One Call Solves It All

Nick was familiar with the feeling of mourning.

He had mourned Helen for eight years. The rows, the shouting, the explosive arguments...it hadn't mattered. He'd loved her and he'd lost her on a sour note.

And then there had been Claudia.

Sweet, beautiful, Claudia, like a warrior angel. They'd kissed three times and they were his three favorite memories. She'd erased all lingering thoughts of love for Helen from his mind and shown him what real love felt like. Sure, they argued, they disagreed, and they'd never been on one proper date or said those three special words to each other, but he knew in his heart that he loved her more than he'd ever loved anyone before (in that way, that is).

And suddenly she'd been ripped from him with only his memories and a photograph in his wallet to mark her existence. Helen's disappearance had felt like losing a limb, but like all amputees, he'd learned to cope with the feeling. Claudia's disappearance had felt like his heart was wrenched from his chest. No amount of work or alcohol could drive the misery and longing away or dull it even a little like it had with Helen.

He hadn't expected to mourn Stephen when the man was still alive.

Helen's ill-timed revelation had been the perfect metaphorical example of being stabbed in the back. He'd known the man since Stephen was just eighteen, a bright young student eager to learn anything university and the world could teach him. Now he knew why he'd abruptly gone dull and shy in university- Helen had broken him.

On the one hand, it was Stephen he was angry at. He'd been a student and slept with his instructor. He'd spent eight or more years being his friend, letting Nick trust him and confide in him, helping him and hidden a foul secret that whole time. Was, on Stephen's side, their friendship a lie as a way to make reparations for what he'd done?

But on the other hand, it was Helen he was angry at. She had been his wife, beholden by vows sworn before witnesses, and had cheated on him. She'd mocked Claudia, twice encouraged him to abandon his friends and his home to go gallivanting off without a word, and then stabbed him in the back.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he was at Helen, and a tiny spark of what could almost be called pity for Stephen grew in his chest. Stephen had been a victim as much as Nick had been.

With that though, Nick pulled the truck over, dug out his phone, and rang his best friend.

Stephen, lying on his bed brooding moping thinking, felt his mobile phone vibrating the mattress before the noise of its ringtone reached his ears. He slapped a hand down and briefly noted that Nick was the caller ID before answering it and putting it to his ear, steeling himself for whatever his ex-best friend was about to say. "Anomaly?"

"Nope." The Scot replied. "We need to talk. I know I said to forget about it, but..." the older man gave a deep sigh. "...I've spent the last eight years mourning my wife. I got over her and felt something- I don't know, a connection, I guess- with Claudia. She disappeared. My parents are dead, Stephen, and I've got no siblings or cousins or anyone left but you. You're the only family I still have. I don't want to lose you to. But I think I'm going to if we don't talk." There was a beat. Stephen's heart jackhammered like a rabbit on steroids with a machine gun, almost unable to believe the words he was hearing. "So...where d'you wanna talk?"

Stephen opened his mouth, but it was dry, and no words came out. He swallowed and fought to keep his voice level. "How's Regent's Park?"

"Aye, that works. 1600?"

"I'll be there."

"...Bye." Nick hung up before Stephen could respond.

Dread like a heavy stone settled into his gut, but like a bird desperate to be free beating its wings inside his chest hope rose up in him. Nick wanted to talk. Maybe he could repair what Helen had destroyed, mend fences and the bond that had been torn. Maybe, if he was very lucky, Nick would forgive him.

And then, maybe, he could start trying to forgive himself.

(So I literally got the idea and wrote this in like 45 minutes instead of sleeping haha)