Page 58 of Second Verse

‘I mean, is there a timeline? Have you talked to Freddie?’ Poppy asked.

‘Not yet. We’ve agreed that I’m moving out.’

‘Really? Why not him?’ Poppy asked.

‘I can’t afford the place solo, and he reckons he can swing it. My mum is taking me in.’

‘We’ll be on the same street again,’ Poppy observed.

‘So we will,’ Norah said.

There was an awkward pause.

‘We could walk together in the mornings,’ Norah eventually said.

‘Yes, please. Freddie can keep Luna focused,’ Poppy said, happy to move past the weirdness.

But then Norah went quiet again before sighing heavily. ‘He met her on an app. She lives in the next town, so I don’t know her. Which is something.’

Poppy’s jaw tightened, a spike of rage surprising her. ‘I see,’ she said. ‘How long?’

‘About six months. Not long after we started couples’ counselling,’ Norah explained dispassionately.

‘What a fuckingdick,’ Poppy growled.

‘I guess that once we started the counselling, he realised just how fucked we were, and he decided to check out fully,’ Norah mused.

‘He didn’t have to go about it like that,didhe? If he thought it wasn’t working, he could have just officially ended it.’

‘Maybe he thought I would understand. That I’d be happy to have a stay-together-for-the-kid situation,’ Norah shrugged.

‘Again, he could have been upfront. Asked you if you wanted to do that,’ Poppy insisted.

Norah chuckled, tiredly. ‘The funny thing is, I might have said yes.’

‘Stop it,’ Poppy tutted.

‘No, I’m serious. I didn’t want to be in the marriage anymore. Not for years. I might have told him to have at it. I think he probably sensed that and thought,Why ask?’

‘You’re blaming yourself,’ Poppy said.

‘I’m not, I’m actually... relieved. What he did let me off the hook. I don’t have to make it work anymore.’ Norah said. Suddenly, a tear ran down her cheek. ‘It’s only ever been Freddie stopping me from ending it. He’s gonna be so sad when I tell him.’

Poppy felt deeply for Norah. She wondered if she should hug her. But they didn’t do that. She decided to comfort her with words. ‘He’d have been sadder with an unhappy mum. He might not have known now, but with time, he’d have picked up on it,’ Poppy assured her.

Norah nodded and wiped away the tears. ‘Yeah, maybe.’

‘It’s true. I’ve noticed it,’ Poppy admitted.

Norah looked surprised. ‘Have you?’

‘I haven’t seen you in a long time, so I don’t want to compare you to your teenage self,’ Poppy said nervously. ‘But you didn’t seem... at your best.’

Norah sighed. ‘I wasn’t. You’re right.’

‘But you can be, now,’ Poppy told her.

‘Are you sure? I don’t even know what that looks like anymore,’ Norah said sadly.

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