New families

A year of moments

Jac ended the call and lay back on the bed staring at the ceiling.
Despite her best efforts a huge smile crept across her face.
It was New Year's Eve and what a year it had been.
She'd lost count of how many times she'd cheated death - each time Fletch was there to support her and care for her, and although she had initially denied it they had had  'moments' throughout that year. Each one locked carefully away in her icy heart. Safe from emotion.
The physio sessions, eating pizza in her office (she cringed inwardly at making a sound like peppa pig but loved it all the same), he came back in as she was finishing the last piece and got pizza sauce on her mouth. He wiped it off and she'd wanted to kiss him. Raf's record collection - one day she might tell him what Emma had written on the precious vinyl. The countless private jokes, knowing each other so well- favourite lunch, how they took their coffee, second guessing what she needed in theatre. All the times he sat by her bed waiting for her to wake up. The tenderness he showed her outside theatre before she went away. Annoying her by stealing her grapes and more recently the dramas with his dad and family. She stood by her statement that she would rip Steven's heart out if he broke Fletch's and yes, of course she'd remembered when she'd asked him to go for a drink and to talk when she'd returned but that was before she knew about Abigail Tate.
And at Halloween she kissed him because she couldn't hold it in any longer and then got scared and pushed him away saying awful things she didn't mean. Then she'd told him if she was going to be with anyone it would be him but immediately said she couldn't.
It was all these moments and more that had been crowding her mind that led her to Fletch's house on Boxing Day afternoon when Sacha had taken all their kids to the pantomime
He'd answered the door looking hassled wrestling with a bin bag of wrapping paper
"Jac"
"Hi. Do you want a hand with that" she'd said chuckling
"Thanks and please come in"