The Meeting

To Be Expected

I headed home straight after the show, not wanting to join the others on the typical star studded night out that they were all attending after. I had two reasons for this; the first that I wasn't really in the mood to party, and the second that I half expected to hear from Leah after the show had aired. That text never came though.

Closing my eyes and falling asleep to the thought that my marriage really was over after all. I wondered if she was angry, angry that I had voiced my feelings about the ending to the entire world, maybe I should've text her but I didn't want to be that person.

Just an hour later, I woke to the sound of my phone ringing, the noise echoing around the room as I fumbled to see who it was. Aoife. I smiled at the idea that she was calling me during the night, knowing she obviously just wanted to hear my voice but the reality was about to be so much worse. The second the call connected I could hear Theo and Finn crying in the background, jolting me up from the bed and trying to find out what was going on whilst searching around the room for clothes to put on.

"What's wrong? What's happened?"
"Mummy is sick." Aoife cried.
"What do you mean sick? Where is she?"
"In the bathroom, she told me to call you. Grandma is on her way too but she says she just wants you."
"Okay, it's going to be alright. I'm on my way, okay?" I reassured her.
"Can you stay on the phone please mummy?" Theo cried in the background.
"Of course, put me on speaker Aoifs. I'll connect my phone to the car."

I drove as quickly as I could without breaking any laws, desperate to get to Leah and the kids as quickly as I could. Leah was a good sufferer, I knew that for her to let the kids see that she wasn't well meant that something was seriously wrong with her. I spoke to them the entire way, hearing Leah trying to reassure them in the background that she was okay, that she just needed me.

Amanda got there before me, already trying to distract the kids from the cries of Leah in the bathroom. She met me in the hallway, placing a hand onto my shoulder as she spoke.

"I can stay with the kids, she just wants you. She needs to go to hospital, Alex." She whispered.
"Okay." I nodded.
"I'll understand if you'd rather I took her, I know she isn't your responsibility as such anymore."
"She is - she always will be." I shrugged, seeing a slight smile and a deep breath escape Amanda's lips.

I knocked on the bathroom door, hearing Leah shout from the bedroom that she had moved in there. I rushed across the landing and found her trying to change from her pyjamas into clothes more appropriate for hospital.

"Le." I sighed, upset by the sight.
"Al, I don't know what's wrong with me." She sobbed.
"I'm here now, I'm here and I'm not going anywhere. Well - maybe to the hospital with you." I chuckled gently, reaching for the clothes that she was attempting to put on.
"I think that's a good idea." She winced.
"Can I? I can get your mum if you'd rather." I asked, recognising that I would have to change her.
"No, you. Please." She whispered, grabbing hold of my arm.

Trying to be as respectful as possible, I got Leah changed into some shorts and a sweatshirt, wanting nothing more than to kiss her and tell her everything was going to be alright.

"Where exactly is sore, Le?"
"Here." She took my hand and placed it against her stomach, slightly to one side.
"Have you been sick?" I asked, noticing that she didn't move her hand from mine.
"Yeah. My whole body hurts."
"Let's get you to the car." I said, removing my hand and standing up to help her.
"Al?"
"Yeah, Le?"
"There was nothing you could've said to make my heart beat better, everything you said made it beat so perfectly."
"How did you see that?" I asked knowing she had been sick.
"Had it playing on my phone in the bathroom." She smiled, my eyes welling up.