A World Apart

Forgiveness and Trust

"Can I come in?" She asked timidly, toying with the strap on her designer handbag.

Now that she was here, I wasn't sure if I was ready to see her. The fact that she was standing here in the flesh made me remember how horrible our fight had ended up being, and I realised how much I didn't want a repeat of the same thing.

"Please," She pressed.

Nodding slowly, I stepped back, allowing her to pass by and make her way inside.

Needing to keep busy whilst this conversation went down, I walked right past the sofa, heading for my bedroom to continue tidying up after the dressing up game. I could hear Abi's steps falter by my unexpected de-tour before she followed me.

Back in my closet, I began picking up the various items strewn across my floor whilst Abi sat on a chair against the wall.

"You had something to say?" I asked, my voice coming out a little harsher than I intended, making Abi blush a deep scarlet.

"Yes," She said croakily, clearing her throat and repeating herself, a little stronger this time. "I've missed you," She added quickly as if wanting to get it out of the way before she said anything else.

I paused in my process of hanging a red dress, looking up at her and feeling myself beginning to soften at the admission. Before I could speak, she continued on:

"What I said came from a good place you know."

I narrowed my eyes at her, not wanting to rehash the same thing, and also not believing that such a vile viewpoint could come from any 'good place'. But she instantly interrupted again.

"I mean that it came from my concern for you, my love for you. But I was wrong, what I said was cold, cruel and completely self-centred, and I'm so sorry."

I could see and feel the genuine sorrow in her apology, and instantly caved.

"I'm sorry too. Not for what I said, but for how I acted. I shouldn't have pushed your buttons, and I shouldn't have expected you to see everything the same way as I do."

She gave me a small smile which I returned, running my fingers through my hair to sweep it back from my face as I bent to pick another item up from the floor.

"Having a clear up?" She asked.

"No, was playing dress-up," I explained with a small chuckle to myself.

"Dress up?" She considered me for a moment, then realisation clicked into place and she let out a soft: "Ohhhh."

"Yeah, she wanted to dress like a princess."

"And she's one of..." Abi trailed off, presumably so that she didn't say the wrong thing.

"The homeless children from the shelter?" I finished for her. "Yeah, she is."

She looked saddened by my confirmation of Tina's circumstances as she softly brushed the pashmina that T had admired earlier in the day.

"She seemed very sweet," Abi muttered.

"She is."

Silence hung between us for a few moments, then Abi let out an audible sigh, getting to her feet and crossing the closet, stopping in front of me for a fraction of a second before throwing her arms around me and pulling me into a crushing hug.

"I'm not letting go until you hug me back," She said firmly.

A low chuckle rumbled through me, and elation at my best friend being here, being back in my life soared through my system, healing the ache that I'd been living with these past few weeks in her absence.