Fix me

Chapter 60

'Thank God for that.' Cheryl sighs. 'I thought we were gonna run out of paint.'

I sit down next to her in Sarah's hallway, looking into the small nursery we have just finished painting for them.

Cheryl stole Sarah's house keys the previous evening when we went to visit and we came straight here, taking advantage of Tommy staying at the hospital and started straight away, working until the early hours then starting again first thing in the morning.

Sarah is coming home today for the first time since giving birth prematurely two weeks ago.

Their baby daughter Charlotte is doing much better, stronger and breathing by herself, but they want to keep her in for a while longer yet.

Cheryl and I had delayed our trip to Newcastle until we could be sure we didn't need to be around for Sarah. We wanted to be here for her.

'D'you think she'll like it?' I ask. It had been my idea to decorate the room set aside for the baby, and Cheryl had immediately agreed, insisting Sarah and Tom would love it.

'Definitely, it looks beautiful... even though there's nothing in it yet, what time do they come home?'

'Not for a couple of hours yet. Come on, we'll leave the windows open, go and have a brew and something to eat... then I'll fix up the crib and put the shelves up, then you can have your fun with all the teddy bears and hang the curtains up and things.'

'Awh, thanks!' Cheryl chuckles. 'Your quite the DIY buff when you wanna be aren't you?'

'Well between me and you... I'm definitely the safer option.'

'Cheeky...'

**

'I'm so glad everything's gonna be ok.' Cheryl sighs happily as we stuff our faces with crumpets.

'Me too... it really freaked me out seeing Sarah like that.'

'I know... I've not seen her like that in years, not since she was really bad with the drugs and stuff.'

'What exactly happened there?' I say carefully. 'I mean, I know she had to go to rehab in the end and everything...'

'She just got so out of control... you know, she thought she was indestructible. It actually wasn't long after she first met me that she went into rehab... she always tells me its cos of me she got her act together.'

'Yeah?'

'Yeah well... I wanted to help her, I lost me brother to drugs, I didn't wanna see her go down the same road.'

'That sounds just like you.' I smile.

'Aye, then she came home talking about nothing but this beautiful guy she'd met on the plane and was going on a date with the next day... she never looked back, neither did I.'

'And then there was me.' I say quietly.

Cheryl grabs my hand. 'Yeah, and then there was you. And d'you know what? I wouldn't've had it any other way.'

'Really?' I raise my eyebrows doubtfully.

'Well, other than you being in pain then almost dying on us,' Cheryl pauses when I laugh, 'then yeah. No other way. You're the best thing that's ever happened to us.'

'And you're the best thing that's ever happened to me. The best thing that will ever happen to me.'

**

'By the way,' I say to Cheryl as we make our way back to the nursery to finish off, 'I hope you're not busy tomorrow afternoon...'

'I've got the gig tomorrow night--'