Chapter 3
Cheryl sat still, expressionless, her cutlery still in her hands. There was a long silence as she took in Kimberley’s words. Kimberley stared back at Cheryl, unsure of how Cheryl was about to react.
“Cheryl?” Kimberley hesitated but then slowly stretched a hand out towards Cheryl.
Cheryl cleared her throat but didn’t move. “Why...what were you doing with him?”
Kimberley let her hand drop to the table, unsure whether Cheryl would pull away or not if she touched her.
“He called. I’d already made dinner. I didn’t expect you to get home before me…”
Cheryl stood up, the sound of her chair scraping the floor stopping Kimberley mid-sentence. She walked over to the window and stopped, putting her hands out and leaning against the wall next to it.
“But what were you doing?” She asked simply, without looking at Kimberley.
Kimberley didn’t answer. Cheryl turned round quickly to face her.
“I’m at work, waiting to get home to my girlfriend, and all the time she’s having secret liaisons with her ex? You could at least tell me what you were doing with him?”
“Cheryl, it’s not like that, I just…” Kimberley sighed.
“Just what, Kimberley? You were bored? I wasn’t enough? I was never home? Cause you know, I’ve heard this all before from someone else”. Cheryl was shouting now as the tears started to fill her eyes.
“No, Cheryl, no”, Kimberley crossed the room and took Cheryl by the arms, who immediately looked down at the floor. “That’s not what this is. Chloe’s been asking for me. It’s been destroying me. For nearly 6 years I was like a second mother to her, and suddenly I disappeared from her life. When he told me she was upset, I had to go round. I’m sorry”, tears fell from Kimberley’s cheeks as she stared into Cheryl’s eyes.
Cheryl looked up, into Kimberley’s eyes. “Chloe? You’ve been with Chloe?” she looked away from Kimberley, frowning, as it sunk in why Kimberley had met Justin. “Why didn’t you just tell me?”
“Because I didn’t know how to. The first time you got home really late that night and we went straight to bed. You were so tired you fell asleep before I even told you about my day. Then the more it went on I just didn’t know how to bring it up…” Kimberley looked down at the floor.
“The more it went on?” Cheryl repeated Kimberley’s words back at her, her frown deepening. “How long has it being going on?”
Kimberley sighed and looked up at Cheryl. “A few weeks. Justin’s been having her during the week now - her mum has a new job. Sometimes they’ve met me after my class, other times we’ve just gone for ice cream or something in the afternoon after I’ve finished cooking dinner and stuff”.
Cheryl stared into Kimberley’s eyes. “How many times?”
Her stare caused Kimberley to look away, letting go of Cheryl’s arms and running them through her own hair. “Couple of times a week”.
There was an uncomfortable silence as Cheryl took in everything Kimberley had said. She took a deep breath and sat down in the arm chair next to her. She sat forward, leaning on her legs. The silence continued, as Kimberley wondered whether she should speak, or move closer to Cheryl, but she was rooted to the spot, completely unsure of how Cheryl was going to react.
“What else have you kept from me?” Cheryl looked up for the first time in what seemed like an eternity.
“Nothing!” Kimberley almost shouted back at Cheryl. She moved closer to her, kneeling down next to the armchair. “Babe, I was going to tell you – the first time it happened, then it just got harder because then I didn’t know how to bring it up. We spend so little time together, I just never found the moment. When you asked, I couldn’t lie to you”.
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