Right Here Waiting for You

by Pugh, Rebecca

  After reading the invite a couple more times in the safety of her bedroom, Magda couldn’t shake the memories of Worthington Green away. The place remained at the forefront of her mind throughout the evening, while Greg’s father droned on about business and economics. Greg’s mother, Patricia, sat silently and watched Magda from across the table with her lips tightly pursed. It was no secret that Patricia thought her son could have done better but Magda was past caring. She stared down at the food on her plate, silently willing the evening to hurry up and be over with. She couldn’t stand to be with these people a second longer.

  Chapter Four

  ‘I reckon they’ll get married when they’re older.’ Michael nodded through the doorway to where Esther and Harry were sitting side by side on the carpet in the lounge, positioned in front of the television. Michael’s comment reminded Sophia of something she’d once talked about with an old friend of hers, but she batted the memory away and forced herself to focus on the cooking instead.

  It was Sunday and Sophia’s home was slightly noisier than usual, with two extra guests. She’d invited her good friend Michael and his son, Harry, round, to join her and Esther for a roast dinner, and it felt nice to have company. Esther had told Harry to sit down beside her and was having fun making him watch all her favourite movies. Sophia had hardly heard a peep from them since.

  ‘Now wouldn’t that be nice? They’d be true childhood sweethearts, wouldn’t they?’ Sophia’s face was melting from the heat. The kitchen window was steaming up and she swung round to open it. Fresh air rushed inside, bringing with it cool relief.

  Michael was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of tea, watching the children through the doorway. He’d made numerous offers to help with the cooking but Sophia had turned each one of them down. There wasn’t much longer to go now, thank God. Any longer and there’d be nothing left of her besides a puddle on the floor.

  ‘How’s Harry doing?’ asked Sophia. ‘Is he sleeping better now?’

  ‘Yeah, seems to be.’ Michael ran his hands through his brown hair and shrugged, but Sophia knew it meant more than that to him. ‘No more nightmares, and he hasn’t woken up in the middle of the night for a while either. He stays in his own bed right the way through until morning, which is definitely progress. And he hasn’t had a bed-wetting episode for such a long time. He’s like a different kid these days.’

  Sophia smiled. She was pleased for him. For both of them. Michael had had a tough year since splitting up with his ex-girlfriend, Tanya, Harry’s mum. Michael had discovered she was having an affair with one of his best mates who he worked with as a labourer. After everything had blown apart and Tanya had packed up and left, Michael had struggled with suddenly becoming a single father, so he’d turned to Sophia for help and guidance. Not feeling like much of an inspiration in the parenting department, Sophia had tried to help him as best she could.

  Over the months following the separation, he’d muddled through, figuring out new ways of doing things with his son without Tanya by his side. Now, father and son seemed to be in a routine that worked perfectly for both. Harry went to bed on time, he allowed Michael to bath him without fuss, and the nightmares that had been plaguing him and causing him to cry out in the night had finally stopped. Alongside this, Michael was still able to work as a labourer, only now part-time rather than full-time. He didn’t mind losing the hours if it meant he could spend more time bonding with and caring for his son. It seemed the worst was over and it showed. Michael was happier, calmer and more at peace with life, himself, and the hand he’d been dealt.

  ‘Have you heard from her? Tanya?’ Sophia peered across the room at him.

  ‘Not a peep. I’m not expecting to hear from her, to be honest. The last I heard, she and Tommo were moving abroad together, Spain or somewhere like that. Good riddance, I say.’ He swallowed a mouthful of his drink before meeting Sophia’s gaze. ‘What?’ he asked, when he realised she’d been watching him.

  ‘Nothing,’ she shrugged, turning back to the pots and pans bubbling away. ‘I’m just happy for you. For both of you. It’s nice to see after how tough it was before. It’s like you’re finally free of it all and it shows.’

  ‘Thanks, Sophia. I really appreciate it, and all your help. It’s been hard work but I feel like we’re both in a good place now. A better place. I feel more than capable of being Harry’s father and of doing a good job of it.’

  ‘You do an excellent job.’ She meant every word. Anyone who didn’t know Michael personally would be more than likely to take one look at his appearance and judge him by it. Because of the physical work, he had a bulky and muscly physique. He often towered over people, and it could be intimidating. But inside, beneath all of that, he was kind, hard-working, and totally capable of love, despite not believing so himself. Just after Tanya had left, taking Michael’s heart with her, he’d turned up on Sophia’s doorstep with Harry. She’d hurried them both inside from the cold and, once Harry had joined Esther in the lounge, she’d asked Michael what was wrong. His whisper had been almost inaudible. ‘What if I can’t love him? What if I wasn’t made to be a father? What if I do it all wrong and end up ruining him?’

  It had crushed her heart to see him so broken down and with so little faith in himself. But now, radiating confidence and happiness, he was a pure joy to behold. Tanya hadn’t deserved such a man, Sophia had always thought as much, and she didn’t deserve Harry either. He was such a sweet little boy and finally seemed at ease with the adjustments to his life. He also adored Esther, and they were very good friends. Sophia would normally meet Michael and Harry outside the school gates in the morning and the little boy’s face would light up when he spotted Esther running up the path to greet him.

  They’d grown to be such good friends in the time they’d known each other, which had been about four years now. Michael and Tanya had been a firm couple when they’d first arrived in the town. Sophia had often seen them dropping Harry off at school together in the mornings. It wasn’t until Tanya stopped showing up at the school drop-offs that Michael had started to speak to her, which had made Sophia wonder if Tanya was the controlling type, not allowing Michael any female friends. He’d sidled up to her one morning with Harry and struck up a conversation about how lovely the school was, saying Harry had mentioned Esther at home and how much he liked her. It hadn’t taken long for the conversations to become a regular thing, and it became clear to Sophia that Michael wanted someone to talk to. He could be found standing by himself usually, not getting involved with the other parents chatting among themselves. But one morning, Michael had arrived and invited her to have a coffee with him in the café in the high street.

  At first, he had danced around the topic of his and Tanya’s relationship, as if afraid of getting too close to it, and Sophia had felt a bit bewildered by the whole thing, wondering what he was trying to get at, and if it had anything to do with Tanya’s disappearance from the playground. She hadn’t said anything though. She wanted Michael to tell her about what was going on only if he felt he wanted to. It hadn’t taken long for him to fully open up about it and, once he did, that had been the beginning of the end for the couple. After that, their meetings in the coffee shop were mostly focused around updates on Tanya and what she’d been getting up to behind Michael’s back.

  It had gone from bad to worse for Michael as he tried to come to terms with the reality of it all, but Sophia had tried to be there for him as much as she possibly could. That had been over a year ago, and a lot of progress had been made since then.

  ‘Have you thought any more about the school reunion?’ Michael asked as he took another sip of tea. He eyed her over the rim of the mug.

  ‘No, not really,’ replied Sophia, her back to him as she turned the food down slightly. She’d told Michael about the invitation earlier in the week but wished she hadn’t now. He was badgering her incessantly and it was beginning to drive her mad, mostly because she hadn’t yet made up her mind
about whether she would be attending or not. ‘I think it could be fun and it would be lovely to see some old faces if they decided to show up, but… Oh, I don’t know. School wasn’t exactly the best time for me.’

  ‘Everyone says your schooldays are the best days of your life but I don’t think it applies to everyone. Mine were shit too, but don’t you think it would be interesting to see how your old friends turned out? Find out whether any of them became famous or, I don’t know, became millionaires?’

  Sophia laughed. ‘I suppose so, although I doubt, if any of them had become millionaires, they’d come back to little old Worthington Green for a school reunion. It’s hardly the place to be for the rich and famous.’

  ‘I still think you should go,’ Michael pressed. ‘We can go together, if you feel you want someone there with you? I don’t mind tagging along. I can be that plus one you mentioned.’

  Sophia gave the vegetables a poke with a fork while she gave the whole thing some more thought.

  It was kind of Michael to want to support her but he had no idea what had happened back then. It was more than simply going to a reunion and enjoying herself. It made her nervous and sent wings of panic beating in her chest. ‘Thanks for the offer, Michael. Just give me a little more time to think about it and I’ll let you know, okay?’

  She didn’t want to tell him why she was so reluctant to say yes. The truth was, she was terrified of coming face-to-face with the past. The thought of bumping into her was enough to make Sophia want to shred the invitation to pieces. But then, on the other hand, it might be fun. It would be a night out, which was something she hadn’t had in a long time.

  Sophia would be lying if she said she hadn’t thought about the girl who had helped shape some part of her younger years in the time that had passed; hadn’t wondered what she was up to, whether she was married or had any children. One time, Sophia had become so curious about the woman, she’d searched for her name on social media, just to see what the results would bring. It turned out the answer to that was nothing. No profiles, no pages. Zilch.

  Once dinner was served, the four of them crowded around the small table and tucked in. Harry and Esther were delighted to be seated beside each other and, for the first time in a long time, Sophia was pleased to see her daughter actually eating some vegetables, Harry joining in too. Michael couldn’t compliment the food enough. She had to admit, she had done a good job. The chicken was beautifully prepared, the roast potatoes buttery and soft. She was pleased, and thrilled to be seated with her favourite people in the world.

  Afterwards, nursing full stomachs, they moved back in front of the television until late afternoon, when, stretching his arms above his head, Michael announced it was time for them to leave. Sophia stood beside the front door as they put on their shoes and prepared to get going.

  ‘The pleasure was all mine,’ she smiled, giving Harry’s shoulder a little squeeze. Esther was there too, watching grumpily as Harry put on his coat and Michael zipped it up with ease.

  ‘And you’ll think some more about the reunion?’ urged Michael, turning to her as he opened the front door.

  ‘I promise.’ Sophia waved them off.

  The following morning, she met up with Michael for coffee in their usual haunt. She spotted him huddled in the corner with a book in his hands, head dipped low as he read and occasionally sipping at his drink.

  ‘Sounds grizzly.’ She nodded at the book in his hands. ‘Don’t you ever fancy dipping into a soppy romance novel?’ She thought of the numerous romance reads that were stacked beside her bedside table back home. She had to admit, she’d gone a bit mad on them recently. She adored the sexual tension between hero and heroine and the inevitable ‘something’ that would keep them apart. She’d often found herself wishing for something like that in real life.

  ‘No, thank you. It’s all nonsense, isn’t it?’ Michael laughed as he cornered his page and Sophia tried not to wince at the barbaric action. Why did people do that? Why didn’t he just use a bloody bookmark? ‘Have you thought any more about the reunion?’ he asked.

  ‘I don’t know,’ she mumbled, hiding behind her mug. She was worried about telling people she was still here, living in town, having not achieved much in life at all. To her, being a mother, as tough as it often was, was a huge deal, but would her old friends look at it in the same away? Or would they snigger behind their hands at how little Sophia Good’s life was?

  ‘Oh, come on, Sophia!’ urged Michael. ‘It’ll be good fun. You don’t get out much, and neither do I. It’s the perfect opportunity. I’ll even hold your hand if you’re that nervous about it.’ He leant forward across the table, eyes fixed on her face. ‘You have nothing to worry about. It’s just a school reunion where you’ll see old faces, people will ask what you’ve been up to, and then you’ll probably all get smashed. Maybe even have a little boogie on the dance floor. Now there’s an offer you can’t turn down, surely?’

  ‘Oh, fine. You win.’ Sophia laughed and Michael punched the air in triumph. He was right though. Above everything else, it would be fun, and as for the other things she was worrying about? She would just have to face them if they happened, but the more she thought about it, the less likely it seemed that she would turn up. She was probably halfway across the world, sipping cocktails and living the high life. What on earth would she want to come back to Worthington Green for? ‘I’ll get in touch with Hannah,’ said Sophia. ‘She’s my babysitter, although I haven’t spoken to her in a while. I’ll see if she’ll look after Esther for the night.’

  ‘Do you think she’d mind looking after Harry too?’ asked Michael eagerly.

  ‘I’m sure she wouldn’t mind at all. She loves taking care of the little ones and she’s great with them, as long as they behave themselves, mind.’

  ‘Ask her and let me know. It doesn’t matter if not; I’m sure I could find someone myself.’

  ‘I will.’ Sophia scooped up some froth from the top of her cappuccino and popped the spoon into her mouth. ‘What?’ she laughed, when she spotted Michael watching her. His gaze lingered on her lips.

  ‘Nothing. You’ve just got a bit of… Here, let me get it.’ Michael leant across the table and used the tip of a finger to dab away a bubble of froth. They looked at each other awkwardly. ‘Sorted,’ he said quietly.

  Sophia cleared her throat. ‘Thanks.’

  ‘So, that’s a definite yes then?’

  ‘Yes. It’s a definite yes.’ Sophia’s stomach was slowly beginning to tighten with tension. Gulping down more coffee, she tried her best to ignore it. ‘I suppose now I have to find something nice to wear, don’t I? I don’t think jeans and a T-shirt will cut it.’

  ‘Nope. I refuse to let you show up in jeans and a T-shirt. That’s completely against the rules and you know it.’

  ‘I suppose it’s about time I wore something else besides these old things.’

  ‘It’ll be fine. Don’t worry about it. Just make sure you RSVP so we’re definitely down on the list. Do it today, as soon as you’re home. Man, I’m looking forward to this.’

  ‘I’ll do it!’ she laughed. ‘As soon as I get home.’

  ‘Good. Anyway, I’ve got exciting news. As of last night, I’m back in the dating game. I signed myself up to one of those dating sites. I’ve decided it’s time to move on and take back the reins of my love life.’

  And just like that, Sophia’s laughter from seconds before turned to silence. She blinked at him, unable to think of a suitable reply. Good for you? Well done, Michael? You’ll be snapped up in a heartbeat? She knew that last one would certainly be true.

  ‘Oh… Wow, that’s… Are you sure you’re ready for that? I mean, it hasn’t really been all that long since you broke up with Tanya. You don’t feel it’s too soon?’ She was speaking so hurriedly, it was a wonder Michael could understand her. ‘Sorry,’ she laughed, shaking her head. ‘It’s surprising, that’s all. I’m very happy for you.’

 
Michael cocked a brow. ‘Yeah, I can see where you’re coming from but it has been a while now. Don’t you think so?’ He shrugged and turned his attention to the window. People passed by the café, lost in their own conversations. Michael watched them. ‘I suppose I’m just lonely. I love Harry, more than anything else in the world. You know that. But it’s nothing to do with that side of things. It’s more the… you know… physical side.’ He looked back at her then. ‘Surely you know what I’m referring to?’

  ‘Oh, right. Yes, I know what you mean now.’ She wrapped her arms around herself and turned her attention to the outside world too. She couldn’t ignore the jealousy she was feeling. She wanted to be happy for him but it was hard when she felt the way she did. For such a long time, she’d hoped that, when Michael finally decided to try his hand at love again, it would be her he would turn to. After all, hadn’t she been the one who was there in his time of need? Or was it completely selfish of her to think he owed her something in return for simply being a friend to him? Hope was such a tricky thing.

  ‘Well, don’t you miss that?’ pressed Michael. ‘The physical side of it? Someone to hold on to at night?’

  ‘I guess I do sometimes, but not hugely.’

  Michael nodded. ‘I guess everyone’s different. Still, it’s kind of exciting. Putting myself out there again. Just hope I don’t make a fool of myself.’

  Sophia sighed. What an idiot he was for thinking he could ever do that. Any woman would be lucky to spend an evening with this man by their side. Not only was he kind, considerate and funny, but he was handsome and didn’t even realise it, which only made him more appealing. If getting back out there was what he wanted to do, who was she to try and stop him?

  ‘Michael, I’m happy for you. If this is what you want to do, then I say go for it. Who knows where it will lead? Life’s all about taking chances, isn’t it? Anyway, I’d better get going. I’ve got a few things waiting to be dealt with back at the house before my shift later. It really is amazing how much washing one little girl can pile up.’ Sophia gulped down the last of her coffee and got up. ‘We’ll catch up soon, okay? Let me know how the dating site goes.’