Mrs Bridge

https://sianlangwriting.wordpress.com/2015/08/31/stranger-danger/ following on from Sian’s inspirational post. I rose to the challenge presented on her blog. thank you Sian.

Laura’s mother, Livonia was applying her eye make and thinking about what her daughter had described about the incident at the park yesterday, pleased all was well, but still couldn’t deny her feelings and was sure Tony was a creep..

Laura rang every morning at eight o’clock, not out of obligation but rather out of friendship and concern. Livvy would prefer it if that friendship started later some days, and this was one of those days.

She had slept badly, tired and grumpy her monosyllabic answers to her daughter had cut the conversation short. She felt pangs of regret because she was ready to talk now and had missed her opportunity.

She looked closely at her eyes, they didn’t look like hers. Hers got compliments, these belonged to an older woman. When did that loose skin get there? She pulled at the laughter lines at the side of her eyes, bemused at how far they stretched.

She sighed deeply, an important birthday was coming up, and fifty was waiting for her at the weekend. She knew Laura had some things planned and she sighed again and hoped she would see it.

She’d felt the same at thirty and at forty but this time it was different. This time it wasn’t based on unsound fears about a fragile mortality. She knew her time was almost done and there was still so much to do. It’s funny how the work mounts up just before a deadline.

“Are you ready yet?” Michelle barked, but her words came wrapped in a smile. Her friend and nurse, spoke with an affectionate attitude, designed as always to get a reaction, even on her down days.

“You’ll wait a few more moments until I fix my wig, if I’m off for this new chemo I want to look my best.” Livvy flattened down her own straying dead hairs with the blonde wig that was so much like her old hair… she smiled at her image in the mirror.

“Let’s go”.