Anna woke as per usual with a nightmare based start. Where was Boyd?
"You OK?" Bex asked from where she sat opposite. Cam was still asleep.
"I'm never OK Bex," Anna smiled
"I don't think any of us are." Bex glanced at her brother, worry on her face. "Breakfast?"
Anna nodded. These kids were Boyds, she needed to care.
"We don't have a lot. Crisps. Biscuits. Some bread that seemed alright. If stale." She pulled each item out as she spoke.
"Am I OK to hit the biscuits?"
"Definitely." Bex tossed over a pack.
"I'm a bad mother already, living off sugar," Anna laughed
"I doubt it. But it's better than not eating I guess." She nudged her brother with her foot to wake him up. He grumbled, turned over and remained asleep. Bex snorted a laugh. "World goes to shit but he can still be a stereotypical teenager."
"Thank fuck something's normal," Anna grinned
Bex laughed and began to eat a large packet of crisps. "Where were you planning on heading?" she asked.
"Home I suppose, you two?"
Bex shrugged. "We didn't really have an idea... hoping to reach you and Uncle John, I guess. Don't really know our way down here and considering Mum and Da... Considering it's just us..." She shrugged again, her lower lip trembling.
"You've got me now, I know I'm not who you'd want, but I am here."
"And you won't believe how happy we were to see you."
"I do wish he was here too...mostly for some closure, but I still do," Anna replied
Bex frowned. "Closure? What happened?"
"He walked away."
"He left you!?"
Anna nodded sharply.
"The bastard!" Bex snapped and her brother jerked awake.
"I knew he didn't love me Bex, I was a brood mare, he still wanted Liz."
"That's not true. I don't know what happened but he definitely did love you. I know what I said before the wedding, but he didn't follow her, in fact they didn't even get along that well afterwards." Bex pursed her lips. "What did her do? Did he... did he hurt you?"
"He let them put me in a body bag and cart me to a facility to quarantine the dead...and after what?"
"Shit. I'm sorry, Anna." She shook her head. "After they broke up. And after he started working down here. He just never told gran about it, made it seem like they were friends throughout but it took a while."
Anna shook her head. "You get that I knew from the first time I met her, that I'd never match up."
Bex shook her head. "You're better than her. If Mum were here..." She took a shaky breath. "If Mum were here, she'd tell you to not let an idiot man make you feel like that. It's his loss."
"Better than her?" Anna snorted and hugged her bump
"I think you are. You don't treat me and Cam like stupid kids for a start."
"I'm sure perfect Liz didn't," Anna shrugged again
"She isn't perfect. And she did, that was the point." Bex rolled her eyes and tossed a packet of crisps at her brother.
"Did he ever compare us?"
Bex shook her head. "Others did but he doesn't like comparisons. Never thought it was fair."
"Do I wanna know?"
Bex shrugged. "Does it matter?"
"I need to know, why he decided to go," Anna muttered
"I don't know," Bex said. "I do know that Mum said he seemed the happiest he had even been. Being with you."
"I know he stayed with Liz until she died, he didn't go me the same courtesy...us," she stroked her distended belly
"I'm sorry. I don't understand why he would do that to you."
"No, I am. I shouldn't put any of this on you," Anna muttered
"Don't be. You need someone to talk to about everything," Bex said. "We can't stay here can we?" she asked after a moment.
"No love, I think we've already stayed too long," Anna replied
"Me and Cam'll get our stuff together then. We have some water if you want some?"
"I'll take a little, but you'll need it."
"We all need it," Bex said, as Cam moved around repacking and grabbing their stuff.
"One thing, I promise not to treat you like kids, if you promise to listen to me?"
Cam nodded as he shouldered his backpack.
"Alright. We promise." Bex said. "As long as it doesn't mean putting you in danger or anything."
"We're all in danger, all the time," Anna replied, not unkindly
"I know that. I just mean... We won't leave you or anything," Bex said.