Stall 2

Chapter 51.

"When you want it, it goes away too fast

Times you hate it, it always seems to last"

Song: The Speed Of Pain - Marilyn Manson

*****

HARRY'S P.O.V:

Abby looks like she's seen a ghost.

Which to be fair, I can't blame her for. I'm sure if it were Jimmy's mother standing in front of me I'd have the same face.

However it's his aunt instead, an aunt I knew was very much alive.

Maurine really looks no different since the last time Abby has seen her, except her wild hair is shorter now and at her shoulders. She's still in those long skirts that hit the floor, flowy patterned tops that usually have some kind of oversized knitted cardigan over the top and all of those long ass pendant necklaces she wears, or countless bracelets. Not to mention the amount of rings she wears puts me to shame.

You hear the woman coming from a mile away, it's like a cat with twenty bells around its neck.

I've watched Jimmy try to give her 'fashion advice' like he's done with me, and she told him where to shove it in the most polite way possible.

It's one of those things that has been eating at me and keeping me up at night. The line I was worried about between secrets, surprises and lies; what makes a good or bad secret. What's wrong or right.

Maurine made me promise not to tell Abby - well she asked me to promise, and I simply agreed I wouldn't say anything instead of using those words because that's the best she was going to get from me back then.

I could do agreements, not promises... unless it was with Abby. I'm getting better at that recently though, I've noticed.

I'm hoping Abby can forgive me for keeping this from her, as much as I wanted to tell her; I couldn't. The less she knew about this the better, and the more it protected both her and Maurine.

I hope this isn't a terrible idea but I didn't know what else to do.

Abby needed more than me with everything that happened today, and I'm understanding that a lot better lately.

"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes," Maurine holds her arms out to Abby with that warm soft smile that seems so specific to her, gesturing to Abby to come to her with her hands, "Come here sweetheart, it's been too long."

I've noticed Maurine can feel like she's hugging you with simply the expression on her face, I don't know how she does it but Abby can do it too. So could Jimmy's mum.

I don't know how to describe it properly, it's warm. Comfort. You can feel it even in their eyes.

As someone who doesn't fucking trust anyone, I trust Maurine - even after everything that happened and that says a fucking lot.

It barely takes Abby a second to react before she's practically launching herself at Maurine, clinging her arms around her and Maurine wraps her arms around Abby's back.

I know she lost someone today, I'm hoping getting someone else back can help her not feel as if she's lost everything.

"How are you - when did you -- I thought you died," Abby rambles, still sounding shocked. Even shocked is an understatement, she's had her world shattered this afternoon and now has someone she had convinced herself was gone forever standing in front of her, "Oh my god I can't believe it's you."