Sophie's Encore by Nicky Wells

“Sweetie, he can’t take so much milk yet. He was like a primed volcano. But I don’t think you have anything to worry about unless he has a temperature or something.”
    “No temperature,” Rachel reiterated. “So I don’t need to call the doctor?”
    “I don’t think so. Look,” I offered to put her mind at rest. “Let him sleep, but take his temperature in half an hour, and again before you go to bed. And if you’re worried, call me back. Or better still, call the out-of-hours doctors.”
    “Okay. Thank you,” came Rachel’s small voice. “Sorry to bother you with this.”
    “No bother at all. G’night, sweetie.” We rang off, and I felt all wistful. Ah, the joys of infanthood. Steve and I had had our fair share of late-night upsets like this.
    I tested my memories gingerly. On previous occasions, I usually felt unsettled and lonely. Tonight, I felt nostalgic and a little sad, but mostly calm and mellow. That was a good thing, right? A step in the right direction? Wasn’t that what everyone was telling me?
    A small cough behind me frightened me nearly senseless. I whipped around to find a grinning Dan leaning in my doorway.

Chapter Seventeen
    “What the heck are you doing here?” I shouted. “You gave me a big fright.”
    “And it’s very nice to see you, too,” Dan offered. “I just got back and wanted to see how you were.”
    I rose to my feet. “How did you get in?”
    Stupid question; Dan had had keys to my house for as long as I could remember. “I meant, how did you get in so quietly?” I corrected myself.
    “Ah, I’m a smooth operator if I have to be,” Dan chuckled, but swiftly turned serious. “You were so busy chatting with Rachel…well, I assume it was Rachel, anyway…I could have burgled you, and you wouldn’t have noticed. Is everything all right? With Rachel?”
    “She’s fine, although Henry did a terrific vomiting act on her,” I responded. I was about to launch into a reminiscence of one of Josh’s spectacular explosions when I got distracted by Dan’s appearance. He looked terrible. Enormous bags shadowed his eyes with dark purple smudges, and his face looked sallow and pale. He wasn’t well, and I wasn’t sure whether it was only the tiredness from having flown across the entire continental US and the Atlantic, or something more. Mummy-me wanted to reach out and stroke his face, then tuck him up in bed with a hot water bottle and a mug of honeyed warm milk. I offered neither the hug nor the caress, but rather stood and stared and waited for him to speak.
    After an almighty yawn, Dan sat himself down on the sofa and stretched out. “Oh God, I’m so tired,” he announced. I rushed to his side and knelt on the floor, bringing my face level with his.
    “Are you okay?”
    Surprise lit up his eyes, and he waited a moment before he replied, scrutinizing my face intently. “I’m fine,” he finally reassured me. “If a bit tired. I only got off the plane two hours ago, and I came straight here. Well…” He petered out while he fumbled in his trouser pocket. “… almost straight here. I picked up this from home first.” He waved the flash drive marked “Turn Your Corner” in my face. I blushed.
    “Have you listened to it yet?”
    “Did you want me to?” Dan’s eyes met mine, searching and teasing.
    “Um…yes. Well, no. I don’t know.” I ran my hands through my hair and rubbed my nose. “Why didn’t you tell me you were going to Seattle?” I blurted out, changing the subject before I could stop myself. Dan had the grace to look sheepish.
    “I don’t really know. It was arranged months ago and I forgot all about it. And then I tried to ignore the fact that I would have to be away. And…I don’t know.” He was lost for words. “It was stupid, really. I’m sorry.”
    His honesty completely disarmed me. “It doesn’t matter,” I soothed. “You’re not accountable to me or anything. I was surprised, that was all.”
    “But I am, though.