Week 2: A New Start

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This room was different to the last. The circumstances were different too.

Last time the decision had been easy, well, there was no decision to make really, she’d had no choice, no other options.

This time she had Stan, though she’d never tell him that, it was too soon. There had been that moment on the stairs though.

Since moving into their new place, the first place she’d ever shared with a boy, Stan had taken to sitting on the first steps of the stairs. He’d take calls, read, sometimes he’d just sit there, staring. She thought it was cute.

Once in a while that’s where they hung out. One time they ended up drinking a whole bottle of wine there, just sitting there, on the stairs, chatting and drinking, in the hall.

They’d been talking about the decision and agreed it was the right thing to do. The house was small and things were fun. Stan was close to a promotion he said. But there was a moment, a look, like for a second she had a glimpse of the back of his mind and maybe she saw a flash of a second thought. Like maybe they could do it. Like it wasn’t too soon. But he never mentioned anything. 

She put her head down. And then ether and floating and a lady holding her hand and then it was done. She needed the loo. In the lobby she said goodbye and looked for him and told the nurse she was fine and that yes she had someone but he’d probably gone out for a cigarette or something.

She walked herself out, positive that he was there and this time, it was a new start.