From across the hallway

Part 7

A few days passed, with Emily's cough gradually subsiding.

Missy, had had to take a few days off work, which of course, hadn't particularly gone down well with the other staff members in her office. She barely had anyone who spoke to her as it was....but the whispers only seemed to worsen.

"You think I can get extra time off if I have a kid?" – Missy had heard one woman utter in a carrying whisper as she passed the copier one day.

Missy had instantly dropped her head and hurried back to her desk, hiding her red face from everyone.

Things were not really getting any easier for Emily either. The cough had only made her hearing worse...causing the little girl to jump in fright, at the loud noises the other kids in day-care made.

So both of them were obviously excited when Saturday finally came, and they could spend the entire day together.

Just the two of them, with nothing to care about in the world.

It was a cold, crisp morning in December, and Missy was just getting Emily into her little red boots ready for a trip to the park to see the newly decorated Christmas trees.

Emily was sitting there quiet and happy, watching her mother crouched down before her. Emily always did this. Always watched Missy so carefully, mirroring and copying everything that Missy did. One of the little girl's favourite things was to try and style her own hair as Missy did hers in the mornings.

"So are you excited to see the ducks today, baby?" Missy asked Emily gently, pushing her foot into her little bootie.

Emily nodded. "Duks?" she enquired, her eyes wide.

Missy merely smiled. "Yeah, we can feed them if you want?" she said, getting to her feet. "But let's get your coat on. It's freeeezing out there."

But as Missy stood, her phone suddenly buzzed loudly across her nightstand.

She rolled her eyes but couldn't help but let out a small smile.

She knew exactly who that was...

Since getting her number, Wade had been texting her relentlessly. He had promised to bombard her with boundless emoji-filled texts and boy had he delivered!

Every morning as if on cue, he would send her a text, most of them filled with nothing more than a little egg emoji and the word [Breakfast?].

And Missy every day replied with the same thing...

{Busy, sorry. Gotta work. M}

But today, as Missy picked up her phone she grinned as she saw his message.

[*egg emoji* Breakfast? And DON'T say you have to work, Ms Oh-So-Perfect...because it's a Saturday. *streamers emoji*]

Missy bit her lip, staring down at her phone for the longest of moments, before typing a hasty reply.

{We're going to the park to feed the ducks....but if you happen to be around, I guess we might catch you at the little coffee stand on the corner of ninth. M}

Missy smiled to herself as she pressed send.

She had actually been hoping to run into him...just to say thank you of course, for him coming over and minding Emily for her last weekend.

Apart from the daily texts, she had barely heard a peep out of her neighbour. The only time she even noticed him was the slamming of his door late at night, after he had gotten home from whatever bar, she presumed, he frequented.