Chapter 59
LIV
Two Days Later
I turned down corridors, passing time-pressed medical staff and patients shuffling along in dressing robes. I eventually entered the room where Maya had told me Elliot had been moved to.
It was two days since we had been in the Laurences’ house and Elliot had been knocked unconscious. Maya called me earlier that morning to say that the doctors had brought Elliot out of the coma and that he had woken up. The relief in her voice was palpable.
‘I know he has a long way to go yet but he’s awake and I’m taking it hour by hour. I could really use a friendly face, Liv. Could you come in? He’s no longer in intensive care so I don’t think they’ll mind one visitor.’
I took a deep breath to steel myself, then I pushed open the door and went inside. I saw Maya sitting at Elliot’s bedside.
‘Hey,’ I said softly to announce my arrival.
‘Liv,’ she said, turning around. ‘Sorry, I never heard you come in.’
She stood up off the chair and made her way towards me.
Creases and shadows lined her face and her hair was lank and unwashed.
I was used to the polished, glamorous Maya but this barefaced woman before me was the antithesis of that; she looked frightful and I knew that the last few days had taken their toll.
‘How’s he doing?’ I nodded towards Elliot, who was now sleeping. His bruising had turned a dirty-yellow colour, but his pallor looked so much better than it had when Jay and I had arrived at the hospital two nights ago.
‘He’s doing well. He was confused when he woke up at first but he recognised me. He’s sleeping a lot but the doctors told me that that’s normal; it’s going to take a while for his energy levels to get back to what they were before all of this.’
‘Well, I’m so glad he’s on the road to recovery. That was a scary couple of days.’ I exhaled.
She nodded. ‘They have been the worst of my life.’
I pursed my lips together in sympathy. ‘I can’t even begin to imagine what you’ve been through. W-where’s Hugo?’ I ventured, wondering how things were between them now.
‘He went home to get some sleep now that Elliot is out of the coma.’ She paused and lowered her gaze to the floor. ‘Did… ehm… did the Gardaí call you?’ she asked, fear pooling in her eyes.
I shook my head.
‘Oh thank God.’ She exhaled heavily and squeezed her eyes shut. ‘Hopefully, they’ve accepted what we told them and that will be the end of it.’
‘Yeah, hopefully,’ I agreed evenly, feeling a flicker of anger at the difficult position she had put both me and Jay in.
I couldn’t let it pass without saying something to her.
Something that had been on my mind and I couldn’t hold back any longer.
I thought about all those times Julia had told me I had to be honest with my feelings, that I didn’t have to please everyone or be afraid of hurting people.
Never had that advice seemed more apt. ‘Maya, I’m so glad Elliot is awake and I hope he makes a full recovery,’ I began.
‘Thank you, Liv.’ She smiled at me.
I put my palm up to stop her. I needed to say this and I didn’t want her to put me off course. ‘Wait, there’s more… There’s something I need to say to you.’
Her brow furrowed in confusion.
‘I… I wish you all the best,’ I continued, ‘but I’m sure you will understand when I tell you that we can’t be friends any longer.’
Her amber eyes widened in shock. ‘W-why not?’ she stammered. ‘Have I done something wrong?’
‘I think we are very different people, Maya, and since you came into my life, things haven’t been going well for my family.’
‘I’m sorry, Liv, I know there were a few… incidents… but I promise you, they’re all behind us now.’ She reached out and clasped my hand in hers but I pulled it free.
I shook my head. ‘I’m really sorry, Maya.’
She blinked back tears. ‘Look, I know I’m no angel but I’m going to change, Liv.
I blamed Hugo for everything that was wrong in my life but actually, I’m not entirely blameless either, I can see that now.
The last few days have been a nightmare and I’ve had a lot of time to think and reflect,’ she went on.
‘I can see I’ve made mistakes too. I drink too much.
I snipe and grumble. I had an affair and never took responsibility for it; instead, I shifted the blame onto him and could only see how it was his fault, how he drove me to it.
It took almost losing Elliot for me to see it all.
I need to change and it starts now. Instead of spending all my time focusing on Hugo and the cycle of negativity, I want to focus on my son, giving him stability and being the best mother that I can be for him because I wasn’t a good mother, Liv.
I thought I was – I fed him home-cooked meals, I read him a bedtime story every night, he had every toy a child could wish for and yet I let him down in so many other ways.
I was so scared of giving him my childhood, of growing up poor, that I overlooked what really matters: his happiness. ’
‘All a child really needs is love and security; the rest is just a bonus,’ I said softly.
‘Please, Liv. I really value our friendship,’ she pleaded. ‘I need you.’
That was the thing with Maya: she was so charming, it would be easy to get sucked back in again but our friendship wasn’t healthy. I owed it to my family and myself to step away from her and the toxicity that seemed to follow her around.
I shook my head. ‘I’m so sorry, Maya, but I have to do what’s right for me and my family.’ I felt awful after everything she had been through but they had to come first.
She nodded. ‘I understand,’ she sniffed as she wiped her dripping nose with the back of her hand.
‘I want you to know that I’m going to create a better life for Elliot and even though things are going to change greatly and I don’t have it all figured out financially, I can see now how badly he has been affected. ’
‘For what it’s worth, I think you’re doing the right thing.’
She sucked in sharply and her bottom lip quivered. ‘I hope so. I’m so scared for the road ahead.’
‘You’re strong, you’ll be okay,’ I assured her.
She dabbed a balled tissue at her eyes. ‘Thank you, Liv, for everything. I’m sorry it’s come to this but I understand. It might not seem like it but I really did value our friendship.’