A Handful of Pixie Dust (Sequel to The Art of Survival), chapter 6
"I can't believe he just turned up like that." Adrienne said, shaking her head and handing Bethan a mug of hot chocolate. She sat down next to her, tucking her legs underneath her as childish screams came from the Armstrong back garden.
"I know," Bethan replied, staring into her mug. "It was so sudden. It took me by surprise."
"I bet it did," Adrienne sympathised. "You handled it well though, sweetie." She added seeing Bethan's blatant upset veiled over her face.
"Did I?" Bethan asked, unsure. She looked questioningly at Adrienne then lowered her head, shaking it slowly. "I don't know. When he left I just felt so... Hollow."
"Well that's gonna happen," Adrienne explained. "You probably still love this guy. Even after all he put you through, a part of you still clung onto the hope he'd come back and he did." She put a hand on top of Bethan's. "It'll pass. I promise."
Bethan looked up at the ceiling, searching for the answers she wishes was inscribed on it. "I don't know," she murmured. "Maybe I do still care. I don't know how I feel anymore." She took a gulp of hot chocolate to steady her nerves. "You know, afterwards when I sat and thought about it, I thought about what my mum said, you know? About Nia needing a father in her life."
Adrienne stared at Bethan. "You're not serious, are you?" she asked, putting her mug on the table in front of them.
"I couldn't help it," Bethan explained. "And, for a second, it made sense." Her voice a ghost of a whisper, Bethan added, "It would make it a lot easier on me."
"You can't be serious, Pixie!" Adrienne gasped. "I know it can't be easy on you but this guy raped you then abandoned you. How do you know if you can trust him?"
"I don't," Bethan replied meeting Adrienne's gaze. "And I know I probably can't but still. I think about Nia and all those questions I know she wants to ask but won't. It bugs me, Adie. It really bugs me that she has to accept how she was created. I just want her to have a normal life."
"And normal means bringing in a chicken-willed rapist?" Adrienne looked seriously across at Bethan in a way that Bethan had never seen her do before. It slightly unnerved her and she looked over her shoulder to the open back door. "Bethan, I know I can't tell you what to do but please, for Nia's sake, think about this before you do anything, OK? You don't want to make a decision that could possibly ruin Nia's life completely."
With these words resounding in her ears, Bethan pushed herself off the sofa and went to check on the children.
"I know," Bethan replied, staring into her mug. "It was so sudden. It took me by surprise."
"I bet it did," Adrienne sympathised. "You handled it well though, sweetie." She added seeing Bethan's blatant upset veiled over her face.
"Did I?" Bethan asked, unsure. She looked questioningly at Adrienne then lowered her head, shaking it slowly. "I don't know. When he left I just felt so... Hollow."
"Well that's gonna happen," Adrienne explained. "You probably still love this guy. Even after all he put you through, a part of you still clung onto the hope he'd come back and he did." She put a hand on top of Bethan's. "It'll pass. I promise."
Bethan looked up at the ceiling, searching for the answers she wishes was inscribed on it. "I don't know," she murmured. "Maybe I do still care. I don't know how I feel anymore." She took a gulp of hot chocolate to steady her nerves. "You know, afterwards when I sat and thought about it, I thought about what my mum said, you know? About Nia needing a father in her life."
Adrienne stared at Bethan. "You're not serious, are you?" she asked, putting her mug on the table in front of them.
"I couldn't help it," Bethan explained. "And, for a second, it made sense." Her voice a ghost of a whisper, Bethan added, "It would make it a lot easier on me."
"You can't be serious, Pixie!" Adrienne gasped. "I know it can't be easy on you but this guy raped you then abandoned you. How do you know if you can trust him?"
"I don't," Bethan replied meeting Adrienne's gaze. "And I know I probably can't but still. I think about Nia and all those questions I know she wants to ask but won't. It bugs me, Adie. It really bugs me that she has to accept how she was created. I just want her to have a normal life."
"And normal means bringing in a chicken-willed rapist?" Adrienne looked seriously across at Bethan in a way that Bethan had never seen her do before. It slightly unnerved her and she looked over her shoulder to the open back door. "Bethan, I know I can't tell you what to do but please, for Nia's sake, think about this before you do anything, OK? You don't want to make a decision that could possibly ruin Nia's life completely."
With these words resounding in her ears, Bethan pushed herself off the sofa and went to check on the children.
