The Art of Starting Over

Chapter 41 - Sosa's Secret

A week later, Millie is back to doing everything her own way, by herself. Sometimes I worry that she's doing too much but I have to admit it's comforting to see her out and about again. There might be less bounce in her spring, but the spring is in her step nonetheless.

Jeremy made me go on leave the moment Millie was admitted and insisted I spend as much time with her as possible. He asked Sandra and Karen to work on their own for now, taking on opposite shifts in order to cover for me and Sosa, who is still on leave. According to Jeremy, she went on a short holiday somewhere in Europe. I haven't seen or heard anything from her for over two weeks now.

Jeremy keeps telling me there's nothing to worry about but I can't shake the feeling that something is not quite right. In the meantime, he is doing all the accounts, procurement and operational stuff Sosa and I usually take care of.

You'd think that with all this added work he'd have less time to be nosy and bossy and arrogant. But if anything, he's gotten worse than before and now that we're on speaking terms again, we're back to arguing every five seconds. He's even managed to get on Millie's nerves, which, truth be told, entertained me greatly.

Being the disciplinarian that he is, Jeremy has been coming over to check on her every single day. He's obsessed with her exercise schedule, pain scores and diet and up to two days ago, Millie tried to act like this was all very sweet of him. But it all got too much for her when she caught him rummaging through her fridge and cupboards to make sure she didn't have any sweets stowed away.

I never thought I'd see the day when Nanna Millie would be the least bit upset with the great Jeremy James Cordina, but there she was, threatening to shove the rolling pin up his nose if she ever caught him lurking about her kitchen again.

The sound of Millie's footsteps above my head jostles me from my book. I check the time and see that it's already six o'clock. She went up for a nap about two hours ago. I put down my scribbled copy of The Woodlanders and get up to put the kettle on for her but the doorbell rings on my way to the kitchen.

A mass of wild, black curls jumps at me as soon as I open the door. Sosa dumps herself on my shoulders and squeezes me so hard I'm afraid that my eyes will pop out of my skull. 

"I'm so sorry! I just saw all your messages! How's Mills?" she cries into my shoulder.

I hug her back tightly, puzzled and relieved at the same time. "Where the hell have you been?"

"Sicily!"

"Sicily? What were you doing in Sicily?" 

"I was with Derek."

I let go of her but keep hold of her hands. "On holiday?"

"Well, not exactly," she hesitates. "It was more of a work trip."

I narrow my eyes at her suspiciously. She walks inside and sits down on the couch with the air of someone who is carrying more than she is letting on. 

"Stephanie? How are you dear? I thought I heard your voice." Nanna Millie comes slowly down the stairs and Sosa looks up at her in shock. She hasn't seen Millie in weeks so I can only imagine how debilitated and fragile she must look to her. I get up to help her down the last few steps but she just waves me off irritably. "Did you offer her a drink, Ally? I taught you better than that, sweetheart."

I smile back apologetically as she hobbles off to put on the kettle herself.

"So, what's up? Why haven't you been answering my calls or texts?" I plop myself on the couch next to my best friend. Sosa gives me a wary look and her eyes flicker to the kitchen doorway. As though on cue, the sound of The Carpenters starts flooding the kitchen, so she leans forward and speaks in a hushed voice.