The Fourth Side of the Triangle

Chapter 12

“It is!” he says hurriedly, “it is. I just... I don’t want to put on too much weight too quickly. I mean, I don’t think a lot about my figure or whatever, but I just... I don’t know Aims. I just want to be happy with the way I am.”

“And you will be,” Amy assures him, “but it’ll take time.”

-x-

“Here you go.”

Gabbie hands him a rather large folder, containing meal plans for the next month. He eyes the folder warily and shifts it so it rests safely on his lap.

“Thanks... I guess,” he mumbles, unable to force any kind of enthusiasm into his voice. Gabbie looks at him with an expression which is somewhere between pity, sympathy and concern.

“You’re doing really well Oliver,” she says softly and Oliver has to fight the temptation to roll his eyes at his dietician’s patronising tone. “Is your girlfriend happy? What about your family, do you see them often?”

Oliver shakes his head.

“My parents live in Ireland and my brother lives in Cornwall with his wife... I don’t see them that much...” Gabbie nods, as if this new piece of news holds the answers to all of his problems. She doesn’t continue the conversation- she merely bids him farewell and leaves him with the promise of a meeting when he gets back from France. Oliver all but runs from the room, shutting the door unnecessarily hard behind him and winces as the sound echoes down the hallway.

He is nearly out of the hospital when he runs headlong into Becca.

“Oliver!” she exclaims, giving him a tight hug, “how are you doing? On your way out from seeing Gabs?”

Oliver nods his answer and returns the friendly smile.

“What’s in the folder?” the brunette asks, gesturing to the dark blue ring binder that Oliver has clutched tightly against his chest.

“Meal plans apparently...” he says, shrugging. “I’ll tell you about it later... I’m meeting one of my drama school friends in a café a few streets away and I’m already running late.”

“Oh!” Becca says as she shrugs on a jacket, “I’m on my morning break. I’ll give you a lift if you want.”

Oliver nods.

“Thanks. That would be brilliant.”

He follows her out to her car and clambers into the front seat, before buckling the seat belt across him.

“Where are you off to?” Becca asks as the engines burst into life.

“Oh... just Nero’s round the corner,” Oliver says, “I’m a bit nervous... I haven’t seen this guy for ages!” Becca laughs a little, and pulls out into the traffic.

“So how’s the baby doing?” she asks, keeping her eyes fixed on the road.

“Fine...” Oliver replies, his eyes lighting up with pride, “we don’t really want to know if it’s a girl or a boy yet... well, Amy does, but I said that it would be more exciting if we wait.”

“That’s good,” Becca tells the dark haired man, “and how are things going with Gabbie? She’s lovely isn’t she?”

Oliver wrinkled his nose slightly and Becca laughs properly now.

“Okay, okay... so she’s a little overbearing. But she is lovely. She tells me you’re making really good progress.”

Oliver snorts.

“Am I the main topic of conversation over your early morning coffee?” he jokes. Becca gives him a sideways grin before pulling up outside the café. He is about to shut the door behind him when Becca stops him.