Robbie & Jamie

Nine - Trust And Hardships

(A/N) Although it does not go into great detail, this is the chapter where suicide, self harm and racism are most prominent. Please take care of yourselves, check up on your loved ones, and remember that you ARE valid and important.

Once again, Robbie and Jamie found themselves alone at home (Joseph was at work, and Rose was journeying to the chemist before visiting her own mother). Both girls wanted to use the time to put the wedding out of their minds and relax. The ordeal at the cake shop had shaken Robbie up, and even though Jamie knew she got nervous in social situations with strangers, this was a reaction that she rarely saw from her partner. More often than not, Robbie would play a video game for a few hours or raid the fridge and she'd be back to her cheery self. However, this time Robbie spent a lot of time laid down, lost in silence. It broke Jamie's heart, who felt awful for making Robbie venture to the cake shop alone.

Jamie had suggested some activities the girls could have been getting on with, like cleaning or watching TV, but Robbie lacked the basic energy needed to lift her head up. Hoping it may help, Jamie disappeared into the kitchen and came back a few minutes later.

"Robbie, I brought you a cup of tea," Jamie told her, placing the cup on the table.

Robbie's eyes flickered to it, and she managed a small smile. "Thank you."

Jamie knelt down next to the sofa where Robbie was laid, playfully poked her cheek, but didn't get a response. "Robbie, baby, is there anything I can do to help you feel better?"

Normally, a question like this would bring out Robbie's cheeky side, and she'd respond with some rather colourful suggestions which would make Jamie's eyes roll. However, today a small shrug was Robbie's response. Some time passed before she spoke.

"I just feel a bit drained. The shop keeper threw a lot of information at me, I couldn't really process everything."

Jamie looked both concerned and distraught. "I'm sorry for making you go alone, I should have been there." Jamie gently took Robbie's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "I'm not upset or disappointed with you, okay? I knew we'd have to look at plenty of places for our cake; it's one of the most important parts of our wedding after all."

"But everything else has just seemed to run smoothly for us, especially with you in charge. You've stayed up countless nights researching venues, haggling for discounts, meeting the pub managers with my dad. Meanwhile, I just had one job: find somewhere to make our cake, and I came back empty handed." Robbie sighed. "I know cake shopping was one of your top worries, so I wanted to find somewhere you'd feel safe and comfortable, and I wanted to succeed."

"Robbie, listen, babe. You did your best, and I know you get in your head when doing these things. Listen, I was happy to research, make plans and all those other things, and it's okay that this task you set out to do didn't go well this time. I don't blame you at all because you did your best, so please don't beat yourself up over it. It just means that particular cake shop wasn't right for us, but there are plenty more to look at. Like girlfriends; I bet you had plenty before you met me."

Now Jamie was teasing. Although it was only small, this made Robbie smile.

"I'm flattered, but I haven't had many girlfriends at all. Literally."

"A handsome girl like you?" Jamie nudged Robbie. "Surely you had more girlfriends before I popped along. I'm just the best one you've had."

"You're the most important." Robbie's smile grew so wide it almost reached her ears. "Come here."

Still holding her hand, Jamie climbed onto the sofa and nestled herself on top of Robbie, whose arms wrapped around Jamie, and they laid together in comfortable silence, but both girls were deep in their own thoughts.