The Catalyst | Joanne

Chapter 7

AN: Ok, so this is where the drama starts to ramp up a bit. At this point, I'd like you all to bear in mind that this is a work of FICTION. The way characters behave in this story does not reflect who they are in real life, nor does it reflect my personal feelings about them. 

I have written a long discussion post about this story over on my instagram (buswell_spesh) where I am happy to answer any questions. Happy reading!

"Hey. Did you sleep alright?"

Dianne smiled at Zoe as she walked down the final few steps. "I slept OK, thanks. You're up early."

Zoe shrugged. "I've got into the habit now. Plus, this little monster", she gestured down to Nala, who was waiting patiently by the front door, "wants her breakfast as soon as the sun's up. I'm about to take her out for a walk if you wanted to join?"

Dianne smiled, but shook her head. "I'm OK, thanks. I think I need coffee more than anything right now."

"Well, Alf's in the kitchen and I think he's already making some for himself. I'll see you in a bit- we won't be long."

"Hope it's not too cold" Dianne said as she made her way down the corridor and into the couple's spacious kitchen. As she walked into the room, Alfie smiled at her.

"Morning. Coffee?"

Dianne grinned. "How did you know?"

Alfie laughed. Dianne's coffee addiction was well documented. When she was dancing, it kept her going throughout the day- topping up her energy to just the right levels. Sitting down at the kitchen island, she thanked Alfie quietly as he passed her a steaming mug.

"No Joe?" he asked, sitting across from her and taking a sip of his drink.

Dianne shook her head as cradled her mug in her hands. "Not yet. I've left him to sleep in. I accidentally woke him up in the night, so this is my way of apologizing."

Alfie pouted. "Could you not sleep?"

"Well," Dianne sighed, "I did, but I had a bit of a weird dream. Well, it wasn't much of a dream- more like a load of weird memories came flooding back. It shocked me, and it woke me up."

Alfie didn't respond, instead taking a sip of his coffee. Dianne did the same, the two of them sitting in an awkward silence for a few moments. The two of them hadn't spent much time together- and this was probably the first time they'd ever been alone like this. It was weird, but they were both looking at a potential future within this family and Dianne didn't want their relationship to be strained or distant.

"Have..." she finally broke the silence, "have you ever had anyone tell you something really personal? Like, a stranger?"

Alfie thought for a moment before he answered. "Probably. I think Zoe probably gets it more than I do because she's so open about her mental health. It genuinely has helped people and they reach out to thank her."

"How does she deal with it?" Dianne asked.

"I think she's learned to separate home and work. That's part of work and she leaves it there. Plus, she speaks to her therapist pretty regularly which helps her to rationalize things. I guess when you get into this business it can be really hard to remember the distinction between the you inside and the you everyone else sees."

Dianne nodded. It was something she had heard over and over again. "Joe and I definitely try our best with that one. We don't share everything, but I guess people just get... attached. And they sometimes overstep the boundaries without realizing."