I've got an answer, I'm going to fly away,
What have I got to lose?

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Viewing Note: This story should be viewed with the Edwardian Script ITC font installed on your Windows platform in the c:/Windows/Fonts directory. Microsoft Word installs this font automatically.

Photo Credit: Provided by PB.
 

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Chapter 7
 
 

“Guten Morgen ihr Lieben, gut geschlafen?” Jenny asked as her oldest daughter wandered into the kitchen after having returned from her latest four-day trip to Germany with her dad.

“Guten Morgen, Mama. Ich schlief gut, Dank,” Jules cheerfully replied.

“Your German’s getting much better, dear. I guess life there agrees with you?”

“Ja … but compared to this place ... the apartment’s really small. Anyway … I really think I’m going to like it there,” Jules cheerfully responded.

“Okay … what’s his name?” Jenny asked with a knowing smile.

“Muummmm,” Jules replied in her little-girl whine as Jenny started to laugh.

She momentarily escaped her mother’s good-natured teasing when she went out into the hall and opened the front door to retrieve the morning paper.

Dave had worked out an arrangement with Frank where he’d split his time 50/50 between the mill and Germany. While he was in Germany, the girls would join him. When he was working with Team Apollinaris, the girls would use the time to get used to life in Bad Neuenahr.

The last couple of times Gaby went with her dad, she was able to use her new passport. However, for the last two weeks she’d been laid up in the North Manchester General Hospital recuperating from her ‘corrective’ surgery.

“I’ve got a few cards for Gabs from Kat and her friends,” Jules announced.

“They know?” a worried Jenny asked.

“They were asking where she was so I had to tell them something … an’ I just told them the truth … Gabs is still in the hospital after undergoing abdominal surgery.”

“Abdominal surgery?” Jenny parroted. “Well … I guess if it works… and it’s not too far from the truth.”

“It was Dad’s idea,” Jules replied as she scanned the newspaper.

“Muumm … did you see this?” Jules was in shock as she handed the opened paper to her mother. Jenny’s eyes were immediately drawn to the small article that Jules had pointed at.

“Oh … my … God! Poor Gaby…”

“I just read the first bit. Does it say what happened?” Jules asked.

Jenny quickly read the entire article then summarized it for Jules.

“According to this, a car veered off the road and mounted the walkway outside of Hawthorn’s Books … pushing two people through the plate glass window as the car drove into the front of the store … both died of their wounds, enroute to the hospital. The article also mentioned that the paramedics said the driver of the car had no vital signs and was pronounced dead at the scene.”

With halting emotion in her voice, Jenny turned her attention back to the newspaper.

“Dead is … Mrs. Ann Joyce … 43 years of age … and her daughter, Helen Joyce … 14 years of age. I can’t see any mention of funeral services…”

“I’ll have to pop around to Ann’s place and see if her mother has anything she can add, before deciding when to tell Gaby.”

The next day, Jenny found herself slowly walking up to the front door of Ann’s parents.

“Yes?”

“Mrs. Malloy? We’ve never met … but my name’s Jenny Bond. Helen was a friend and classmate of my youngest daughter, Gaby ... and both Ann and Helen had been to our house a number of times.” Jenny quietly presented herself to Helen’s Nan while standing at the door. “We all thought Helen was a sweet girl and we’ll miss seeing her around our place.”

“Thank you … please, do come in … I’m Beverly,” Mrs. Malloy replied.

“Jenny,” Jenny replied with a sombre nod as she entered the house.

“On behalf of my family … may I offer my sincerest condolences to you and your husband for your loss,” Jenny quietly offered as she turned to face Beverly once she was inside.

“Thank you Jenny,” Beverly replied as she led Jenny into the lounge, where further introductions were made of the extended family and friends.

“Bev … I can’t stay long as I have to drive into Manchester … but when I read the newspaper article about your daughter … there was no mention of services. Might I ask if you’ve made arrangements?”

As she was leaving, she gave Beverly a hug.

“I’m not looking forward to telling Gaby … not the best news to get when you’re recovering in hospital … is it?”

When Jenny got home, she told Jules what she had learned then phoned Dave and Mr. Woods, to relay the information. She also asked Mr. Woods to pass the information on to Mr. Pilling, since Helen was one of his students.

Following her phone calls, Jenny and Jules set about getting ready to go see Gaby.

“Just about ready, Jules?” Jenny called out.

“Ready,” Jules replied as she joined her mum at the door. After Jenny locked-up, the two got into the car and began their drive north.

Approximately ninety minutes later, they found themselves stepping out of the lift and heading for Gaby’s room in the women’s surgical ward that she shared with three other women. As they rounded the final corner before heading down the hall to her room, they found her accompanied by a student nurse, slowly walking the hall. Both women easily overtook Gaby and along with her companion, slowly escorted her back to her room.

“That young nurse seems nice. She always walk with you?” Jenny asked as they entered the room.

“Usually,” Gaby replied.

As Gaby climbed back onto the bed she told her mum that the staff had been hinting that she would be going home tomorrow.

“I thought that was good news, Mum…” Gaby stated as she noticed the blank look on her visitor’s faces.

“It’s wonderful news, dear … but I’ve something to tell you. There’s no easy way to say it except come right out with it...”

“…Helen and her mum were killed two days ago when a car left the road and hit them as they were shopping. I’m sorry … I know you two were becoming real good friends.” Gaby remained silent for a few moments, her eyes fixed on some unknown point outside her window.

“Helen was always so sure her Dad was up in Heaven looking down on them. Now they’re back together … aren’t they?” Gaby thoughtfully asked as she fell into Jenny’s arms.

“Yes they are, sweetheart…” Jenny weakly whispered as she embraced her daughter.

After taking a few moments to gather her thoughts, Gaby sat back up and looked at her mum.

“Can we go to the funeral?”

“We can, assuming you do get discharged … and you’re up to it. Helen’s Gran said they’re planning a service for both Helen and her mother at Church Warsop, the day after tomorrow,” Jenny softly replied.

“I’m sure Helen’s grandparents would appreciate it if you were there but they both know that you’ve recently been in the hospital … so I think they’d understand if you weren’t able,” Jenny explained.

“You okay, sis?” Jules asked.

“Yeah, just never had a friend die on me before,” Gaby quietly replied as she grabbed her mother’s hand.

Before they departed the ward, Jenny stopped at the Nursing Station to get instructions on Gaby’s release procedure. She had to wait as the Ward Nurse was busy in conversation with one of the doctors but when he’d finished, she identified herself and proceeded to ask about her daughter’s release.

Upon overhearing Gaby’s name, the doctor waited for the Ward Nurse to finish with Jenny before he approached.

“Mrs. Bond? I’m Mr. Brickton … Gaby’s surgeon?”

After introducing himself, he then proceeded to inform Jenny of her daughter’s progress and that she had already been told to continue her Premarin to help maintain her oestrogen levels.

“Her surgery went better than expected and her MRI revealed a full set of slightly underdeveloped female reproductive organs … although we don’t think she’ll ever be able to give birth. In time … it’s quite possible that with the increase in her oestrogen levels those organs will completely develop and if that happens, her system may eventually be able to maintain her hormone levels naturally, thereby allowing her to discontinue the Premarin. However, until that time …she’ll require semi-annual follow-up exams and she’ll have to continue with the pills.”

He then gave Jenny a prescription for her to fill in preparation for Gaby’s release.

~~~

“You answer that Jules? I’m kind of busy with this traffic, right now,” Jenny asked as her mobile went off while they were returning to Warsop.

“Hello? … Oh, hi Dad … it’s me! … Guess what? … Gabs is comin’ home tomorrow! Yeah … okay … Mum’s here but she can’t talk right now … traffic … but if you’ve … okay … hold on.”

“Dad said he could give George a ring saying he’d be a day late, if you want to go to the funeral.”

“Hi … Mum says to go ahead and phone especially now that Gabs wants to attend … yeah … Mum thinks it’d be nice if we all went. Okay … bye.”

Upon arriving back in Warsop, they briefly stopped at the school. With Gaby coming out of the hospital the next day, Jenny had to make arrangements for a substitute teacher for her remaining two days of sets so she could be around for her.

Later that afternoon Dave arrived home to find Jules in the kitchen and Jenny watching the telly.

“Something’s different,” Dave mumbled as he joined his wife in the lounge.

“Our daughter wanted to do the cooking for tea … so I let her. If she needs me, she knows where I am,” Jenny happily explained. She then added in a whisper, “I think she’s found a German boy she wants to impress…”

“And we’re the guinea pigs,” Dave playfully interjected.

“Shhhh … don’t discourage her,” Jenny quietly rebuked Dave and then in a louder voice added, “Actually, she’s quite good in the kitchen.”

During tea, they discussed many things including Gaby’s pending release from hospital, funeral arrangements for Helen and her mum, the weekend visit to Germany and the subsequent house hunt plus what remained to be done at Warsop College.

“I thought you already took us out of school,” Jules was quite surprised when her mother said there was more to be done.

“Mr. Woods had verbally agreed to let you girls go, knowing the urgency of the situation … but I still have to complete all the paperwork to make it all official,” Jenny pointed out. “Besides … we have to get all your records sorted for your new school.”

The next morning after Dave left for work, Jules and her mother set about getting things organized to go ‘spring’ Gaby.

“If you’re ready Jules, could you please go into your sister’s room and pick out something for her to wear home? A skirt, I should think … also … I don’t think she has anything clean to wear either … so be sure to get some underwear… and just throw it in a bag.”

As Jules came out of her sister’s room, Jenny intercepted her as she came from the washroom and tossed a couple of sanitary towels into the bag of clothes.

“Is Gaby on?” Jules asked.

“She may have need for one or two,” Jenny responded.

A while later, they once again found themselves at the hospital and heading to Gaby’s room in the women’s surgical ward. As they passed the Nursing Station, a voice rang out.

“Excuse me ma’am…”

“Oh sorry, Sister! I’m Mrs. Bond. My youngest is being discharged this morning and my daughter and I are here to collect her … Gaby Bond … room 412?” Jenny explained.

“Sorry Mrs. Bond … I just had to check. Mr. Brickton hasn’t done rounds as yet, but I expect he shouldn’t be too long. We can’t turn her out just yet … not until he says we can,” Sister replied with a smile.

Later, as Gaby and her sister were in conversation, Mr. Brickton, accompanied by the Ward Sister entered the room and promptly headed for Gaby’s bed.

“Good morning, Gaby … ladies,” Mr. Brickton cheerfully greeted the three women, then focusing on his patient he asked, “How are we this morning?”

“…‘We’ … are doing great,” Gaby shot back.

As the Ward Sister began to close the curtains around Gaby’s bed, Mr. Brickton turned to Jenny.

”If you’ll excuse us for a moment, ladies … I just want to have a final look before I turn her loose on society.”

A few minutes later they emerged and the doctor informed the Ward Sister that she could begin the discharge paperwork.

“I understand she rides competitively?”

“That’s right,” Jenny confirmed.

“Unfortunately … as hard as it may be for her, she should stay off the bike for a couple of months … maybe less … depending on how fast she recovers.

Jenny then informed him of their upcoming move to Germany and Gaby’s involvement with Team Apollinaris.

“I agree. He should be able to monitor her recovery barring any unforeseen complications. The fact she came through her surgery so well, tells me that her recovery should be relatively worry-free. Next time you’re talking with your team doctor … please inform him that as soon as I receive a medical request from him, I’ll ensure Gaby’s records are quickly transferred into his care.”

“Thank you for all you've done.”

As the three women returned to Warsop, they again stopped into the school on the way back home. This time it was to start all the paperwork the girls would need to transfer schools and in Gaby’s case, to alter her records with her new legal name. Both Jenny and Jules looked on as Gaby proudly presented her new birth certificate and a copy of the Register General’s letter, to Mrs. Johnston.

When they left the main office, the halls had just started to fill with students as they were let out for lunch.

“Gaby!” a familiar voice called out to her.

When she looked around, she saw Paul and Clive running through the hall towards her, doing their best to dodge their fellow students.

“Hey … you comin’ back to sets?” Paul hopefully voiced as he approached Gaby.

“Uh uh … Mum just had to fill out some paperwork for Jules an’ me to change schools.”

“So … it’s final then … you’re really going?” Paul asked, his voice tinged with the sadness of losing his best friend. As he embraced her, he added in a quiet voice so as not to be overheard, “Drew or Gaby … I’m really going to miss you, mate.”

When he drew back, he looked at the girl in his arms and on impulse, kissed her on the lips. After they parted, he tightened his embrace before he said his final good-bye and released her.

“Well … c’mon then! Why should you be any different?” Gaby’s eyes had a glazed look as she wrapped her arms around Clive’s neck. She broke her embrace after she kissed him in the same way she kissed Paul.

“Admit it … you’ve dreamt of that kiss ever since the Easter disco … haven’t you?” Gaby jokingly asked Clive.

Even though she was trying to make light of their farewells, her voice told a different story as she looked at both of them and then scanned the now full corridor, for the final time.

Later at home, Jenny phoned Dave before he left work and asked that he stop and pick up a couple of red roses for tomorrow.

~~~

Next morning, Gaby looked out her window and thought how it wouldn’t be out of place in an Edgar Allen Poe novel. It was a perfect day for a funeral, if such thing existed. Completely overcast with large, menacing dark grey clouds. Even though some buds had appeared on the trees, it still looked cold and damp.

“Perfect weather for a skirt isn’t it, sis? Just one of the joys of being a girl,” Jules sarcastically announced as she came into Gaby’s room.

“You got some opaque’s I can borrow? I laddered my last pair.”

“Joys of having a sister?” Gaby playfully asked.

“Sumpthin’ like that … thanks,” Jules replied with a smile as Gaby handed over an unopened pair.

As everyone was just about ready, Jenny walked past Gaby’s open door on the way downstairs.

“Is this okay, Mum?” Gaby chose her black blouse, grey mini skirt, black opaque’s & black dress pumps.

“I didn’t think the black dress that I got in Virginia was something you’d wear at a funeral.”

“You look fine,” Jenny offered then asked, “What coat you plan to wear? It’s still a bit cool.”

“My leather jacket … is that okay? It’s black…”

“That’s fine,” Jenny agreed.

“Jen … Gaby? Anytime you two are ready,” Dave called up the stairs.

The drive to the small church was quiet with everyone deep in their own thoughts. As they pulled into the car park, Gaby noticed several of her former classmates lingering outside the church entrance. Bernie, Ally and Paul walked up as Dave assisted her out of the car. Upon reaching her side, the four immediately went into a group hug.

“Maddy or Rhod here?” Gaby hopefully asked.

“Don’t think they even know,” Paul interjected.

“…Or care,” Ally added, the contempt in her voice referring to the fact neither one had been particularly friendly towards Helen.

The four friends entered the church together with the rest of the Bond family. As they walked up the centre aisle to take their seats, Gaby was okay until she caught sight of the two identical closed caskets along with the black-framed portraits of Helen and her mother, at the front. By the time she slipped in to sit beside Jules, her eyes were pools of tears. Through the entire ceremony, she performed on autopilot. When it was over, Gaby found herself with her father’s arm around her shoulders, shuffling along with the other mourners as they slowly made their way following behind the caskets and out of the church. It was a modest procession of cars that followed the two hearses out to the cemetery for the short graveside service. There Jenny and Gaby joined Helen’s grandparents in placing a single red rose on each casket before it was lowered to its final resting place.

The drive back home was just as quiet as it was going to the church.

“Dave … I’ve decided that I’m going with you and the girls … I'm not going to be left alone this weekend!” Jenny firmly announced as they turned onto their street.

While everyone was kept busy packing and double-checking they had everything, Dave quickly recruited John to drive them to the airport later that afternoon.

~~~

Even though it was late at night when they landed at the Köln-Bonn International Airport and picked up their luggage, they found Mike, dutifully waiting for them in the near deserted ‘Arrivals’ area.

“Hallo Dave, gute Reise gehabt, Kinder?” Mike greeted Dave and the kids as they came through the large sliding doors.

As he approached to shake Dave’s hand, he caught sight of an unexpected, but welcome personage.

“Jenny! … was für eine nette Überraschung! Weiss der Rest der Mannschaft?” Mike excitedly asked Jenny.

“Nein,” Jenny replied. “Ich moechte, das es eine Ueberraschung ist.”

“What’d you guys say?” Gaby inquired.

“He was surprised to see me and wanted to know if the rest of the team know I’m coming.”

“Jules caught a few words an’ I caught ‘No, I’ … but after that, you lost us!” Gaby managed to get in with a smile.

“Here it comes … German one-o-one. You can take the teacher out of the classroom, but…” Dave whispered as an aside to Mike.

“Ja,” Mike mischievously hissed.

“When Mike asked me if I told the team, I said that I wanted it to be a surprise … ‘Ich moechte, das es eine Ueberraschung ist’.”

“An’ you said it was easy to pick up!” Gaby joked.

“It’s amazing how much you’ll learn just by being around other people and you’re bound to make plenty of friends. Just ask your sister.”

“But…”

“Remember Atlanta? You were speaking some German to George and the team. Where did you learn that?” Jenny quietly asked.

“Listening to you…” Gaby sheepishly replied.

“Exactly my point! Think how easy it’ll be with everyone speaking German … everyday … and English is like a second language here … so you won’t be completely lost. I’m sure Kat and her friends will be glad to help you if you ask them … okay?”

“…’Kay…”

“The … how you say, Deutsch Lektionen … ahhh … lessons … der German lessons … they never end … Ja?” Mike playfully addressed the two girls.

After they loaded the Passat wagon, they slowly worked their way out of the airport and onto the Autobahn. Jenny let Dave sit up front with Mike, while she sat in the back between the girls and occasionally cat-napped. They arrived in Bad Neuenahr and at their apartment in the wee hours of the morning.

“Gabi … Kat vill be glad to see you are here. Her mama told her you are still in … ummm … das Krankenhaus,” Mike commented while they unloaded the car.

“Auf englisch …das Krankenhaus ist … the hos-pit-al,” Jenny offered.

“Eh? Oh … ja … the hos …pit …al.” As Mike looked at Jenny, she nodded her approval.

“Once a teacher…” Dave mumbled to no one in particular.

Jenny started to tear up as she entered her old apartment for the first time since going back home for her cancer treatment and noticed how Dave and the girls had fixed the place up with the pictures and things from the house.

“I love it … I really do!”

Moving over to the family portrait on the wall, she turned to Dave and the girls.

“For the first time since I signed with the team … it looks like a home!” Jenny tearfully declared.

She hugged both girls and then threw her arms around Dave’s neck, giving him a long, passionate kiss.

“I know we can make this work. It might be cramped for the first while … but we’re together and that’s all that matters,” Jenny softly declared.

~~~

Later that morning the Bond’s piled into ‘their’ Mercedes, aka Jenny’s team-supplied car and drove to the team’s training facility that was located a few minutes outside of Bad Neuenahr. George greeted Dave as usual, but when he saw Jenny step out of the car, he walked over to her and gingerly gave her a hug.

“I won’t break, George…” Jenny happily informed him.

“How long?” George wondered.

“Only a couple of days, I’m afraid … I’m going back with Dave and the girls on Sunday. We’ve a few things left to do back in Warsop before we’re here for good.”

By this time, Maria, Tina and other members from the team had joined in the welcoming of their absent teammate as they arrived to begin the day.

“Next time you see us back here … it’ll be for good!” Jenny told the assembled group, gesturing to her family. “We’ll talk later … but right now, the girls and I have to find our doctor.”

While Dave went off with Mike, Jenny and the girls went in search of Dieter. When they found him, Jenny brought him up to speed on her own medical progress, as well as Gaby’s. Following meeting with the doctor, Jenny left Dave with George and drove off with the girls to Kat’s school to meet with the Rektorin. She was hoping to enroll both girls in time for the fall term.

“Mum, what’s Rek-tor-in mean?” Gaby quietly sounded the word out while they were waiting in the main office.

“Where do you see that?” Jenny whispered.

“The door … there!” Gaby replied while pointing to a closed door with a black name plate with white letters, fastened onto it.

“Think ‘Headmaster’. You’ll find that the German language has a male and female form for many of their words … in this case … Rektor is the male form of the word and Rektorin is the female form.” Jenny explained.

“That mean that this school has a woman as their headmaster?” Jules asked.

“That’s right ... Frau Meer.”

After a short wait an attractive woman in her 50’s opened the door and in flawless English asked Jenny and the girls to come into her office.

Following some pleasantries, Frau Meer got down to business with discussing not only the girl’s past year at Warsop College, but also of their desire to repeat their current year at the local school as well as their plans to acquire as much of the language as they could before school starts.

She eventually turned her attention to the girls, talking to them about their plans and their feelings about moving to Germany. At the end of the meeting, the girls were told that once their academic records arrived from Warsop, they would be officially enrolled.

That evening, the Bond’s had dinner with the Pinger’s. While they were discussing the local housing situation, Dave mentioned that George suggested that his cousin might be able to build them a house on a lot near the Pinger’s. If things worked out, they might be able to move in before the end of the summer, depending upon when it was started.

After some discussion, it was decided that Dave and Jenny would take George up on his offer and meet with his cousin to sort out all the details. If things seemed feasible, the family would arrange a mortgage with Jenny’s bank so building could commence. The more they talked it over, the more attractive the idea was.

Sunday arrived and the family reluctantly said their good-byes to Maria and Kat before Heinrich drove them back to the airport. It would be only another few days until they returned to stay.

~~~

Back in Warsop, the next three days flew by. Dave worked his last for Frank and Jenny taught her last sets on the Monday. Wednesday was moving day and both parents joined the girls in ensuring everything they wanted was either already gone or packed.

Their flight to Bonn was scheduled for later in the evening.

Dave pulled the Saab up behind John’s Corolla and turned off the ignition for the last time. As they exited the car, John came out of the house to greet them while Carol stood in the doorway.

“Here’s the keys, John. Take good care of her,” Dave quipped as he handed over the keys.

Motioning to the garage while the two slowly walked into the house, Dave added, “We’ll get the rest of our stuff as soon as we get into a house … Jen’s apartment just can’t take any more. Thanks for storing it for us.”

As the men joined the girls in the lounge, Jenny turned to Dave.

“I was just telling Carol that by this time next week, they should have new neighbours.”

“So soon?” John asked.

“Looks that way,” Dave replied. “Apparently a young Canadian couple temporarily needing a house fell in love with the place and agreed to a multi-year lease.”

“If I understand it correctly, the chap just recently graduated from some university in Canada and he’ll be doing some postgraduate work in the Warsop area,” Jenny put in.

It was a load off Dave’s mind to know that they’d have an income from the house to help supplement their income from Team Apollinaris. The extra cash would certainly make things easier when they began paying down the mortgage on their new house.

“We’ve been taking a few things over whenever Dave and the girls went and the last load’s in the Saab. Between that and what you and John have in your garage, we’ve got everything out of the house we want to,” Jenny explained to Carol.

“You taking your bikes?” Carol asked.

“We’ve donated most of them to the BC Youth Program up in Manchester. You and John have the two bikes Gaby and I kept. We’ll come for those as we get room … like everything else,” Jenny replied.

During all the small talk, Carol noticed Gaby looking around with a hopeful expression on her face.

“She’s upstairs … go to her, dear…” Carol softly suggested.

Gaby walked upstairs and stopped at the open door of a familiar bedroom. Choosing to ignore Gaby’s presence, Maddy stood in the fading light with her arms folded across her chest and staring out through the sheer curtains covering one of her two bedroom windows. She knew what was to come and the fading light only served to hide the occasional tear that ran down her cheek.

“Saw you drive up … what’ya here for? I thought you didn’t want to see me again.”

Although Maddy’s greeting was dripping with contempt, she felt a sadness with the inevitable parting that she knew was to come.

“Thought I’d at least come up and say good-bye … if … that still means anything to you,” Gaby softly replied. Maddy responded with a single shrug of her shoulder while her gaze remained fixed looking out the window.

“Mum says you’re all girl now.” Maddy quietly changed the subject almost as if she thought if she talked about something else, then Gaby wouldn’t leave.

“They told me I always was, only now I’m as much ‘girl’ as you are …‘cept they don’t think I can ever have kids. I still need the breast forms, though … at least until the ‘ormones kick in,” Gaby explained in a soft but clinical voice.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were really Gaby? Instead I have to find that out at your party!” Maddy tried to sound hurt.

“Would it have made a difference? If you knew that I was born a girl, when we were in Grottoes … would you still be my girlfriend? Would we still say we love each other … or would you have made things worse for me?” Gaby tenderly asked. The room fell silent for several awkward minutes and then Gaby softly spoke. “Gaby or Drew … you knew how I felt about you ... I still do…”

“But you didn’t tell me…” Maddy quietly whined.

“I tried, Mad. You missed the family meeting and then when we left, I could only think about Mum. I tried to tell you later when we went skiing, but the only time we were alone … Deb an’ Jules came looking for us. After Sam … we grew so far apart, I felt that I didn’t know you anymore … an’ any reason there was to tell you … disappeared when you kept pushing me away … so why bother?” Gaby quietly explained. “Anyway, at the comp … you said you didn’t believe anything that I said about Drew, so even if I told you … you wouldn’t have believed me!”

Maddy quickly turned and looked in her cousin’s direction.

“I listened to you at your party!” Maddy pointed out.

“Didn’t do any good … did it…” Gaby dryly answered.

“Couldn’t you’ve at least told me you were going into the hospital?” she asked as a couple of tears rolled down her cheek. “Don’t you care about me anymore?”

She felt hurt that Gaby no longer confided in her. It was painful proof how much they were drifting apart.

“After how you treated me in Virginia and at my party? Whadda you think? An’ speaking of the party … I should’ve known something was up with the way you kept pushing me to ask if I could have one.”

“I didn’t…” Maddy sputtered before Gaby unceremoniously cut her off.

“Give it over, Mad! Since Virginia, you’ve openly hated Gaby … an’ whether you want to face it or not … that’s me! … I'M GABY! You’ve thrown away anything we ever had … an’ still I don’t have a clue why...”

“…One thing I do know … is that you’ve hurt me … my family ... an’ even your own ‘rents … really bad …an’ for what? Does it make you feel good knowing what you did to me, destroyed both our families?” Gaby plunged the knife in deeper with every point she made.

“What happened to us Mad? There was a time when we openly told each other how much we loved each other … now you couldn’t care less if I dropped off the face of the earth! Maybe I should’ve just done it back at the Walters or at my party … instead of promising Jules.” The truth behind those words escaped Maddy as she grimaced at the thinly veiled confession. “I listen to my heart, Mad … an’ it tells me that I still love you … but it takes two to have a loving relationship.”

As Gaby spoke, Maddy turned away unable to face her former girlfriend. Unseen tears began to roll down her cheeks as she stood motionless and stared out one of her bedroom windows.

Un-noticed in the dim light, she constantly fingered the double heart-shaped locket around her neck, the entire time Gaby was in the room. It was the same one Drew gave her on her 14th birthday. When he had given it to her, it contained a small photo of himself and one of her. Unknown to anyone, back in Grottoes a few days prior to the Cheer Competition, Maddy took it off her neck for the first time since it was given to her and replaced Drew’s photo with a more recent one of Gaby. Since then, she’s been the only one to see those photos and now it appeared it would be all she would have to remind her of a love she still harboured deep in her heart. Maddy closed her eyes and vowed to herself that she’d never part with it.

“Could I at least hold you one last time … an’ maybe give you … one last kiss … before I go?” Gaby finally asked. Silence fell over the room until Maddy replied in a weak whisper.

“I …I can’t.”

“You mean … you won’t.”

“Gabeeee…” Maddy weakly pleaded. “…please?”

“I love you Mad … an’ I always will … always.” An awkward silence fell on the room before Gaby decided it was time to leave.

“Well … I guess there’s nothing more to say to each other … is there? I better go before … just … never mind … good-bye, Mad.”

Gaby was on the verge of tears as she stood there, hoping Maddy would say something. After a time, she slowly turned to go out of the room while Maddy remained, seemingly unmoved and staring out the window.

“I'm so confused…” Maddy whispered as tears ran down her cheeks. As she uttered the words, a part of her wanted to run and embrace Gaby. Her eyes now tightly closed, she prayed the pain would just go away as she heard her girlfriend walk out of her room.

Gaby stopped near the bottom of the stairs, turned and looked back towards Maddy’s room. She heard faint sounds that sounded like crying but fought her own desire to go back. Instead, she turned and continued down the last couple of steps. By the time she reached the parents, tears were beginning to streak her face.

“You okay, dear?” Carol asked as she faced Gaby, with her arms outstretched.

“No,” was all Gaby squeaked before she burst out crying, as she fell into Carol’s arms.

After all the good-byes were said and done, Jules put her arm around her sister’s shoulder and led a wet-eyed Gaby out to the car.

As the young girl entered the back seat of the Saab, Gaby paused and looked up at Maddy’s bedroom windows for the last time. Even though the room appeared dark and the sheers drawn, she could see Maddy standing there and watching. With a heavy sigh, Gaby finally entered car and sat alongside her mum and Jules.

While Maddy stood in the window, her body shook with each deep sob as she continued to grasp the locket. She watched as her dad backed the car out of the close and followed it with her eyes, until it went out of sight.

When the red taillights of the car had disappeared from her view, Maddy felt as if she was ripped in half. She flung herself on her bed and clutched her pillow to her breasts at the same time as she broke out in a flood of tears.

It was strange that while Gaby was leaving Warsop to forget a love lost, it seemed to be Maddy’s fate to be surrounded by Gaby and in her own house. Her own closet was full of memories when she always found ways to be with Gaby. If that was not enough, their own garage now stored articles from the Bond’s house and the Bond's car was to now be used by her parents as a second car.

At Manchester’s airport, John pulled up to the off-loading curb and opened the boot of the car. As everyone exited, he motioned for a Skyhop to join them and helped load the sealed box and their luggage onto his trolley.

After they exchanged final good-byes and promises to visit each other, the Bond’s went to the Lufthansa check-in while John took the Saab back to Warsop.

It promised to be a long night for everyone…

 
 
Comments are greatly Appreciated!

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To Be Continued...