Perception

XCV

Sarah came barrelling down the stairs when Anna wasn't even halfway up them yet.
"Anna! You're here!"
Anna smiled up at her. "Hi. I can't even begin to tell you happy I am to be here. Is James here already?"
She could see the answer in Sarah's eyes before she even opened her mouth.
"Er, yeah, he kind of never left since we've been back."
Sarah's voice was soft and almost shy, but her face looked just like that emoji with the cheeky grin. She backed up the stairs somewhat awkwardly, back into her studio.
"Well. You look like the cat who got the cream." Anna whispered as she walked past her and smiled at James, who was just getting up from that purple sofa she knew so well. Eli walked straight to him and gave him a massive bro hug.
"Cream's not a bad thing, you know." Sarah hissed in her ear, before carrying on out loud to the group. "Tea, people? Coffee?"
Anna smiled to herself as she made her way over to the coffee table, sat down on the rug and started taking all the papers out of her backpack.
No, cream was quite definitely not a bad thing at all.

A few hours later they had made some good strides with the work, even if Anna had found herself staring out of the window several times, images of the last days flashing through her mind, making her squint and shake her head. She had caught Eli doing something similar too, and every time she had noticed him drifting off she had put a calming hand on his thigh and he had smiled slightly in return.
At least Sarah seemed to be fine again. The worries about her grandmother behind her now, she was back to being relaxed and witty. She kept glancing at James as well, almost coquettishly, looking at him through her eyelashes.
Well. She definitely liked him, that was for sure.

At noon the boys got up from the circle they had made on the rug and walked off into the centre to get them all some lunch. Anna wandered into the kitchen to help Sarah with a new coffee round.
"When are visiting hours at the hospital?" Sarah asked her, as she took the packet of coffee from one of the cupboards above the work surface.
"The website says at four, but I'm going to call them in a little bit, just to check, because of course I have no idea what her last name is or anything."
Sarah nodded. "Smart. So... erm, anyway, I wanted to ask... Anna... are you okay?" Her eyes were wide and serious, her hand with the packet of coffee suspended mid air above the work surface.
Anna blinked at the question she hadn't seen coming. Was she okay? She was quiet for a long moment as she pondered it. Sure, it had been a hell of a week, sure, when she closed her eyes she kept seeing these images she'd rather forget... but at the same time she felt stronger than she ever had before. And more than that... she had never felt less alone in her life.
"You know what?" she said then, her voice sure. "I think I am."

Sarah's eyes bored into her for a moment, and she seemed to decide that she was telling her the truth. "Good. Okay. So... is it too early to ask about him?"
Anna grinned. "No, go ahead, fire away. Curious, are we?"
Sarah rolled her eyes. "Come on! Of course I am curious! You have a boyfriend!"
Anna blinked again. Boyfriend. Well. Didn't that just have a lovely ring to it.
"So... not to be too forward or anything, but did you... did you do it?"
Anna raised her eyebrows and giggled. "So, you figured no beating around the bush, then? Yes... we did, actually. The first time... almost by accident, after I had seen Adele that day, the second time very much on purpose."
She had to admit she loved watching Sarah's mouth drop open, she loved the little squeal she let out.
"Wow, Anna!"
Anna nodded. "Yeah, I know, right?"
"And it was... okay, for you?"
And that, right there, was why Sarah was the best friend in the world. There was simply no one who equalled her understanding, her genuine care. She knew exactly what Sarah was asking, of course.
"Yes. I think I've finally been able put those demons to rest. And last night... well... to be honest, that was pretty awesome."
And just like that she was giggling too, bubbling with the excitement of it all.