As Much as You {completed}

Carmen: 27.

                Carmen left the Costa that was in Plymouth city centre with a double shot, skinny latte. Her glasses were covering most of her face and her hair was down in front of her like a curtain. She didn’t want to be in the centre of a city, because of the amount of people that could recognise her here. Instead, Carmen wanted to be at home.

                In the end, the photo-shoot she had to do took four hours. It was for a next catalogue, on winter wear, that wasn’t even due out till the end of the year. Still, they wanted Carmen and they wanted her now. They said it was in case they brought the line out early, as Ski wear during holiday season. Whatever the clothes were for, Carmen didn’t really care.

                All she could think about was the press. Why had they said she was having a breakdown just because she wasn’t in her home in London, and wasn’t being photographed every five minutes as she walked down the street?

                Kevin wasn’t home either. They could have found that out in their research and stalking and presumed that they’d all gone on a family holiday, but they didn’t, not until Gretchen told them that that was what they were doing – vacating privately.

                “Are you coming home now?” Gretchen asked as they headed back to the car park.

                Carmen shook her head. “No. Things are far more complicated now than when I left.”

                “Why?” Gretchen asked, weaving her way in and out of people.  “What happened?”

                “Kevin is down, isn’t he?” Carmen sighed, taking a sip of her coffee. “He brought Harrison. Harrison looks just like Ezra – almost a spitting image. What was I supposed to do with that? Ezra asked me and I had to tell him that he was the father. I’ll kill Kevin for it.”

                “So, what?” Gretchen asked, finally catching up since Carmen had left her in the studio for a plane to Cornwall. “Ezra wanted to be the father of your child, your love has rekindled and you’re going to divorce Kevin – or murder him,” she added in humorously, “—and live with your first love?” 

                “No. Of course not.” They reached for the car park and Carmen dug in her bag for the keys to the rental car she’d just ordered. “Look, I don’t actually know anymore. But I’m trying to sort this all out. I can’t even remember what I went there for in the first place now. It’s so complicated.” She groaned as she unlocked her door, opening it.

                “To try and get him to remember,” Gretchen suggested, “or for your memory of him to be kept alive.”

                “Maybe.” Carmen put her bag on the passenger seat and took a sip of her coffee. “But he’s changed.”

                “You’ve probably changed, too. Everybody does.” 

                “God, when did life become so complicated?” Carmen asked aloud, more to herself, though, than to Gretchen.

                “About the moment you were born,” Gretchen chuckled. “That’s when life starts.”

                Carmen made a noise through her nose. “I guess.”

                “Look, just ring me when you’re coming back to London, we can start getting you out there again. You need to soon, because everyone thinks you’ve disappeared off the face of the earth and I don’t know for how long I can keep you on vacation before people think you’ve quit. Plus,” Gretchen added as she unlocked her own vehicle, “if you’re not getting paid to do any more acting, I’ll soon stop being paid, too.”