.

"If you want to ask something, just spit out," Autumn said after another moment of silence. How did she know Marjorie so well?

"It's nothing, really—"

"Marjorie." Autumn's voice was sharp. "I am really not in the mood to play this game with you. Please just say whatever you want to say."

"Fine," Marjorie said, throwing caution to the winds. "Are we even friends?"

Autumn looked at her again, surprised. "What?"

"Are we friends? Because I swear I know absolutely nothing about you and sometimes it feels like you don't even like me. And I know this is the stupidest, most childish thing I could possibly be worried about right now with OFSTED hovering over our heads and head office breathing down our necks, but I..."

But Marjorie hadn't really had friends when she was young. She was too loud, too weird, she didn't fit in at the stuffy private school her mother and stepfather sent her to, and she certainly didn't trust the people who tried to suck up to her when they heard her last name. Charlotte was the first real friend she'd ever had, and that was well into adulthood. And she was terrified of caring more about someone than they cared about her.

"I just need to know where I stand with you, Autumn. Because sometimes it feels like this is a one-way street."

Autumn held Marjorie's gaze for long enough that she started to feel uncomfortable. Then the younger turned away to lock her computer. She re-focused on Marjorie, expression unreadable. "Is this about Katherine's visit?"

"Kinda, yeah! It just seems like you always have these secrets strolling in — best friend, cat, brother — and if we're just coworkers then that's fine. But I really, really did think we were more than that."

Autumn nodded along, waiting until she was sure Marjorie was done. "Marjorie, what did you do three Saturdays ago?"

She blinked at the out-of-nowhere question. "Uh... three Saturdays ago? You and Winter came over for game night. We played Scrabble and you stole Winter's letters to spell kill me. And Reece gave you those points for some reason."

"Two Saturdays ago?"

"Autumn, what—"

"Answer the question," Autumn said simply. "What did you do two Saturdays ago?"

"Reece and Winter had a boys' night at the arcade. I came over and kept you company while you rearranged the nursery for the fifth time. You rolled your eyes when you saw me crying over how small newborn socks are."

"Last Saturday?"

"Your baby shower."

"This past Wednesday when I was off work and you were on the early shift?"

"We got a late lunch together after your appointment."

"Now ask yourself, given everything you know about me — do you really think I would spend that much time with someone I don't consider a friend?"

Marjorie stared at Autumn for a moment. No. Probably not. She wouldn't even give her own father her phone number (understandably). Never mind spending time with someone she didn't like.

And Autumn wasn't done. "Do you think I'd spend an entire night watching just anyone give a presentation about shared custody of my baby? Or let just anyone into my house? Or trust just anyone with my brother's heart? Believe me if he'd ever proposed to Mia, they never would have found her body. And we weren't even on speaking terms at that time."

It really was unnerving how she managed to hold Marjorie's gaze the entire time. She paused to take a deep breath, then continued. "I'm not... good at expressing myself with words. I never have been. Even my wedding vows were quite brief. But I did think you were aware that you're a vital part of my support system. There's a reason we split up to tell you and Reece about the wedding at the same time. There's a reason Winter sent you to the bar to check on me after... after the miscarriage.

"You were one of the first people in nearly twenty years who didn't immediately give up on me when I was at my worst, even if it was just because my father is the owner and you couldn't fire me. You could have resigned yourself to hating me and trying to wait me out — I was only a month or two from quitting."

Marjorie could feel the tears burning in her eyes, her lip quivering. She was doing her best to shove it down, knowing that the display of emotion would make Autumn uncomfortable. And she was clearly already far outside of her comfort zone.

Autumn took a moment rub her stomach and re-center herself. "Reece, Mia, Katherine... they benefit from knowing me when I was young. So yes, my relationship with them is quite different. But you met the worst possible version of me, and you encouraged me to change. I haven't forgotten that. So yes, Marjorie, I do consider you a friend. A very close one, as a matter of fact. I'm sorry there seems to have been a misunderstanding about that."

There was no way Marjorie could maintain her composure after that. "Oh," she said, sniffing as the tears spilled over. "Okay. That's... Th-Thank you. I think I needed to hear that."

Autumn hummed, turning away to pack up her belongings. "Hey babe," Reece said as he strolled in. "Ready to — wait, why are you crying?"

"Oh thank god," Autumn said, standing. "You can hug her."

She left without another word. "What?" Reece looked over his shoulder after his sister. "What the hell — oof."

He grunted as Marjorie barreled into him and hugged him tight. "She loves me," she sobbed into her husband's jumper. Reece was still; then he chuckled and wrapped his arms around Marjorie, patting her back.

"Well, yeah. Hasn't that always been obvious?"