Silver Linings (Andy Barber)

-7-

Andy hadn't realised that he'd fallen asleep over his laptop until he woke slumped over the table the next morning, laptop battery about to die. He quickly plugged it in and stretched, turning his neck from side to side where he'd slept on it funny.

At least he finished what he needed to.

Looking at his phone to check the time, he saw a voicemail left at...wait, 1am? Who was calling him at 1am?

Andy frowned and waited as the message began.

Genevieve.

Shit. He'd not even woken up.

He listened as her quiet voice filled his ears, rambling through her message.

"Hey...erm, I honestly don't know why I'm calling, or why I'm leaving this message this ridiculous time. Well I know why, it's coz I'm awake feeding Cora and...well, I made a bit of progress tonight...I deleted some pictures of me and Jack. I mean, it's been over a month, but I don't know whether it's too soon to delete them, I want to change my life but part of me doesn't want to let go. Am I stupid? God I'm so tired and so confused. Anyway, if I woke you sorry and if I didn't? Well...hope you're sleeping better than I am...so erm, yeah, bye..."

Andy hung up, not bothering to delete the message, opening his texts and finding Gen's number. "Got your voicemail, are you ok?" He asked when she answered.

"Yeah...sorry if I woke you – I didn't mean to ramble, but I just needed to tell someone".

"Hey, I've quit the beer and you've quit the pictures – I'd say that we're doing pretty well for ourselves."

Gen paused, then answering just as quietly as she spoke on her voicemail. "I don't know how to feel..."

Andy swallowed. I think you know how you really feel about him. You deleted those pictures. It was a big step, of course you're gonna have second thoughts." He was silent for a moment. "How about we meet in an hour or so? We'll take that walk, clear our heads – I need it after working this case."

"Okay, see you soon."

He showered, feeling a little more refreshed than he had done when he woke up. He needed to get back to his early morning swim again. That had always helped, especially when Jacob's trial had been going on. He'd never really been into running, that had always been Laurie's thing. A morning run. She'd always listen to a podcast and the recommend ones that would apparently be of interest to him.

Andy shook the water from his hair, as well as shaking the memories of his wife away.

Focus.

He inhaled some breakfast before heading over to Genevieve's. The weather was warming up, so much that a jacket wasn't really needed. It was going to be a nice day.

She came to the door a few moments after he'd rung the bell. "Good morning."

"Morning, you almost ready?"

"Mhmm, just need to grab Cora's bag and then we'll be with you. Come in." She beckoned and he walked into the hallway, noting the baby was already wide eyed and in her pram. 

"She looks dressed for the weather." He grinned, leaning down and tickling her under the chin. She was a pretty baby with the same big eyes as Gen had and was dressed in quite possibly the tiniest sundress he'd ever seen. She was still very small though.

"Ugh, the amount of clothes Natalie spoilt her with before she even was our of the womb!" Gen laughed from the next room. "I need to try and get her to wear them all before she grows out of them!"

"Take it from me, it's not possible." He chuckled as she came back into the hallway with the changing bag. "Jake was outta half his newborn stuff by the time he hit a month old."