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Back Unnecessary Drama Save as PDF
Chapters (49)
  1. COVER PAGE
  2. TEXT LOGO PAGE
  3. ABOUT THE BOOK
  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. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  46. ALSO BY NINA KENWOOD
  47. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  48. PRAISE
  49. NEW MARKETING PAGE

I go through the whole spiel, and Harper nods sympathetically.

‘Bodies suck. Here, I packed you a bag, just in case,’ she says.

‘Thank you.’ I’m too scared to look inside. Everything about this feels kind of shameful. That she had to go through my things. That I am an inconvenience to everyone. That I need to be mothered when I usually do the mothering.

‘Well, I guess I should go then,’ Jesse says, looking uncertain. Harper will probably go with him. My stomach twists. No, don’t leave me, don’t leave, don’t leave. But who knows when they’ll discharge me, the paperwork might be hours, I can’t ask them to wait.

‘Thank you for bringing me here. And waiting with me. And for the dog,’ I say to Jesse. If they are going, I need them to leave urgently, before I start crying again. A big cry is coming, I can feel it building.

Sobbing into the pillow and hugging my new toy dogtor and really feeling bad for myself and examining my swollen puffy eyes in horror afterwards kind of cry.

Jesse looks at me. ‘Are you really sure you’re okay?’ He’s all furrowed brow and intense eyes and I think it’s the pain meds, because it’s doing something to me when I look at him. Take your pleasing face and your height and your sparkly smile and your lovely hair and your concern and leave this room right now, sir.

‘Yes, fine. You go, you’ve been with me all night,’ I say.

‘Is your mum coming?’ Harper asks.

‘No, she’s away for the weekend,’ I say.

‘Is anyone else coming?’ she asks.

‘No,’ I say and my voice wobbles, the tiniest bit. I have no friends is the unspoken bit.

‘Are you hungry?’ Harper asks. Her tone is warm and gentle.

‘A bit,’ I say, looking up at her pathetically.

She looks at Jesse and they seem to be having a silent conversation with their eyes, because suddenly Jesse is going off to find Harper and me some food, and she’s settling into the chair, and neither of them are leaving, they’re going to stay until I’m discharged and drive me home, and my body sags with the relief of it, of not having to be alone, of not having to pretend to be strong, of not having to get a taxi home, of having two people in my life who are willing to help me. It feels so lucky, to have this.

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