Alice stared at the serene face of Evan as he lay in his hospital bed. Seeing him motionless, expressionless made it hard to imagine a time when he could be angry but he had been. He'd disappeared and it'd been days since she'd last seen him.
"Hey," she greeted him. "I'm back again. You probably didn't expect me to be back so soon, not with what happened between us anyway. I guess you don't want to hear me say sorry, but I'm sorry anyway. I didn't mean to upset you. I'm not here to bring up anymore of that though."
Sitting there, thinking about all the things that had happened to her, tears started forming in Alice's eyes.
"I guess I just wanted someone to talk to, silly as it sounds. I'm a lot closer to my family and friends, but there's only so much I can tell them. Right now, I feel like I'm so far from them. To be honest, I feel like a mess at the moment. My boyfriend broke up with me and as a result my friends are walking around eggshells with me. My best friend got engaged, chose her maid of honour and didn't want to tell me.
"I really wanted to tell them I'm fine – I tried, but actually, I don't know anymore. I can't even bring myself to tell my parents about Adam," Alice sniffed and let out a sad laugh. "Mum loved Adam. Maybe even more than I did. But I guess he wasn't happy with me. He did say I was always too passive and could never stand up for myself. Maybe he's right. I couldn't even bring myself to say no to my boss. I'm hopeless. I can't even stand up for my own values.
"You know what? To top it off, I have less than thirty days to live. And I really want to act like things are alright at the moment, but you know, I don't think I am. I just don't know what to do."
Alice wiped at her eyes and blew her nose on a tissue.
"I'm a downright mess, huh? Sorry if you didn't want to hear all this. It's probably not even helping with your coma but I really needed to get that off my chest."
Alice continued to sit there for a few moments and then a nurse walked in.
"Oh hi, it's you again."
"Hi," Alice said, wiping away at the last of her tears.
"It's good to see you're back again."
"Um, yeah, I said I'd be back."
"That's really great. It must be helping the patient. You're still the only person to come and visit him."
"Really? His family still hasn't come after all this time?" Alice murmured, more out of surprise than anything.
The nurse shook her head, "His Dad's a busy person, but being in charge of Quintin Roes, you'd expect that."
"Quinton Roes?"
"Yeah, you know, the big software company."
"Wh-what about his mum?"
"Oh, I don't think she's in the picture anymore."
Alice bit down on her bottom lip. Were Evan's parents divorced then? Or had his mum simply passed away?
When Alice got home, there was a lady with familiar blond hair sitting on the doorstep with a young girl beside her.
"Megan?" Alice asked as she approached them.
"Auntie Alice!" Jasmine smiled, running over to give her a hug. Alice crouched down and picked up the little girl.
"Hey, sweetie, how are you?"
"Good," she replied. "What about you?"
Alice smiled at the thoughtfulness of Jasmine and put her back on the ground.
"I'm fine. What're you guys doing here?"
Megan smiled, "Jasmine was missing her Auntie Alice and wanted to visit since we found out that you wouldn't be able to make it to her party on Saturday."
"Aww, you guys drove all the way here just to see me?"
Jasmine nodded, her curly blond pigtails bobbing up and down.
"I hope you weren't waiting long. Sorry I was visiting a friend in hospital."
"Oh?"
"Er, yeah, no one you know. Anyway, come in."
Alice dropped off her things and waded into the kitchen to pour some drinks.
"So Lily's with Brad?"
"Yeah. He offered to drive us up but I didn't want to take Lily on such a long drive."
"That's nice of Brad."
"Mm, how are things with Adam?"
Alice pursed her lips. She knew her sister hadn't done that intentionally, in fact, she probably didn't even know what she'd done, but asking about Adam right after Brad had been mentioned suddenly made Alice feel so inferior. Megan's perfect marriage with her husband compared to her failed relationship with Adam.
"Is Uncle Adam busy?" Jasmine asked.
"Yes, sweetie, he is busy so he won't be able to see you this time."
Jasmine shrugged, a sign of indifference.
"Is he too busy to see you too?"
Alice couldn't help the startled look that fell across her face.
"Well… Uncle Adam is a very busy man."
Jasmine wrinkled her nose at that answer.
"My friend told me that if someone's too busy to see you, then you should try to go see them."
"Oh? Which friend is that? That sounds like a very nice friend."
"She visits me at home. That's why I came to see Auntie Alice," she smiled. Alice smiled back and patted Jasmine on the head.
"Jasmine, sweetheart. Why don't you go and play outside for a while?" Megan suggested.
"But what is there to play?"
"If you're lucky, you might be able to find the neighbour's cat."
"Okay!" Jasmine smiled gleefully before toddling off to the backyard.
Megan sighed beside Alice.
"That girl, she's forever going on about this friend of hers. God knows what she's on about. I'm sure she must be an imaginary friend."
Alice laughed.
"So anyway, how are things going with you and Adam?"
Chewing on her bottom lip, Alice sighed before deciding to answer.
"We broke up."
"What? But why? How? I thought you two were fine."
"Look, don't tell Mum and Dad about this just yet, okay?"
"Why? You know how much Mum loves Adam. Didn't she ask you to invite him over on Saturday? Wait -" she mused as something dawned on her. "Is that why you're not coming on Saturday?"
"Just please don't tell Mum and Dad yet. I'll tell them soon, I just want to work things out in my head."
"When did this happen?"
"About a week ago."
"And you didn't think to tell us? Would you even have told me if I hadn't asked? Why won't you want to tell Mum and Dad?"
Alice sighed. "I told you, Megan. I just need some time to work things out."
Megan frowned. "That hardly sounds like a reason to me. At least tell me what happened?"
"Adam, he… got tired of our relationship," she murmured, "Tired of me."
"But he –" Megan shook her head, a puzzled frown on her face, like she couldn't make sense of the situation. "Why? That makes no sense. What do you mean he got tired of you?"
Of course it wouldn't make sense to Megan. She'd never had that kind of problem with Brad – never would because they were two perfect people in a perfect relationship with the perfect kids.
"I guess he felt like he was always making the decisions in our relationships and I always just went with what he wanted. He got sick of it."
"That's why he broke up with you?"
Alice nodded.
"Well that's a simple matter to sort out!"
Alice grimaced and shook her head. "He was set on breaking up."
"That's outrageous!"
"Well, he broke up with me and it's been done now. But I'm fine, by the way."
"Aw, you know I did mean to ask you how you are. And I'm sorry that Adam broke up with you," Megan sighed. "When are you going to tell Mum though?"
"I – I don't know yet."
"Well, the sooner the better, I say. Or she's going to keep hassling you about seeing Adam."
Alice sighed, "I know. She loves Adam which is why I don't think I could bare telling Mum. It would break her heart."
"And it hasn't broken yours?"
I'm more worried about disappointing Mum, Alice thought.
"Are you going to be alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"And how are things at work?"
"Fine," Alice murmured without much thought.
"Fine? Alice, you keep saying you're fine. Are you really alright?"
"Well, I'm still living aren't I?"
"I'd hardly call that living if you're not enjoying your life."
Is that why some people chose to end theirs? Alice wondered. Perhaps that was why Evan was in a coma and struggling to get back – because he didn't see the point in life. Alice got up before she got too carried away with her thoughts and strode to the kitchen.
"What do you want for lunch? I could make some sandwiches-"
"Sandwiches'll do."
"How's everything else going then besides work and Adam?"
"Fine."
Megan gave a sigh, "Alice, you keep saying fine. You know that's really worrying when you keep insisting you're alright when clearly, there are issues!"
Alice turned to face Megan.
"I am fine," she insisted with a terse tone. Or, at least, she wanted to seem it.
Megan pursed her lips.
Alice rubbed at her temples, "What do you want in your sandwiches?"
Megan threw up a hand in exasperation, "Fine, just act like everything's fine and dandy!"
Megan stalked off to the backyard and Jasmine came back in alone, sitting down at the dining table to have her sandwiches.
"Auntie Alice, did you and my mummy have a fight?" Jasmine asked.
Alice's eyes widened, "No, sweetie, why do you say that?"
"Because mummy looks unhappy."
"We just talked about some things that probably upset your mum, she'll be alright though. Did you find the cat?"
"No but there was a man."
"Oh?" Alice asked, thinking about her elderly neighbour. He was in his eighties now, a delightful man but not all together there.
"I think he was worried about you."
"Worried about me?" Alice frowned, realising just how long it had been since she'd last visited him with his favourite baked goods. She made a mental note to bake him some date scones next time. With everything that had been happening recently, she'd all but forgotten.
Jasmine bobbed her head. "He kept asking about you."
"It's probably because I haven't seen him in a while."
"He said he avoided you because he got angry. What does avoided mean?"
Alice frowned. Walter, angry at her? Because she hadn't been around lately? That didn't sound like him.
"Avoided means to hide from."
"So the man's hiding from you?
"I guess he is."
"Why is he angry?"
"I'm not sure, sweetheart."
"Auntie Alice?"
"Yes, sweetheart?"
"He seems sad."
Alice smiled and went to sit beside Jasmine after placing a plate of sandwiches on the table. "Don't worry, sweetheart, I'll have a chat to him and see if I can cheer him up, aye?"
Jasmine bobbed her head, seeming satisfied with that response.
"So what have you been up to lately? Are you enjoying kindy?"
Jasmine nodded her head, her blond curls bobbing.
"Mummy says I'm a big girl now and I can go to big kid school soon."
"Oh wow, are you excited for that?"
Jasmine nodded, "Kindy's boring. I want to learn big kid stuff."
Alice chuckled as Megan walked back in.
"Sandwiches are ready," Alice said to Megan.
"I'm not hungry."
"You've got a long ride back."
"It's fine, I'll eat when I get back."
Alice nodded, turning her attention from Megan back to Jasmine. The little girl was watching them intently while nibbling on the end of a sandwich.
"So how're things in your life?" Alice asked Megan.
"Great, just great."
Alice nodded.
"How are your sandwiches, sweetheart?" Megan asked Jasmine.
She smiled, revealing all her little milk white teeth and wringing a smile from her mother. Neither Alice nor Megan made further conversation after that. When Jasmine had finished eating, Jasmine helped Alice take the plates to the kitchen.
"Auntie Alice?" Jasmine asked as they stood by the sink.
"Yeah?"
"Do you love Uncle Adam?"
Alice smiled, wondering what a five year old knew about love.
"Sure, sweetie."
"Your friend said that you're not with him anymore but you want to be with him again."
Alice nearly dropped the plates.
"Who told you that?"
"That man who was here. I like him better than Uncle Adam. He looks like an angel," she smiled.
Before Alice could ask Jasmine about what she was talking about, Megan had stood up, announcing that they were leaving.
"You're going already?" Alice asked.
Megan nodded. "Brad and Lily are still waiting at home."
Of course, her perfect little family.
"Say goodbye to Auntie Alice."
"Bye Auntie Alice. I'll come see you again."
Alice wanted to question Jasmine some more but they were headed to the door and all Alice could do was see them out, watching as they drove off into the distance.
ns 15.158.61.48da2
