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Back One Winter Morning Save as PDF
Chapters (56)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. By the same author
  4. Dedication
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. Acknowledgements
  54. Read More
  55. Two Years Later
  56. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING

I know it makes no sense to hanker after that which you cannot have – it’s all I have done for the past year, and even before that. I guess I have always been craving a missing something, or someone. Tonight, however, as I pull the covers up around my chin and wait for sleep to sneak in and rescue me, not only from my own confusion but from my increasing concern about David’s whereabouts, there is only one person whose arms I would like to be wrapped around me.

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37

Bonnie

For the first few moments after he opened the door to find Bonnie standing there, the professor just stared at her. Bonnie took in the absence of hair, the lines around the kind eyes, the bags underneath them. Here was a man who had been through a terrible ordeal, but even if she hadn’t known as much, Bonnie would have guessed it as soon as she saw him.

‘Bonnie,’ he said at last, letting go of the breath he had been holding in. ‘It’s …’

He paused, visibly overcome by a surge of feeling so potent that Bonnie felt herself move forwards to comfort him. It was how their friendship had begun, all those years ago. The professor had been upset, and she had supported him. It was the thing that bonded them together.

‘Sorry,’ she said, hanging her head. ‘I should have called first, I know, but I was afraid that you would tell me not to come. I only just found out about Anna, and, oh bloody hell, Dave, I’m so, so sorry. I can’t believe it.’

David nodded, just once, his bottom lip tucked behind his teeth as he fought tears.

‘I can’t either sometimes,’ he said with a sigh, looking past her and along the driveway. There had been a frost that morning, and the front lawn still glittered beneath a tepid sun. Bonnie could see her breath in the air between herself and David, and shivered.

‘Those days are the worst, in a way,’ he said absently. ‘I wake up and, for a blissful minute, I forget that Annabel’s gone – sometimes I even reach out for her. But then reality lands on me again, and …’ He trailed off, his expression articulating far more than any words could ever have done.

‘I’m so sorry,’ Bonnie said again, feeling as if she was being no help at all. ‘I wish I’d known sooner. If I had, I would have—’

‘Don’t worry.’ David pushed his spectacles up on his nose. ‘There was nothing anyone could have done. It is what it is.’