Abigail

F i f t e e n

+ + +

She felt unbearably alone. Her sunken efforts with Damien left their relationship with cold-shoulder interactions and brief awkward exchanges of hello's (mostly from her end). She disliked it immensely; it wasn't like her to be so withdrawn.

Within the walls of the quiet apartment, she often found herself trapped with unfriendly thoughts. The self-deprecating thoughts left her feeling small and unwanted, despite Cameron's reassurance. She hadn't even heard from Cameron since they went out for breakfast a few days ago. She found herself checking her phone multiple times and contemplating whether to text him first, but she always got shy and decided otherwise.

Sick of being alone, she called her driver that morning and arranged a ride to visit the one person she called home, Marie. It had been a while since they last saw each other, and a visit was long overdue.

The first thing she noticed about her new driver was his brightly-coloured mismatched socks, cyan blue with yellow ducks on his right foot and magenta with oranges on his left. He was very polite but seemed oblivious to how loud he spoke, especially when he laughed. But Abigail loved it; in a city where everyone had a stiff upper lip, it was refreshing to be around someone that showed emotion.

As he drove her to Marie's cafe, he spoke endlessly about pastries and desserts, and she promised to pack a few treats for him when he picked her up. She thanked him before stepping out of the car. Then she entered the cafe.

The familiar bell rang as she opened the door. She smiled as the smell of coffee, bread, and sweet pastries hit her nose. There was someone new working at the till and she asked if Marie was in. They nodded and walked into the kitchen. Abigail felt giddy with excitement.

"Good morning, how can I help- Abigail!" The petite woman screamed from behind the counter. Marie wiped her floured hands on her apron before she rushed toward Abigail and pulled her into a tight hug. "My goodness, Abigail, I have missed you so much!"

Abigail felt her heart swell, so much so that she felt like she was going to choke and start sobbing from how much she missed Marie. Marie pulled away to get one good look at the girl before placing a kiss on both her cheeks and pulling her into a tight hug again.

"I've missed you so much." Abigail felt her lip tremble.

"Goodness, I've missed you so much more. Come, sit. How's everything been?" Marie pulled a chair out from the nearest table. "How are you and Damien? How big is your house?"

Abigail tugged on her sleeve, unprepared to answer the questions. "How about the customers? I wanted to help out."

Marie dismissed her concern with a wave of her hand and pulled her down to the seat. Marie sat in the opposite chair in front of her. "Nonsense, it's hardly busy right now. And Rachel," Marie smiled at the girl by the till, "can cover for twenty minutes. Tell me, tell me, how have you been?"

"Good," she said timidly, "I've been good."

"You've been gone for weeks, Abigail, I expect more than good from you. What's your house like? How's the city? How's Damien?"

Abigail swallowed, "Can I make a hot chocolate quickly?"

"Of course! Make me a flat white too, please?"

Abigail nodded, left the table, and walked behind the counter to make the drinks. As she waited for the espresso to brew, her thoughts ran laps around her mind. She didn't know how to approach Marie's questions. What was she to tell her, that she was having a horrible time or that her husband hates her? She sighed as she poured the steamed milk. There was no point in hiding anything from Marie. She let her shoulders relax as she carried the two mugs to the table.