Page 136 of Sit, Stay, Love
‘Fight Club?’
Her mother rolled her eyes. ‘Your father has taken up movie watching.’
‘Ah.’ Sera took a long swallow of wine. ‘I haven’t spoken to him.’
‘Oh. Sera.’ Her mother tutted.
‘Mum. Just… I can’t, okay? I just can’t.’
Her parents flicked each other a look.
Her father reached across the table and took her hand. ‘I’m just going to say one thing, poppet. Your mother and I have a rule. We never go to bed angry. If we row, we sort it out before we go to sleep. Don’t leave without sorting things out with Toby. He’s too important to you.’
Lydia tenderly kissed her husband’s cheek as Sera began to cry.
The night before Sera was due to leave for Los Angeles, she messaged Toby.
Sera: Hi
Three dots came and went, then came back.
Toby: Hi
Sera: Are you busy?
Toby: No
Sera: Can you come over?
Toby: Be there in 10
At a knock on the door, Buffy charged from Sera’s bedroom.
‘Come in,’ Sera called as she tossed a bunch of socks into her suitcase. She heard the door open, followed by, ‘Hello, Stink. Where’s your mistress?’
‘I’m in my room.’ She braced herself as Toby’s footsteps echoed up the hall.
‘Hi.’ Toby stood in the doorway of her bedroom. His curls were even more unruly than usual, his hands were shoved into the pockets of his jeans, and his soft grey t-shirt clung to his body, moulded to his abs. Her heart skittered like mad.
He nodded towards her packing. ‘So. Tomorrow, huh?’
‘Yep.’ She folded a sweater, put it in her suitcase and pulled the top down. ‘Let’s go to the lounge room.’
She offered him a beer, but he said no. ‘Been on the wagon all week. Can’t hurt to have a break.’
She shrugged and poured herself a goblet-sized glass of rosé.
They sat side by side on the couch, so close that the tiny hairs on their arms stood on end and reached out for each other.
‘Are you excited?’ he asked.
‘More nervous than excited,’ she said.
‘You’ll do great. You’re going to kick it in the arse.’
She hmmed. ‘I hope so.’
A heavy silence crashed over them. Sera took a gulp of wine.
