oh mother dear we're not the fortunate ones [109]

[Kelly Evans]

I come home in the morning light
My mother says when you gonna live your life right
Oh mother dear we're not the fortunate ones
And girls they want to have fun
Oh girls just want to have fun

Kelly sighed, as the telltale pop resounded through the apartment, signaling that Kat had come home. She didn't know what had happened; had accepted the small nod that Kat had thrown her way as she walked out the front door first thing that morning, but something in her knew that it wasn't good, that it was going to rock the fragile peace they'd finally won. So when Kat didn't join her in the kitchen, where she was still sitting with yet another cup of tea in front of her, Kelly stood up, and knew what she needed to do.

Opening her fridge, Kelly pulled out the tub of chocolate ice cream she had bought the day before, grabbed two spoons out of the drawer and then poured another cup of tea. Using her wand, Kelly whispered a spell that lifted the whole lot into the air, and floated along behind her as she padded on bare feet into the spare bedroom. For a long time it had sat empty, ever since Kat had been married and moved out, and it was only the automatic cleaning spells that kept the room in a livable condition.

Kelly knocked softly on the wooden door, waited a moment and then walked in, the tray of food and drinks following her. Her dark eyes took in the sight of Kat curled up on the double bed, and that was all it took to confirm her fear, that something monumental had happened. With another flick of her wand, the two cups of tea, ice cream and spoons settled themselves on the bedside table. Kelly climbed into the bed with Kat and curled her body around her friend's, holding her tight. She didn't say anything; Kat would talk when she was good and ready.

[Kat Samuels]

The door open and closed again and again and again in her mind, the final sound of Straw leaving her forever, turning his back, as he should have done years and years ago, so when Kelly’s warm body curled up around hers she jumped slightly under her touch. Her head was still downstairs in the world she had left behind but she tried to push through, to be present, to open the door herself and shut it behind her. Her fingers kept slipping on the handle.

And yet Kat relaxed in her friends grip, she sunk into her arms and her body stopped the shaking she hadn’t realised she had been doing. She took the moment to come back into herself, to feel the sharp pain in her knees, the cool feel of the air on her skin in contrast to Kelly’s warmth and the hollow ache in her chest. She sighed, reaching around herself and squeezing Kelly’s hand before sitting up against the bed-head. She couldn’t lie in here all day, couldn’t hide away from what she had done, she had been hiding for months.

“Let’s play a game,” she murmured when she found her voice. Looking down on her friend with a sad smile Kat hugged her knees tenderly. “Who’s life sucks more? I’ll go first, and I’m sorry but I am going to win, I always win this game.” Glancing across at the bedside table Kat noticed the tea and ice-cream and couldn’t help but smile. Yes, she was going to win this game, her life sucks, but it would suck a hell of a lot more without Kelly by her side.

“Let’s see, where do I start? Last night I managed to skip a date with my husband to have sex with my ex-boyfriend, which admittedly, didn’t suck as much as it probably should do, but this morning I managed to break up my own marriage, betray my husband and leave my kids with my ex mother-in-law who may never let me see them again. Oh, and I’m homeless again so I may be taking up residence in this bed for the rest of my life.

Your turn.”

[Kelly Evans]

Kelly smiled when Kat squeezed her hand, and she felt that she could hide from the whole world in that position, locked away in the smallest bedroom of the apartment she'd never own, surrounded by bits and pieces collected over time of a life she could barely remember anymore. She sat up when Kat did and mirrored her position as she drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Picking up her cup of tea, Kelly took a sip then cradled it against her body, the heat of the ceramic mug searing through the thin cotton of her t-shirt.

She sighed, she couldn't help it. Deep down Kelly had thought it would be something like this, one more mis-step that would bring down an entire life. Not her life though, and that's what Kelly intended to hold to. Kat was her best friend, the sister she'd never had; but Straw was as much her brother as Kat was her sister. She'd shelter Kat from whatever was hunting her, but that was as far involved as Kelly was ready to be.

The witch couldn't help the humourless chuckle that escaped her lips. "You're right, that does suck," she said quietly, her dark eyelashes fluttering against her cheeks as she looked down. "But you won't win this time. Not this time." Kelly brought her tea cup up to her lips once more with shaking hands, before she set it back down on the table beside the bed. "I was pregnant." She looked back up at Kat, eyes brimming with tears. "Was being the important word here. As in: was, but am not anymore."