Staying with Friends
I pause outside of Katie’s flat, then knock on the door. She doesn’t know I am coming over, but I didn’t feel like calling. I barely slept last night and though I tried jogging again this morning, it didn’t help. So, I showered and decided to go see Katie. I should be telling people about what happened with Charlie and I decide to start with telling Katie. Eventually I will have to tell others, like my family, but I know that will be harder, especially since I don’t know what I will do now and I know my parents will want to know. After seeing Katie, I will have to look into places I can stay, since I can’t live in a hotel.
It takes a few minutes before the door opens and I see Katie, towel wrapped around her, hair wrapped up a second towel. “Hey Megan! Come in...you want a drink?”
“No, thanks. Sorry to interrupt your shower.”
“It’s ok, I was just getting out,” she assures me as we head into the kitchen, “Sure I can’t get you anything?”
“Well, if you are going to have something, I will.”
“I was about to make a coffee...well, it’s not really coffee, it’s chicory essence but I can do regular coffee for you if you want.”
“I can just have whatever you are having.”
“Alright,” she smiles, pouring two mugs of milk and setting them in the microwave, “If you don’t like it I can always make you something else.”
“Thank you,” I answer.
“So what brings you here?” she asks, taking a tall glass bottle from the cupboard. When the microwave pings she takes the mugs out, measuring three teaspoons of the dark brown liquid into each mug and stirring it in with the milk. “Try that.”
I take a sip. “That is good. And I was wondering if you had the day off. Or at least an hour or so.”
“Sure,” she nods, “I need to get dressed obviously, but then I’m all yours. You have something in mind?”
“Well, I just wanted to tell you about something. Since I am sure people will be mentioning it,” I answer. “And I could use a little advice,” I admit.
“Oh?” she glances at me and frowns, “What’s wrong?”
“I can wait until you are dressed.”
She considers this and nods, “I’ll be back in a minute.”
Sure enough it’s only a minute or so before she returns dressed in trackie bottoms and a polo shirt, though her hair is still up in the towel.
I am sitting on a chair at the kitchen table and offer a small smile. She regards me for a moment before opening one of the top cupboards and reaching down a box, “Alright, we have camp coffee and luxury chocolate biscuits I was saving for Christmas, now spill, what’s wrong?”
“It’s over,” I sigh looking at my drink. “Charlie and I are getting a divorce.”
She sighs and nods at this, picking up one of the biscuits and dunking it in her coffee, “When did this happen?”
“Yesterday,” I admit.
“I’m sorry,” she says sympathetically, “Do you want to talk about it...or do you need help with anything?”
“I don’t know. I still feel shocked, but I should have known it was going to happen.”
“Sometimes knowing in advance doesn’t prepare you for the actuality,” she shrugs, “Will you stay where you are or move back to London?” Katie knows I wasn’t keen on moving in the first place.
“I can’t stay there. Too hard,” I sigh. “But I don’t really have any place in London. I was thinking, I might have to ask Aunt Hestia if I can move in. Or my parents.”
“Don’t be silly! You can stay with us!” she insists suddenly.
I pause. “What?”
“We’ve got the spare room,” Katie points out, “You can stay here. If you want to of course.”
“Are you sure? What about Oliver?”
“What about him?” she raises an eyebrow, “Megs, Oliver knows my friends are important to me. He’ll understand...and if he doesn’t he’ll be sleeping on the sofa until he does.”
I smile a little. “I appreciate it. And it will only be until I can find a new place. And Caley can take care of Mittens.”
“That’s fine,” she assures me, “You’re welcome to stay as long as you need.”
I lean over and give her a hug, telling myself not to cry anymore. She hugs me back, “It’s ok, c’mon, you need help moving your stuff?”
“I left some at the hotel. And I won’t take much from the house.”
“Ok, let’s finish our drinks and we can go get it,” she suggests.
“Thank you.” I take a sip of my drink. “You are the first one to know.”
It takes a few minutes before the door opens and I see Katie, towel wrapped around her, hair wrapped up a second towel. “Hey Megan! Come in...you want a drink?”
“No, thanks. Sorry to interrupt your shower.”
“It’s ok, I was just getting out,” she assures me as we head into the kitchen, “Sure I can’t get you anything?”
“Well, if you are going to have something, I will.”
“I was about to make a coffee...well, it’s not really coffee, it’s chicory essence but I can do regular coffee for you if you want.”
“I can just have whatever you are having.”
“Alright,” she smiles, pouring two mugs of milk and setting them in the microwave, “If you don’t like it I can always make you something else.”
“Thank you,” I answer.
“So what brings you here?” she asks, taking a tall glass bottle from the cupboard. When the microwave pings she takes the mugs out, measuring three teaspoons of the dark brown liquid into each mug and stirring it in with the milk. “Try that.”
I take a sip. “That is good. And I was wondering if you had the day off. Or at least an hour or so.”
“Sure,” she nods, “I need to get dressed obviously, but then I’m all yours. You have something in mind?”
“Well, I just wanted to tell you about something. Since I am sure people will be mentioning it,” I answer. “And I could use a little advice,” I admit.
“Oh?” she glances at me and frowns, “What’s wrong?”
“I can wait until you are dressed.”
She considers this and nods, “I’ll be back in a minute.”
Sure enough it’s only a minute or so before she returns dressed in trackie bottoms and a polo shirt, though her hair is still up in the towel.
I am sitting on a chair at the kitchen table and offer a small smile. She regards me for a moment before opening one of the top cupboards and reaching down a box, “Alright, we have camp coffee and luxury chocolate biscuits I was saving for Christmas, now spill, what’s wrong?”
“It’s over,” I sigh looking at my drink. “Charlie and I are getting a divorce.”
She sighs and nods at this, picking up one of the biscuits and dunking it in her coffee, “When did this happen?”
“Yesterday,” I admit.
“I’m sorry,” she says sympathetically, “Do you want to talk about it...or do you need help with anything?”
“I don’t know. I still feel shocked, but I should have known it was going to happen.”
“Sometimes knowing in advance doesn’t prepare you for the actuality,” she shrugs, “Will you stay where you are or move back to London?” Katie knows I wasn’t keen on moving in the first place.
“I can’t stay there. Too hard,” I sigh. “But I don’t really have any place in London. I was thinking, I might have to ask Aunt Hestia if I can move in. Or my parents.”
“Don’t be silly! You can stay with us!” she insists suddenly.
I pause. “What?”
“We’ve got the spare room,” Katie points out, “You can stay here. If you want to of course.”
“Are you sure? What about Oliver?”
“What about him?” she raises an eyebrow, “Megs, Oliver knows my friends are important to me. He’ll understand...and if he doesn’t he’ll be sleeping on the sofa until he does.”
I smile a little. “I appreciate it. And it will only be until I can find a new place. And Caley can take care of Mittens.”
“That’s fine,” she assures me, “You’re welcome to stay as long as you need.”
I lean over and give her a hug, telling myself not to cry anymore. She hugs me back, “It’s ok, c’mon, you need help moving your stuff?”
“I left some at the hotel. And I won’t take much from the house.”
“Ok, let’s finish our drinks and we can go get it,” she suggests.
“Thank you.” I take a sip of my drink. “You are the first one to know.”