Read Online Between Now and Goodbye by Hannah Harvey - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Hannah Harvey
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parents did, but now with my dad gone and my mom out of work, we're relying on benefits, and my mom's job paying her extended sick leave. We now have slightly less than her family, but in her house there are just two kids and in ours there are six.
We've had to be creative about where everyone sleeps in our house. Lewis and I are in the attic room. What would have been the dining room has to become Katie, Georgia and April's room. Sean has his own room, which used to be a small laundry room and my mom has the main bedroom. The only bedroom which is on the second floor. It's a tight squeeze, but we make it work.
'I want to try out this Asian stir fry I invented. On our first day we were all given free reign of the pantry, and told to come up with something outside of our comfort zones, so I went for a vegetarian stir fry, because as you know I'm usually working with seafood. Anyway, your mom and I were talking about it, and we think that the light, fresh flavours will be perfect for a hot summer night.' Libby says. She's sitting on the edge of the bathtub, her hand on my mom's arm and an easy relaxed smile on her face.
'So I'll need to get some rest before I come down for dinner. I thought we might eat out in the yard, get some of that nice summer air. Libby's parents and sister will join us. Feel free to invite Julie as well.' Mom smiles up at me. 'Would you help me back to my room?'
'Of course.' I move towards her, passing her the bottle of water. She takes her pills and then I slip my arm around her waist and get her to her feet. 'Libs I'll just be a few minutes, if you want to wait for me up on the roof.'
'Sure.' She nods, smiles at my mom and gives her a quick kiss on the cheek, and then heads towards the steps up to the attic room.
'She's a sweet girl.' Mom says, leaning her weight against me.
'Yeah, she is.'
Libby is lying on her back with one arm stretched over her stomach, and the other over her eyes keeping out the sun. I sit next to her and she shifts herself into a sitting position. Pulling the hem of her white skirt over her knees.
'Char, is it really bad?' She asks, voice low and worried.
'The doctor said that the MRI showed no change in the size of the tumor. She's just finished another round of chemo, at the moment she's one week on, one week off. It's hard to tell if the sickness and tiredness are from that or from the tumor itself. She's had a couple more seizures while you've been away, but the effects don't last as long as they used to.' I shrug. 'She has good days and bad days, but recently the bad have been...really bad.'
'Is there anything you need?'
'Distraction.' I reply, 'So how about you tell me why you're home several weeks before you should be.'
'Julie.' She says it quickly, looking away from me as she does. She looks towards the water, and I can tell that she isn't entirely happy about coming home.
'Libs, I told you that you didn't need to come back home for her, we were working on getting her to come out of her room.'
'I know. I didn't come home because you called me and told me what was going on,' she replies, 'she finally answered one of my calls and she told me...I don't know if I should tell you what she said. She's your girlfriend and I'm annoyed at her, but I also love her and you love her so...'
'Libs you don't have to hide things from me about Julie, you can tell me the truth.' I have a sinking feeling that this isn't going to be something good. It's going to highlight a part of Julie's character, that I mostly try and forget is there.
'She told me that if I didn't come home, she wouldn't start eating again.'
'Oh boy.' I sigh.
'And I believed her.'
'Well, yeah that's because she was most likely telling the truth.' I drop my head down into my hands. 'I'm really sorry Libs.'
'It's not up to you to apologize for her.'
'She's my girlfriend.'
'And my best friend so you don't need to apologize. I don't like the way she did it, but I do kind of understand it. She's
We've had to be creative about where everyone sleeps in our house. Lewis and I are in the attic room. What would have been the dining room has to become Katie, Georgia and April's room. Sean has his own room, which used to be a small laundry room and my mom has the main bedroom. The only bedroom which is on the second floor. It's a tight squeeze, but we make it work.
'I want to try out this Asian stir fry I invented. On our first day we were all given free reign of the pantry, and told to come up with something outside of our comfort zones, so I went for a vegetarian stir fry, because as you know I'm usually working with seafood. Anyway, your mom and I were talking about it, and we think that the light, fresh flavours will be perfect for a hot summer night.' Libby says. She's sitting on the edge of the bathtub, her hand on my mom's arm and an easy relaxed smile on her face.
'So I'll need to get some rest before I come down for dinner. I thought we might eat out in the yard, get some of that nice summer air. Libby's parents and sister will join us. Feel free to invite Julie as well.' Mom smiles up at me. 'Would you help me back to my room?'
'Of course.' I move towards her, passing her the bottle of water. She takes her pills and then I slip my arm around her waist and get her to her feet. 'Libs I'll just be a few minutes, if you want to wait for me up on the roof.'
'Sure.' She nods, smiles at my mom and gives her a quick kiss on the cheek, and then heads towards the steps up to the attic room.
'She's a sweet girl.' Mom says, leaning her weight against me.
'Yeah, she is.'
Libby is lying on her back with one arm stretched over her stomach, and the other over her eyes keeping out the sun. I sit next to her and she shifts herself into a sitting position. Pulling the hem of her white skirt over her knees.
'Char, is it really bad?' She asks, voice low and worried.
'The doctor said that the MRI showed no change in the size of the tumor. She's just finished another round of chemo, at the moment she's one week on, one week off. It's hard to tell if the sickness and tiredness are from that or from the tumor itself. She's had a couple more seizures while you've been away, but the effects don't last as long as they used to.' I shrug. 'She has good days and bad days, but recently the bad have been...really bad.'
'Is there anything you need?'
'Distraction.' I reply, 'So how about you tell me why you're home several weeks before you should be.'
'Julie.' She says it quickly, looking away from me as she does. She looks towards the water, and I can tell that she isn't entirely happy about coming home.
'Libs, I told you that you didn't need to come back home for her, we were working on getting her to come out of her room.'
'I know. I didn't come home because you called me and told me what was going on,' she replies, 'she finally answered one of my calls and she told me...I don't know if I should tell you what she said. She's your girlfriend and I'm annoyed at her, but I also love her and you love her so...'
'Libs you don't have to hide things from me about Julie, you can tell me the truth.' I have a sinking feeling that this isn't going to be something good. It's going to highlight a part of Julie's character, that I mostly try and forget is there.
'She told me that if I didn't come home, she wouldn't start eating again.'
'Oh boy.' I sigh.
'And I believed her.'
'Well, yeah that's because she was most likely telling the truth.' I drop my head down into my hands. 'I'm really sorry Libs.'
'It's not up to you to apologize for her.'
'She's my girlfriend.'
'And my best friend so you don't need to apologize. I don't like the way she did it, but I do kind of understand it. She's
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