An Honest Question
A Story Every Day in 2024 Oct 6th 280/366
My hand on her arm steadies her but I could do with some support myself. I can't just leave her here and so, we pay for our shopping and then, with my arm around her shoulder, I take her to the café for a coffee. She's looking less spectral now but she feels small to me. It makes me feel sad. Life has sucked what it can out of her but she's still battling.
I get us coffees while she sits down at a table.
"Here you are," I say, inadvertently mimicking the way she'd say it to me when handing me food at her house. Her eyes are wet but she smiles up at me, kindly.
"Thanks, love," she says, pulling the mug towards her. She doesn't take a sip. I do, of mine. I'm desperate for something to do. I don't know what to say. The silence sits. I want to know about Mark but I don't. By the look on her face, it's not a happy tale.
Suddenly, she looks up at me.
"I thought everyone knew, you know..." She pauses, "that Mark, you know."
I nod, blowing on my coffee.
"I'm sorry," I say.
The silence tries to muscle in again but she fights it off. She's keen to speak now she's in better control of her emotions.
"Life for Mark was never..." She chooses the word carefully, "...easy."
I nod again.
"I don't know how much you knew about...our life." She is looking at me, earnestly as if to say, "Say you know so I don't have to say it out loud" and I help her.
"I know things were difficult at times...with his dad."
She relaxes a little. "Yes. It was always...tense. But we managed." She lifts her coffee now and takes a sip. "He left me, you know."
I didn't.
"Best day of my life. Good luck to her. She'll need it."
I sit with this, the coffee warming us.
"I miss our Mark. Every day."
Her eyes are moist again.
"He was never the same after that Laney disappeared. Poor girl."
My heart jolts as her eyes search mine.
"Did they ever find out what happened to her?"
***
366 words
How will Luke deal with directly being asked after all these years?
This all started here:
Yesterday's story:
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Comments (18)
lol I wasn’t expecting that response from marks mother. The next woman is going to suffer it seems. ♥️👌🏽👏🏽
I love this "inadvertently mimicking the way she'd say it to me." It brought me back to the times I had to care for one who once cared for me. Those are the moments when adulthood feels the most real. Well done, as always.
this just gets twistier and sadder! well done, chum!
Will he lie, dodge, or come clean? On I go!
This got my heart thumping toward the end. Sitting on the edge of my seat in anticipation!
Good lead in to the next one...
Tap, tap. Excuse me. Pardon me, ma'am. I'm waiting...
It’s as though I’m awkwardly part of this encounter… such authentic voices… loving this series Rachel.🤩
Another unexpected encounter?? 😳
Dang - I thought Laney was going to be alive and her and Mark had done a runner. Come on Rachel, don't keep me guessing! This was fab.
Argh I've lost track of these now, can't keep up!
Standing by...
Arg! What's he going to say? 🤯
I want to know what happened to her also?
Just as Cathy said, I’m eagerly waiting for more more of this conversation.
I need more of this conversation.
I don't know this is going to play out, but I DO love how each scene does!!!
Is she implying that Mark committed suicide?