Phoebe's finished school for the day and we're both in the shared living area of the nursing home. Phoebe sits in the chair facing Diane; they both seem to be silently listening to Joyce who is rambling on about how her great uncles third wife had Leukaemia. However I would guess they are lost in their own thoughts. Grandmother isn't listening to Joyce but is scribbling in a notebook. I lean against the wall and try to tune out Joyce's loud demanding voice. She’s just explaining how her great uncle ended up married three times when grandmother interrupts "I'm going to my room." Her tone of voice suggests she wants to be alone but Phoebe and I follow her.
Grandmother sits on the bed and when we sit beside her she hugs us. None of us seem to know what to say so we say nothing. We all know what’s happening. So what do we need to say?
Then Grandmother opens the draw to her bedside table and pulls out a bored game. "Anyone want to play?" She asks mischievously. I am good at bored games, grandmother is better and she never lets anyone win. Not even Phoebe. We all know who’s won before we even start.
Grandmother moves her counter across the board and yells triumphantly "I win!" Phoebe laughs and I sigh. This is the third time she's won. I see the time and decide its time to go home. We've been here ages.
We say our goodbyes and Phoebe walks with me down the street. Before we came to see Grandmother I picked Phoebe up from school so she's still in her uniform. At home she changes and I sit at the dining table.
I'm waiting. Today is dinner with Layla and I'm not looking forward to it. She was really nice to me and I returned the favour by over-reacting. It didn't seem like it at the time but I did. Hindsight shows me my mistakes but changes nothing. I only wish I had the foresight to realise the mistake I was about to make so I could change it. I owe Layla an apology.
Phoebe joins me at the table just as the doorbell rings. Phoebe looks at me and smiles slightly. She knows what happened but she probably still doesn't know what to expect. Layla walks in sits at the table.
An uncomfortable silence follows while Mike brings the food to Then Layla answers "I should have got all the facts before I accused you of anything. Sorry." she sound a bit sheepish. She continues "I was just worried about Phoebe." She gestures to my sister and smiles.
Then true to form Phoebe starts talking "Don't be worried about me. That’s Emma's job, she does it all the time. She was especially worried when I started school..." Then she started rambling about school. She obviously loves it there. I notice Phoebe has broken the awkward silence between us. I smile fondly at her. She has a way of making everyone around her like her.
I interrupt Phoebes chatter and speak to Layla, "Don't be sorry. You were doing the responsible thing. I'm the one who should apologise for over-reacting. Sorry."
Phoebe continues her ramble "Casey is this mean girl at school. Nobody likes her. She’s always in trouble. Yesterday she skipped school and today she was mean to everyone, even more than before. We were doing numbers today. We counted to ten but I can count to a hundred!"
We talked a lot after that and I notice that whenever Layla talks to Mike to seems less confident than when she talks to Phoebe or me. It’s one of the reasons I didn't recognise her voice. She's quieter when she speaks to Mike.
I twirl my hair around my finger mindlessly and drift into my own thoughts. I should listen and join in the conversation but I can't help myself. I'm worried about grandmother and I have a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach that won't go away no matter how much I want it to.
Before I know it dinner is over and Layla leaves. She waves and gives me a smile. I smile too for the simple fact everything turned out okay. I didn't expect Layla to accept my apology to be honest. Obviously she didn't expect me to apologise. I think she understands why I yelled at her, even without the whole story. Understanding is a great personality trait. I'm just glad she didn't ask too many questions. I think that would have soured our relationship a little.
I clean up and wash the dishes but I still have that sinking feeling. I put it down to bad news weighing on my shoulders. I wipe the last plate and go into the spare room opposite the kitchen. The spare room faces onto the front of the house. I peek out of the window and see a familiar black car. I guess my unease is justified.
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A/N
Sorry this is so short and I haven't updated in a while :/
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All I Ever Wanted
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