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Authors: Sue Margolis
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saying now. “Check your e-mail.”
“Another one? Honestly, the champagne was more than enough.”
On the other hand, a voucher for a full-body massage at the Sanctuary would be more than welcome. Right now my shoulders ached so much from all the lifting and lugging, I thought my arms might fall off. I picked my laptop up off the coffee table, went into my e-mail and clicked on the attachment Steve had sent. It took me a second or two to process what I was looking at. “Wow—you downloaded me an Excel Household Budget spreadsheet.”
“Yeah, when we’ve had a drink, I’ll show you how to use it.”
“You know, Steve, this is really thoughtful of you, but I’m not sure I need help budgeting. I’ve been doing fine since Mike died. I know you mean well, but it wasn’t me who got us into debt—Mike did.”
“True, but for a long time you chose to turn a blind eye.”
“I did, but my eye is very much on the ball now.”
“So you clip coupons, right?”
“Oh, come on . . . who can be bothered? Plus I can’t stand those people who hold up the queue in the supermarket while the checker goes through their two hundred coupons.”
“What about looking for offers and deals at the supermarkets?”
“I have a life.”
“But there’s so much you can do to save money.”
“I’m sure there is. I could save on laundry bills by declaring Wednesday Nude Day. Instead of turning on the lights, I could save on electricity by wearing night vision goggles. I could start haggling at the supermarket.”
He started laughing. “OK, I hear you. I’m being patronizing. I apologize.”
“Look, don’t get me wrong, after everything I went through withMike, it’s good having somebody worry about me for once, but I don’t need you hovering over me all the time.”
“Point taken. It’s just my way of showing that I care, that’s all.”
“I know.” I went over and gave him a hug. “Come on, let’s open that bottle.”
We took our drinks to the sofa. Steve put his arm around me and pulled me close. Affection, physical contact that didn’t come from my parents or the kids, was something else I was enjoying.
“If you like,” he said, “I could stay over tonight. I’d be gone before the kids woke up.”
I looked up at him. “I don’t know. . . . I’m still not sure I’m ready. I know it’s been over a year since Mike died, but . . .”
“Don’t worry. It’s OK. Take as long as you need. I’m not going anywhere.” He gave me a squeeze.
“And what if the kids woke up in the night and found you in bed with me? Can you imagine the effect that would have on them? They haven’t even met you yet.”
“You’re right. I wasn’t thinking. But what I don’t understand . . .”
“Is why I’m finding it so hard to move on?”
“Yes . . . after all, Mike put you through hell.”
“I’m not sure I understand it myself. All I know is that grieving is a long and complicated process.”
I couldn’t tell him that, despite everything Mike had done and even though I’d been planning to ask him for a divorce, I’d never stopped loving him. I still loved him, and when you loved a person, you didn’t cheat on them.
• • •
S hirley’s nurse, Denise, told me to go on up. “She seems to have got some of her mojo back . . . been giving me hell since seven o’clock this morning. Her soft-boiled egg was too soft. . . . I forgot to cut her toast into soldiers. . . .”
“Oh God, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t worry, I’m used to it. She’ll apologize later like she always does. And it’s a good sign. Your aunty Shirley may not be long for this world, but she’s putting up one hell of a fight.”
As I climbed the stairs to the bedroom, I could hear the sound of the Aussie soap
Neighbours
. Shirley loved the daft plotlines and wobbly sets.
I poked my head round the door. Shirley, wasted and pale, was lying in bed, propped up by a stack of pillows.
“Hey,
“Another one? Honestly, the champagne was more than enough.”
On the other hand, a voucher for a full-body massage at the Sanctuary would be more than welcome. Right now my shoulders ached so much from all the lifting and lugging, I thought my arms might fall off. I picked my laptop up off the coffee table, went into my e-mail and clicked on the attachment Steve had sent. It took me a second or two to process what I was looking at. “Wow—you downloaded me an Excel Household Budget spreadsheet.”
“Yeah, when we’ve had a drink, I’ll show you how to use it.”
“You know, Steve, this is really thoughtful of you, but I’m not sure I need help budgeting. I’ve been doing fine since Mike died. I know you mean well, but it wasn’t me who got us into debt—Mike did.”
“True, but for a long time you chose to turn a blind eye.”
“I did, but my eye is very much on the ball now.”
“So you clip coupons, right?”
“Oh, come on . . . who can be bothered? Plus I can’t stand those people who hold up the queue in the supermarket while the checker goes through their two hundred coupons.”
“What about looking for offers and deals at the supermarkets?”
“I have a life.”
“But there’s so much you can do to save money.”
“I’m sure there is. I could save on laundry bills by declaring Wednesday Nude Day. Instead of turning on the lights, I could save on electricity by wearing night vision goggles. I could start haggling at the supermarket.”
He started laughing. “OK, I hear you. I’m being patronizing. I apologize.”
“Look, don’t get me wrong, after everything I went through withMike, it’s good having somebody worry about me for once, but I don’t need you hovering over me all the time.”
“Point taken. It’s just my way of showing that I care, that’s all.”
“I know.” I went over and gave him a hug. “Come on, let’s open that bottle.”
We took our drinks to the sofa. Steve put his arm around me and pulled me close. Affection, physical contact that didn’t come from my parents or the kids, was something else I was enjoying.
“If you like,” he said, “I could stay over tonight. I’d be gone before the kids woke up.”
I looked up at him. “I don’t know. . . . I’m still not sure I’m ready. I know it’s been over a year since Mike died, but . . .”
“Don’t worry. It’s OK. Take as long as you need. I’m not going anywhere.” He gave me a squeeze.
“And what if the kids woke up in the night and found you in bed with me? Can you imagine the effect that would have on them? They haven’t even met you yet.”
“You’re right. I wasn’t thinking. But what I don’t understand . . .”
“Is why I’m finding it so hard to move on?”
“Yes . . . after all, Mike put you through hell.”
“I’m not sure I understand it myself. All I know is that grieving is a long and complicated process.”
I couldn’t tell him that, despite everything Mike had done and even though I’d been planning to ask him for a divorce, I’d never stopped loving him. I still loved him, and when you loved a person, you didn’t cheat on them.
• • •
S hirley’s nurse, Denise, told me to go on up. “She seems to have got some of her mojo back . . . been giving me hell since seven o’clock this morning. Her soft-boiled egg was too soft. . . . I forgot to cut her toast into soldiers. . . .”
“Oh God, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t worry, I’m used to it. She’ll apologize later like she always does. And it’s a good sign. Your aunty Shirley may not be long for this world, but she’s putting up one hell of a fight.”
As I climbed the stairs to the bedroom, I could hear the sound of the Aussie soap
Neighbours
. Shirley loved the daft plotlines and wobbly sets.
I poked my head round the door. Shirley, wasted and pale, was lying in bed, propped up by a stack of pillows.
“Hey,
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