Everything We Keep by Di Walker (good story books to read txt) 📗

the mirror; she hardly recognised herself. The girl staring back at her needed to wash her straggly hair. No wonder, Agatha thought, remembering the look from the woman at the bus stop and how Sissy had looked at her when she had entered the café.

Stepping into the warm water of the shower, Agatha let the water stream through her hair. The shampoo and conditioner that she had chosen with Katherine on their first shopping trip, was still there. Agatha lathered her hair, not once, but twice. The feeling of being clean was something she realised she craved.

It was then, with the water running over her face that her mind drifted to Tully, waking up earlier that morning and finding Agatha’s bed empty. She imagined Tully being shocked that her kindness had been treated with such disrespect. She pictured Tully telling her mother about the disappearance and missing the fact that her mother was relieved that the stranger who had entered their house had left without a trace.

As she turned off the water and pulled the towel from the rail, Agatha remembered that it would be about now, at this time, that Nell would be knocking on the front door of her house, waiting for Agatha to answer. She knew her parents won’t be answering, they never do.

Agatha dried herself quickly and dressed in fresh shorts and a t-shirt. She wrapped the towel around her long, wet hair and went out to the kitchen, looking for Katherine.

She found her standing at the counter, her mobile phone buzzing and Katherine just staring at it. She looked up when Agatha walked in. ‘It’s Nell. She has called twice but I haven’t answered.’

Agatha moved over to the counter and stood close enough to Katherine that their arms touched. The phone stopped buzzing and they both let out a sigh. Before either could speak it began to buzz again.

‘What should we do?’ asked Agatha, her voice soft but not hiding her rising panic.

‘We answer it and we deal with whatever comes next,’ Katherine replied, putting her arm around Agatha. She picked up the phone. ‘Morning Nell. She’s here.’

14

Agatha sat on the sofa with Chief, both on guard. In the hour it had taken Nell to get from Agatha’s parents’ house to here, Katherine and Agatha had unpacked her suitcase, cleaned up the few things in the kitchen sink and made sure the house looked tidy. Neither had spoken much, lost in their own thoughts of what could be about to happen.

When Nell’s car pulled up at the front of the house, Chief let out a small, low growl. ‘I know how you feel,’ said Agatha, ruffling the back of his head.

Katherine walked from the kitchen, across the sitting room to the front door. Just before reaching it she turned and gave Agatha a wink. ‘Stay calm. We’ll sort this out together.’ Agatha nodded and breathed in slowly.

Agatha could hear Katherine and Nell greet each other on the front veranda and knew Katherine would be holding the door open for her to enter. ‘Come on in. Can I get you something cool to drink?’

‘Thanks for the offer Katherine, but I’m fine. It’s already too hot. I thought summer was meant to have finished by now.’

A few steps in and Nell was in the standing in the archway from the hall to the sitting room. She lowered her large black shoulder bag to the floor and let it lean against the doorway. Agatha dropped her head, picked up Chief, placing him on her lap.

‘Hey there,’ Nell said. ‘I’m glad you’re here.’

Agatha looked up surprised, ‘Really? I thought you’d be mad.’

Nell, with Katherine right behind her, moved into the cool sitting room and sat herself in an armchair. ‘I wouldn’t say mad. I was worried, I mean really worried when you didn’t come to the door. But . . . ’ she looked at Katherine and then around the room. ‘I understand why you did what you did. I’m glad you’re safe.’

‘I’m not going back. You can’t make me.’

‘Well, I can, but I won’t. Not right now.’

Agatha took a deep breath and held her head up high. ‘Every time you take me back Nell, I’ll just leave and come back here. I’ll just keep doing it. Over and over. I know how to now. I can find my way.’

‘I believe you. I’m sure you can. But you know how this works – it’s not that easy.’

‘Why?’ Katherine, who had been standing at the edge of the sitting room, stepped forward and sat next to Agatha on the sofa.

‘Pardon?’

‘Why, Nell? Why can’t it be just that easy. It’s obvious that Agatha wants to stay here. We’re happy for her to stay here. Why can’t it be that easy?’

Nell seemed to realise that she was up against a united force. She sat back in the armchair and smiled. ‘You’re right Katherine, it should work out like that. I don’t know why we can’t make it happen. But when I spoke to Edith this morning, she was clear. She wants Agatha at home.’

That answer didn’t satisfy Katherine. And it didn’t satisfy Nell, even though she was the one that said it.

‘We both know, Nell,’ Katherine said, ‘as much as Agatha’s parents love her, right now, they aren’t able, to care for her, to provide her with what she needs.’ Agatha looked at Katherine. She appreciated the way Katherine spoke of her parents. She never put them down or called them bad parents, unlike other people had. Katherine seemed to know how much Agatha loved them and never made her feel like she shouldn’t.

Agatha put Chief down on the floor and folded her hands onto her lap. ‘What do I have to do?’

‘What do you mean?’ Nell asked, her head tilted to the side.

‘What do I have to do so I can stay here? Tell me Nell. Tell me what to do and I’ll do it.’

Nell took in a deep breath and slowly released the air out through her nose,