Chapter 4 #3
“Thank you.” Ellie moved further into the hallway, glancing around the familiar space. “I’ve been here so long that I’ve had all the time in the world to do it up. Though I will admit that the living room has probably been redecorated at least fifteen times since we—I—bought the place.”
She corrected herself instinctively. Not we. Just her now.
Alba turned slowly in place, taking in the details around her. “And you’ve kept the original features.”
“It seemed a shame to rip it all out. The houses around here are full of so much character, it’s surely illegal to wipe it from existence.
” Ellie led Alba into the living room and offered her a seat.
Even though Danielle visited often, it still felt strange inviting someone else into her space.
It had become such a private world since life had changed.
Still…she liked Alba, and Alba didn’t treat her the way everyone else did. “Marshmallows with your hot chocolate?”
Alba looked up from the couch where she had set down her phone and keys. “Yes, please.”
“Okay, I’ll just be a few minutes.”
Ellie moved into the kitchen. As she spooned cocoa powder into two mugs, she found herself thinking about what tomorrow would bring.
Maybe it would be easier if Alba heard the truth directly from her.
If she told her before the murmurs started circulating through the school corridors again, at least it wouldn’t have to become another whispered conversation behind closed doors.
Once the milk had warmed in the pan, she whisked it gently before pouring it over the cocoa, and then two generous handfuls of marshmallows followed.
Carrying the mugs back into the living room, Ellie handed one to Alba before settling on the opposite end of the couch.
For reasons she couldn’t quite explain, she felt calmer around this woman.
That alone was unusual because very little calmed Ellie these days, and certainly not something as simple as a kind stranger who had endured her own heartbreak.
And yet, sitting here now, Ellie felt something shift between them. A connection. One she couldn’t quite name, but one that was absolutely there. And after the year and a half she’d had, it felt like something worth holding onto.
“I don’t mean to impose,” Alba said, likely noticing that Ellie had drifted off into her thoughts. “If you were busy…”
“I wasn’t. I’m rarely busy when I’m not working.” Ellie smiled faintly, her thumb tracing the curve of the mug handle. “About what I said at the door.”
“Ellie, you don’t have to explain. I know what it’s like to sit alone night after night.” Alba paused briefly and sighed. “Divorce is—”
“I’m not divorced. Not yet anyway. Colin and I separated two years ago, but we’ve never got around to divorcing.
” Ellie spoke calmly, though those words carried a heaviness.
Still, when the worst had happened, they’d supported one another.
Colin wasn’t a bad guy at all; he’d been a huge part of her life, and he’d given her one of the greatest gifts, but they hadn’t been happy, and they’d both agreed on that the day their marriage had ended.
“It was for the best. It was also amicable.”
“Well, I’m glad it was amicable for you.
” Alba shifted slightly, resting her mug against her knee.
“On Friday, I overheard a few of the teachers talking at the bar. They mentioned that they didn’t believe someone should be back at work yet.
I assumed they meant you, but given what you’ve just said about your divorce, I got that wrong. ”
“You’re not wrong. They were talking about me.
” And tomorrow, I’ll make sure it’s the last time they do.
Ellie exhaled slowly. Her colleagues meant well, she knew that, but the whispers, the sympathetic glances, and the constant checking in—it all made moving forward impossible.
How was she supposed to heal when everyone kept dragging her back to the worst moment of her life? “They’re so obvious at times.”
“Is that what upset you at the bar?”
Ellie let out a small scoff. “I’ve heard it all before. It’s impossible to upset me by saying anything these days. I think I’m numb to the things I hear.”
“Can I ask what it was that upset you?” There was something deeply sincere in Alba’s expression, something Ellie rarely encountered anymore. “You know what, it’s okay. You don’t have to tell me. But I’d like you to remember that if you ever need to talk, I’m around, okay?”
Ellie looked down at the marshmallows slowly melting into her drink. “How about we drink our hot chocolate, and then maybe I’ll feel more confident in discussing it?”
Alba smiled. “Okay, but please don’t feel pressured about it. If or when you want to talk about it, you will.”
God. Alba was a breath of fresh air.
In the midst of Ellie’s painfully quiet life, this woman had arrived with her own scars and baggage…and she carried them openly, without pretending they didn’t exist. Whatever friendship was beginning here, Ellie wanted to hold onto it. “I appreciate you.”