Wendy couldn’t bring herself to stop smiling. For someone else, waking up in a pool of their own blood be worrying, if not alarming, but it made her want to laugh until she cried.
“I’m not pregnant!” She jeered, bursting into the kitchen. Mary, with curlers still in her hair and evidence of a bad night’s sleep residing under her eyes, jumped and almost dropped the spatula. She whirled around, still digesting what her daughter had said.
“What?” she asked sleepily, turning off the stove so the eggs wouldn’t burn.
“I’m not pregnant!” Wendy shouted joyfully, her eyes swimming with overjoyed tears.
Mary laughed. “Oh” she gasped. “Oh thank god.”
Wendy giggled and wrapped her arms around the older woman in a tight hug, something she hadn’t done in years. But that didn’t’ matter, because she wasn’t going to be a mother. Everything was ok. It was all going to be ok.
Mary awkwardly patted the top of her daughter’s head and squeezed her back. “Not that I wouldn’t mind having grandchildren, just not right now, alright?”
“Yes” Wendy replied. “A thousand times yes.”
Mary pulled back, holding the girl at arm’s length. “What about John? Did you tell him?”
Wendy shook her head. “No, I didn’t want to scare him if I wasn’t.”
Also, she thought she’d never talk to him again.
Mary let her go and turned back to breakfast. “Maybe this will teach you to be more careful.” She grumbled sternly.
Wendy barely heard her; nothing could puncture this newfound cloud of ecstasy. Small worries seemed even les now, nothing could compare to discovering she was not going to have a baby.
Mary grabbed a cup of tea and settled into a chair, watching her oldest child stand distractedly in the doorway with a funny look on her face. “When was the last time you talked to the boy?” She asked nonchalantly, hoping that her daughter would be done with him now that there wasn’t any excuse for him to stick around now.
Wendy shook her head mindlessly. “It’s been a while…”
Nine days since their last encounter, and now that she wasn’t worried about another human being growing inside of her, there wasn’t anything to distract her from the yearning she felt in every nerve-ending of her body.
She missed him. As ridiculous as that was, she missed him, wanted to see him again.
What was stopping her?
She hesitated on the brink of an epiphany.
Nothing. Fucking nothing was stopping her.
She had run off on him before she even really knew what he wanted, afraid of the answer, but that had been stupid. What if he really liked her? She couldn’t just be making this up, he had to like something about her…
She smiled at her Mum, “Maybe I should visit him.”
Mary frowned, but kept her mouth shut. They’d just had a civil conversation that didn’t involve a screaming match so she figured it would be best to leave it like that. Besides, John may not be anything serious. He might just be something she needed to get out of her system.
Mary smiled, “Just be home before dinner.” She said.
Wendy laughed giddily and shot out the door, nearly dancing.
Mimi was never surprised to find teens showing up at Mendips unexpectedly, looking for John or a good meal, but she did not expect to find the dark-haired bird from several weeks ago perched on the step, beaming up at the old woman like she held all the answers to the questions of life.
“Is John home?” The teddy girl asked immediately, her eyes sweeping the area behind Mimi for any sign of him.
No, John wasn’t home, but Mimi wanted her to stick around for a bit. It was unusual for the same bird to show up in John’s life twice, and Mimi wanted to know if her first impression of this one had been off.
“He’s out, I’m sorry to say.” She replied stiffly.
Instantly, the excited joy on Wendy’s face vanished. Looking crushed, she nodded slowly. “Do you know when he’ll be home?”
Mimi shook her head. “He didn’t say.”
“Oh…well, thank you anyway.” Wendy said, stepping back. Mimi pursed her lips together, “Would you like me to tell him you were looking for him?” She offered.
The teddy girl turned, recognizing a hint of friendliness in the old woman’s voice; something she hadn’t heard from Mimi before.
She shook her head and smiled again. “No, I’ll catch him another time.”
‘Alright, have a good evening Wendy.” Mimi replied, quickly disappearing back into the house and closing the door tightly.
Wendy grinned to herself. Mimi—much like John—seemed to get softer the better you knew her.
She made her way down the front steps and out of the gate, heading home from John’s home once again.
Scott’s heart nearly leapt out of his tiny chest. There, in the doorway of his home, was John. Wendy’s John: the one with funny hair and a guitar, the one that bought him ice cream once just for fun.
Scott was oblivious to the tension gradually rising between his Mother and John and ran up to Mary, worming his away around her legs to see the older boy.
“John!” He cried. “John are you looking for Wendy!?!” He jabbered.
Mary spoke before the Teddy boy could answer. “Scott don’t be rude.” She scolded gently, picking him up to stop him from clawing at the boy’s drainpipes. She looked at John quizzically, but not too harshly. “Are you here for Wendy?”
He nodded enthusiastically. The big gig was in a few days, and right now he was supposed to be in practice, but something had made him turn the other way and run the familiar path to Wendy’s house. He wanted to say something to her. Maybe even invite her to the gig if she wanted to go.
They hadn’t spoken since…that night, in the long days that followed, he hadn’t stopped thinking about her.
That had to be some kind of sign.
Mary frowned and settled Scott better onto her hip. “Sorry son, but she’s not here, you just missed her actually.”
Damn it.
“Do you know when she’ll be back?” He asked, trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice.
Mary laughed. “Probably soon, she ran off to find you.”
WHAT.
John’s face erupted into a full blown beam. “Really?”
“She took off about fifteen minutes ago.” Mary answered, trying to untangle Scott’s chubby fingers from a curl in her hair.
“Are you Wendy’s boyfriend now?” Scott blurted unexpectedly.
Neither of the other two was very prepared for the toddler’s sudden question. Mary’s eyes locked on to John like an angry predator tracking wounded prey. John laughed slightly—nervously—and carefully avoided Mary’s gaze, weary of what he’d see. “We’ll see son, I guess that depends on what Wendy wants.” He glanced at Mary. “And what her Mother says as well.”
Mary sighed and set a wriggling Scott down so he could continue to pester John. “I guess it just depends on Wendy then.” She said slowly.
John nodded seriously, relieved. “Please Ma’am” He said, feeling queer about actually using the word ma’am. “Will you tell her I was looking for her?”
Mary smiled and looked down at her son as he pouted for John’s attention. “If it means that much to you, I will.”
YOU ARE READING
Hello Little Girl
Fanfiction1957 Liverpool. It's summer, and Wendy is new to town. Out with her little brother one afternoon, she runs into a boy that doesn't really strike her fancy, and then another one that does. And teddy girl Wendy, is up for the challenge that is John Le...
