Unexpected Encounters [B.H.M.]

19

The week had been busy. Very busy. And I hadn't seen Brian since Sunday. It's not that he hadn't tried, he had called me every day, every evening - for some reason he stopped showing up just like that - but I had had to turn him down every time because work had just been crazy and I had no time, and if I had time I just wanted to sleep. I felt really bad though because with every call Brian gave me, with every time I turned him down he sounded more sad. And it wasn't that he didn't have stuff to do to distract him - he did, he told me about it - but he sounded so genuinely disappointed when I told him I couldn't see him in the evenings. He sounded like he really would have enjoyed my company.

That was why I was a little surprised that I hadn't heard from him all day Saturday, but I didn't think too much of it because this was what he did, he did weird things that didn't make sense.

I just decided to act as this was normal, so I dressed up a little - I still wanted to impress him a little, I mean who wouldn't? You could try to impress... friends. Right?

So when I was ready I stopped by a video rental shop to pick up a film and then by a supermarket to pick up some wine and then I was off to his place. I hadn't been there in a while but I was getting quite good at finding my way there. The drive passed quickly and I parked my car next to his in the driveway - for once he had parked neatly enough so that two cars could easily fit the way they were supposed to.

With the film and the bottle in my hands I walked up to the door and knocked. He had to be home, the lights were on and his car was in the driveway. It would be weird if he wasn't home now. It took a few moments before the door opened, but it wasn't Brian who stood before me, it was a little boy.

"Oh," I said surprised. "Uhm... hello?"

The boy furrowed his eyebrows and looked me up and down. "You're not Mummy..?"

My eyes widened a little. "Uh... no I'm not." This was surprising.

The boy looked at me thoughtfully. "Are you Daddy's new Anita?"

"His new Anita?" I asked, very confused. This had to be Brian's son then, right? But that still didn't make sense. "What does that mean? My name is Frida, not Anita. I'm here to see Brian ... he's your Dad, right?"

"Yes...," he said, looking at me sceptically.

"Could you maybe tell him I'm here? I'd just like to talk to him for a moment, I haven't seen him in a while. I'm not going to take up much of your time with him, don't worry," I told him. I couldn't blame him, he didn't get a lot of time with his father, he probably didn't need some stranger he didn't know taking up all of that time. I could just drive home and watch the film and enjoy the wine on my own, that was fine. I had done that before.

"Okay," he said. "Wait a second, Miss," he told me before he closed the door.

That had been an unexpected turn of events. I certainly hadn't expected to be meeting Brian's kids - at least his son - tonight. I mean, I didn't have to impress Brian's kids, but it would still be nice if they didn't hate me. I hadn't done anything wrong but if the rumours in the papers had been true then ... who knew. Maybe that was what he had meant with 'new Anita'. But I wasn't, and it felt like I needed to clarify that.

But before I could get lost in my thoughts the door opened again and I came face to face with who I had come here to see - but not just him.

"Hey Frida," Brian greeted me, carrying a young girl. "Sorry I let Jimmy open, I thought it would be their mother, she was supposed to be here around now," he said, sounding a little stressed. "And to be honest I wasn't expecting you," he admitted.

"Yeah, I know, sorry about just showing up like that, but I figured because the week has been so busy... if you have time I thought you might want to watch a film or something, but you're busy and I don't want to take up your kids time, we can just meet up when you're free," I told him, giving him a smile. He looked tired, but for once he looked happy there with his children around him.