Fallen

Chapter Two: Back on your feet

It was arranged that Angella was to stay with Billy and his mother, and a week later, Angella felt as though she was ready to leave the Carpenters' Residence.

-x-x-x-

"Honestly, Mrs Carpenter, I can't thank you enough for your hospitality, but I', clearly in your way here." Angella said to Billy's mother.

"Nonsense child!" Mrs Carpenter exclaimed. "We love having you around! It's good to have a little extra company around here, if I'm completely honest." Angella smiled, politely.

"If you're sure it's no trouble, me staying... But I don't mind leaving, if it gives you some space, and I could probably do with the independence..."

"Oh, don't be silly! It's a pleasure to have you here! Anyway, you've only been out of hospital for a week, and you haven't remembered a single thing! Where would you go if you did leave?" The made Angella think, and she scowled at that thought.

"Alright, I'll stay until I start remembering things."

"Thank you, Angella."

-x-x-x-

Angela was sat on the couch, drawing a picture of a young boy and an elderly woman, when Billy and his mother walked into the lounge. Billy stood behind Angella, while his mother sat on the chair, opposite the couch.

"That's really good." Billy said, watching over Angella's shoulder. Angella jumped out of her skin, having not noticed the Carpenters' arrival, and closed the sketch book she was drawing in.

"It's nothing, really. Just some stupidold sketches." Mrs Carpenter gave Angella a look that said 'now you know that's not true'. "Um... I'll just go and get a drink..." Angella said, as she stood and made her way into the kitchen, taking the sketch book with her. Bily followed.

"That was mine." Billy told her, quietly.

"I'm sorry?" Angella replied, slightly confused.

"That sketch book. It was mine."

"Oh... I'm sorry... I didn't realise..." Angella looked down at the thin, blue, A5 notebook, where many of the pages had been ripped out.

"It's alright. you can keep it." He said. Angella looked towards Billy.

"Are you sure?" Billy nodded.

"You can draw. I can't. It's yours."

"Pardon?" Billy smiled his buck-tooth smile.

"That sketch book. It's yours." Angella smiled.

"Thank you, Billy."

-x-x-x-

With every passing day, Angella got better, and by the end of her second week out of hospital, Angella was almost fully recovered from the fall. The bruises on her legs were almost gone, as were the grazes on her hands and feet.

-x-x-x-

"How are you feeling, Angella?" Mrs Carpenter asked, one day, when Billy was round his friend's house.

"Good, thank you. My feet don't hurt as much now, and the redness on my hands is gone..."

"You know that's not what I mean, Angella."

"I haven't remembered anything..."

"What I mean, Angella, is how are you feeling, living here?"

"It's lovely. You've been so hospitable, I couldn't thank you more, and Billy's just the cutest thing, he's been so lovely to me..."

"He says you were lovely to him, once."

"Yes, I know. He's always saying it. But I can't help feeling that I'm slightly in your way, here."

"I was afraid of that." Mrs Carpenter stood from her place on the couch and walked to the bookshelf, took a book from the second shelf from the top, then returned to sit beside Angella. "This is a scrapbook of everything that Billy has done since the day of his birth. At first, it belonged to myself and Billy's father, but when he was old enough to read and write, it became his." Mrs Carpenter handed the book to Angella. "I've glanced over it, a few times, and there's a whole section on you."

"Me?" Angella was completely baffled.

"You made quite an impact on him." Mrs Carpenter explained to her. "He used to come home, ecstatic. You were all he'd talk about, for a whole evening. Every day, he did a page in that scrap book, for about a week and a half." Mrs Carpenter paused, to let that sink in. "He was so devastated when you left."

"I'm sorry..." Angela said, quietly. "I don't remember any of it." In that moment, Angella looked so innocent, so small. So much like Billy; it made Mrs Carpenter smile, fondly.

"You're welcome to stay, as long as you need."

-x-x-x-

Angella took the time to read through the scrapbook, and with every page, she saw an image of Billy in her mind. Each time, it was a different image. Billy was restoring her memories, bit by bit.

She would soon find herself back on her feet.

-x-x-x-