Till We Meet Again by Lesley Pearse

Author:Lesley Pearse [Pearse, Lesley]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Contemporary, Female Friendship
ISBN: 9780141924991
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2008-10-13T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter twelve

In the weeks that followed her revelations to Steven, Beth sensed a slight change in herself. Nothing dramatic, but she did seem to be less detached from other people, less guarded, and certainly less pessimistic. She had panicked for a moment or two the morning after her conversation with Steven, terrified he would pass on what he had told her, but as soon as she saw him that day, she detected something in his face which told her he would never betray her trust.

Maybe it was just that which made everything better – she couldn’t remember ever trusting anyone implicitly before. Even as Christmas loomed closer, she didn’t feel her usual dejection. In the lunch hour she shopped for presents for her nieces and nephews and found herself enjoying it. When Serena rang and asked if she’d like to spend Christmas with them, she agreed immediately, without asking first if Monty was coming out of the home for the day.

Fortunately, as she laughingly told Steven later, Serena had gone on to say that he was staying in the home anyway. Beth said her new-found Christmas spirit didn’t quite stretch to welcoming the sight of her father.

As for Steven, he had finally given Anna an ultimatum. To his utmost surprise she didn’t seize the opportunity to leave as he’d expected, but went straight to her doctor for advice. He recommended she should spend a week in a private clinic for drink and drug dependency, and she booked herself into one almost immediately. Now she was back home again, and trying very hard with the help of the AA and Steven to kick drink for good.

Steven was cautiously optimistic. His joy that Anna had chosen to stay with him and the girls gave him hope for both her recovery and their marriage, but at the same time he was aware she was likely to backslide on some occasion. This was the hardest part for him, for although he knew trust was crucial, he found it very difficult not to keep phoning Anna during the day to check on what she was doing.

Beth often found herself moved by Steven’s understanding of human frailties. One day over lunch, which they quite often had together now, she told him that having him as a friend was like switching on another light in a gloomy room. Although they’d both laughed at the analogy at the time, and Steven asked how many watts he was, that was how she saw it. He’d thrown light into the dark corners of her mind.

It was in fact love she felt for Steven, though of course she couldn’t voice that for fear of being misunderstood. It was after all the platonic kind, not romantic. She loved his compassion, the little kindnesses that he bestowed on almost everyone he came into contact with. She had never had a confidant before, never thought she wanted or needed one either. Yet she found it so warming to know she could tell Steven anything, without fear he would repeat it.

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