In Omnia Paratus (AU) - Book 2

Truth

"Richard hey," Harry said as he came into his office for a meeting they had. Something to do with finance and Richard was sitting in to find out what all the jargon was and learning more.

"Hey Harry everything alright?"

"Yeah good man, glad your here actually take a seat." Harry said.

"Oh sure." Richard smiled sitting down opposite him.

"I just wanted to check with you because Alicia has been so worried and been begging for me to call you... how's Jenna? Is she alright? We sensed things were quite right, just hope it wasn't us..." Harry said really kindly.

"Right uh yeah first of all she's fine, she's great. I think we had a little freak out that's all." Richard nodded.

"You both looked like you'd seen a ghost." He laughed.

"Do you want the truth? It's pretty devastating." Richard sighed.

"I'd love the truth but if you don't feel comfortable do not tell us, you don't owe us anything." Harry smiled nicely. "How about you and Jenna come over for... coffee one afternoon and we have a small talk."

"Oh sure."

"Alicia just loves Jenna, thinks she's great." Harry smiled.

"That's wonderful to here. There is an age gap but i thought they were alike." Richard smiled.

- - - - -

"Hey." Lily said walking into my room with her crutches still, and making herself comfortable on my bed. I smiled and said hey back but continued to do my work. "You hungry?"

"A little." I shrugged.

"How about we go out for dinner? All of us together, tonight." She asked.

"If you want yeah." I smiled. I was in the middle of writing an essay so I wasn't in a really chatty mood but Lily clearly was even though I thought she hated talking to me recently.

"How did that meal go the other night?" She asked suddenly.

"Uh okay." I replied and decided I wasn't going to get anything else done so I put my pen down and turned to talk to her instead.

"Okay?" Lily hummed.

"They have a daughter. She's almost 3 and her name is... maisie." I told her sadly but with a small chuckle because of how ironic it was.

"No. Way." Lily scoffed. "Wouldn't our maisie be 3 this coming year?"

"Yep which is so mad and so crazy. I had to leave but I'm looking back and thinking what a wimp I was. I'm stronger than that." I sighed.

"Did you tell them?"

"Nope." I moaned, "just said I felt ill but it's really not fair to them. I really liked Alicia, the woman, the mother but I don't know... I ruined it now."

"You haven't ruined it." Lily smirked. "I'm sure you'll see them again and then you can explain everything to them. If they don't understand after that I'd be very surprised."

"That's the thing we've been invited there for coffee, tomorrow." I explained. "I don't want to go but I really do at the same time."

"I just think you should tell them." She shrugged.

- - - - -

"And how are you handling things?" Kate asked me after I told her about everything with Richards friends.

"Fine, it was just the initial shock of seeing and hearing about that girl and now it's like it hasn't had much affect on me luckily. Richard said it's a good thing. I don't know..."

"What don't you know?" Kate asked.

"If I'm not being affected by that does that mean all this therapy and taking these pills Victoria's giving me...are they making me unable to feel things. It's like the pain is numb.." I muttered.

"Well that's a serious subject did you feel this before?" She asked.

"Not until recently." I said.

"So you feel that when you think about Maisie... are you thinking about all the good things or are you just numb on the subject, unable to feel it anymore?" Kate interrogated me.

"I just don't feel as much. Like it just doesn't hurt as much as it used to. I don't look on the happy side unless you make me." I scoffed.

"Well then we need to talk to Victoria because we don't want your pills stunting your emotions. This can get serious you can depend on them to be your normal self." Kate explained.

"It's not just that it was before the pills too, I just reached this dead end with pain." I nodded.

"Alright, that's okay. I still think a chat with Victoria would be handy." She smiled.

- - - - -

In the end Alicia and I just met for coffee because we could never get anyone together within the next week so I took it upon myself to explain my weird behaviour.

"So about the other day, I really hope you don't think I'm rude for leaving so suddenly." I said nervously.

"Not at all, I was a bit curious but it wasn't rude, you were ill?" She asked politely.

"Well not exactly. I have to tell you truth but it hard to get out so here goes... about 2 and a half years ago, I had a kid." I paused.

"You had a kid?"

"Yeah a daughter she would of been 3 this coming year." I smiled.

"Richard?" She asked automatically.

"Oh yeah yes. Well I was 16 and things were rough but I had my kid and three days later she died. Couldn't breathe--"

"Oh my god." Alicia said she was staring to tear up. You could just tell she was one of those people that just understands and feels it when you tell a story.

"I named my daughter Maisie." I stated. "And I don't know...does it sound silly? I just feel stupid for even saying it but it really hit me hard. Seeing your maisie like that and beautiful and alive it just brought forward what could have been for Richard and I."

"It's not what you wanted." Alicia said smiling.

"How do you know?" I frowned.

"I can tell, you were too young then it was fate, you're here now because of it. Harry and I had a kid at your age when in university still and it almost wrecked our lives let alone when you're 16." Alicia's smiled.

"Yeah I could not raise a child at 16!" I laughed.

"You'll get your chance it just wasn't the time for you then." She grinned at me and she actually made me feel a lot better about the whole thing.