It had gone well past 5pm. Carol checked her phone away from Arthur. She huffed, before heading back downstairs and sat back in the kitchen. The table was barely wide enough for her to place both elbows on it as her head sank into her hands. She decided she couldn't wait any longer, as she picked up her phone. She tried to call Leo four times, no answer. She left an angry voicemail after each one. "Pick up your phone," "Son, where are you?", "Leo, if you don't answer me in five minutes," "I swear to god, Leonard Patrick Ashworth." On the fifth attempt, Leo answered.
After several tense exchanges, Carol said, "thank you darling. Next time, answer your phone." Carol hung up before Leo could respond. She exhaled loudly with relief as she said "thank god" into the air.
“What ya thanking me for?” Arthur had awoken and shuffled from the living room towards the kitchen. Carol was louder than she thought.
“Oi, are ya deaf? What ya thanking me for?” The old man attempted to add bass to his voice, but it did little to strengthen his words.
“God's gift you ain't!" Carol shot at Arthur through the doorway.
"I never said God's gift, I'm the big man himself, come down to bless your life for 40 plus years."
"Shut up you silly sod. I should have let Tina take you all those years ago." Carol said wryly as Arthur bent down next to his wife, attempting to kiss her cheek.
"I know you'd never let that happen. Not with a kiss as good as mine."
"You really are off your rocker Arthur Ashworth," Carol brushed him off but smiled at her husband's affection. "We’ve run out of tea bags. I'll need to get some next time I go out. Unless you-”
“Why can’t a man expect to walk into his own kitchen and have enough tea bags for a cuppa!? I don’t ask for much in this world!” Arthur had entirely forgotten what he was quizzing Carol about, focused now on the fact he won't get his twelfth cup of the day. Carol waved him off dismissively.
“Get me some bleeding tea bags, woman!" There was a knock at the door, as Adam's voice announced his entrance "Dad, it's Adam. Don't set the guard dog on me?"
Carol jumped up from the kitchen table and ran to the voice of her middle son. "Oh Adam! It's lovely to see you. And what ya on about? We don't have a dog?"
"I was meaning you!" Adam and Arthur both laughed in unison, then Arthur began to cough as he had exerted himself too much. He grabbed a chair and sat down at the kitchen table.
"You cheeky sod," Carol said as she playfully slapped Adam on his arm.
"To what do we owe the pleasure?" Adam smiled as Carol pretended like she had no idea he was coming tonight.
"I know I don't usually head this way, but, I had some contractors working in South-Central so, thought I'd pop in and say hey. How you holding up old man?"
"Knackered, Ad's. In both senses of the word." Arthur chuckled again before coughing so hard he thought he would bring up a lung.
"Jesus, Dad. You been keeping up with your treatment plan? You look like shit."
"Thanks for coming son," Arthur declared sarcastically, as he looked at Carol in disbelief. She nodded in agreement.
"Nice. 'Preciate both of you. But, nah. Meridian stopped covering me last year."
"What! Why didn't you tell me?" Adam was instantly incensed by the statement.
"Because your mum-" Carol slapped Arthur on the arm before instantly realising she'd been a little heavy handed and cradled him from behind.
"I'm sorry Love, didn't mean to hit ya that hard. But, I told your dad not to mither you. There's nothing they can do anyway."
Arthur rubbed his arm in pain, "Thanks, Carol, can you take your hand out my arse so I can speak for meself?" Carol shook her head at Adam, whose gaze moved from his dad, to his mum and then back again.
"The radiation sickness. It's not curable. We knew that. But I spend weeks feeling like death after each session. Every surgery takes me months to recover. When they said they couldn't pay anymore because my Vet' insurance had been cancelled, I just...decided to enjoy what time I've got left."
"Fuck that! What do you mean your insurance has been cancelled? Aegis were supposed to cover all you lot until you...died." Adam was furious, his hands waving back and forth.
"Yeah. That's the problem. Meridian, declared me terminal. That's as good as dead. It's fine, son. Honestly. Anyway, enough about me..."
Adam and Carol spent the next 30 minutes talking about Adam's job, what he'd been up to, what places he'd visited since they had last seen him. Adam hadn't realised just how long it had been, until he realised that he'd not seen his parents since before he went on a trip to Singapore, as part of the grand opening of the Singaporean Calder Energy HQ. The guilt was visible on Adam's face, who kept trying to discuss his dad's medical needs. Neither Carol or Arthur wanted to discuss it.
Carol offered to make Adam some dinner, but Adam declined. He said that Eleanor was going to be home in time for dinner, the first time in two weeks, so he didn't want to spoil his appetite. At one point during the discussion, Carol slipped out to check her phone, said she needed to use the loo. Leo had sent the money, as promised. She ping'd a quick message back.
"Thanks, Love. xx"
"I'd better get going, or else I'm not going to be able to keep having a go at Elle for being home late every night," Adam chuckled. Carol was stone-faced.
"I'll let you out, Love. Have you got everything? Got your phone?"
"Yep, never go anywhere without it," Adam tapped his pants pocket where his device lived. Adam reached down to give his dad a hug, gently squeezing the old man. Carol smiled sadly as she watched her middle son cradle her dying husband. Adam headed for the front door, with Carol in short step behind him.
Carol gave Adam a hug, and then whispered "I've just sent you the money. £52,289.15 in total."
"But, mum, what's the extra-"
"I'll hear none of it. Just take it. Do what you can to pay me back. Me and your dad, we'll be ok." Adam fought back tears, he grabbed his mum in another hug, quickly shielding his face from her.
"I love you mum."
"I love you too, Adam."
Adam peeled himself away from his mum’s embrace and spun towards the door. He left the house without turning round, his car door opening automatically for his arrival. He jumped into the back seat and waved backwards to his mum. Carol leaned against the frame of the front door, holding back tears of her own, as she waved off her son in his chauffeur-driven car. Her head sunk against the door frame. She balled up her face tightly for a moment, before taking in a big breath and closing the door behind her.
Carol walked back into the kitchen, where Arthur was sobbing.
"Thanks, Carol." Arthur said to his wife, in between sobs.
"What for?" Carol asked, genuinely unsure if Arthur was being genuine or if he was annoyed about something.
"For asking Ads to come see me, see us. I heard you, on the phone to him earlier. I know you two already planned for him to come round. Thank you." Arthur looked up at his wife and smiled. Carol forced a smile back, attempting to reciprocate the emotion, but having to hold back the guilt she felt in that moment.
"I’m going for a lie down.” The old man grasped at the thin, coarse walls, placing a finger against each layer line to use the grip to steady himself. He walked through kitchen door and shuffled down the hallway, back towards his couch. As he left, he shouted to Carol, "make sure you get me those damn tea bags!"
“Oh, piss off, Arthur.” Carol replied. It's just what she said to him after 40 years of marriage. It was the same as "yes love". She opened the kitchen cupboard, grabbed an unopened box of tea bags, and threw them in the bin.