To Slow a Treacherous Heart ✓

35| The New, the Old and the Guilty

Chapter Thirty-Five: The New, the Old and the Guilty

        January 2019

May had always loved winter.

After finding hope on one cold winter afternoon, she could never shake the feeling of serinity the cold, icy season brought her.

She made her way through the thoroughfare, ambling through the crowd, her eyes searching for Sarah and June's faces.

The three of them and June's daughter Isabelle had decided on a romp to the nearbye fair that had taken residence in Meribourne's one large fairground.

She'd tried to get Jason to come but he had firmly disagreed. Instead he'd invited himself over to his best friend's house for a sleepover.

Girl's day out it was then.

They'd all decided to meet up at the carousel.

Now all May had to figure out was where the carousel was.

She mentally cursed herself for not grabbing a map from the entrance. This was so like her. Just forget all the important bits in her zealousness to reach her friends.

Idiot.

She tugged at the sleeves of her navy blue coat, then tucked a loose curl behind her ear. She had a blue scrunchie on her wrist just in case—but today she'd decided to go solo—letting her hair hang about her neck. She liked it that way.

Ever since she'd cut her long hair she'd felt some sort of relief. As if some imaginary weight had been lifted off her shoulder.

Unfortunately, winter was the arch nemesis of elegant hairdos, so a dark blue beanie was firmly attached to her blonde mane.

Underneath she wore a light blue sweater and a pair of dark blue jeans. Her feet were clad with a pair of garage sale boots she'd recently allowed herself to buy.

She smiled as she slid her glove covered fingers into her pockets. She could finally afford a few luxuries.

Which was why she'd decided to apply a coating of the dark red lipstick she loved so much but used very rarely.

She was happy, and she deserved to splurge a little. Only a little though.

She sighed in relief when she sighted the tell tail ponies and unicorns traveling in a roundabout manner.

When she got there, she spotted June in a dark coloured parka and a pink-slobbered Isabelle paying the ticket-tender to get on the ride.

"June!" May yelled, over the screaming of the crowd.

June turned, waved and gestured for May to give her a minute. After making sure Isabelle was safely on the back of a royal purple horse she skipped back to May.

Yes, she skipped.

She then proceeded to give her an extremely guilty smile. "So, I may or may not have something to confess,"

"What did you do?" May asked, uneasiness shifting the contents of her stomach.

June could never be trusted to not do something crazy.

June gave her an indignant look. "It's nothing bad. I just-"

"Hey!" Came a breathless voice from behind them. Following the voice was a dark red scarf and Sarah's reddened face. She was decked in a thigh-length red silk-shirt and a pair of black jeans. A dark red jacket enveloped her shoulders.

She looked queasily around her. When May sent her a questioning look she gave her an uneasy smile, "Sorry. Just not a big fan of crowds,"

"Oh," May replied, concerned. "Will you be alright? Do you want to head back? We can go somewhere less crowded."