It was June, Irene's best friend calling for an update about their date obviously.
She already knew before she looked.
But Irene watched it ring without answering because she wasn't ready for June's drama that early morning.
Irene stirred slowly, blinking at the ceiling as the events of the previous night settled back over her like a warm blanket.
The restaurant. The candlelight. The chopsticks. His laugh. Their moments.
"Best coffee I've ever had."
She smiled before she was even fully awake.
She lay there for a few extra minutes- just letting herself exist in the warmth of it.
Then she got up, brushed her teeth, pulled her hair into a loose bun, wore her Mickey mouse bedroom slippers and padded to the kitchen to make coffee.
Real coffee. Not café coffee.
She was still in over her head, giggling, still replaying small moments from the night before- the way he held her hand walking into the restaurant, the way he watched her laugh- when her phone rang. It was June. Again.
This time she answered and immediately she said " hello sis" she was met with- "DETAILS." June's voice came through the speaker like a foghorn. "RIGHT NOW. I have been awake since seven waiting for you to call me and you didn't call me so I'm calling you. Talk now."
Irene laughed. Sat down at her small kitchen table with her mug.
"Good morning June."
"Don't good morning me — how was it? How did he look? Where did he take you? What did you eat? Did he-"
"June breathe-" Irene said softly.
"I AM BREATHING AND ASKING QUESTIONS AT THE SAME TIME, I AM TALENTED LIKE THAT NOW TALK!"
So Irene talked. She told June everything. Every single detail.
The bike-, June screamed. The fancy restaurant-, June screamed louder. The chopstick moment- June cackled so hard she dropped her phone. The ribs. The candlelight. The way he looked at her when he said he was glad he walked into that café.
By the end June had gone completely quiet.
"June?" Irene called.
"I'm here." Her voice was soft. "Irene he really likes you."
"I know," Irene said quietly.
"No I mean- really. Men don't do all of that just because. The bike. The five star restaurant. The way he looks at you-" A pause. "Are you going to let yourself have this?"
Irene wrapped both hands around her mug.
"I'm trying," she said honestly.
"Good." June sniffed. "He better treat you right or I will drive to Belfast and-"
"June." Irene said softly.
"I'm just saying." June replied.
They stayed on the call a little longer, drifting into lighter conversation.
June let out a long sigh on the other end of the phone.
"Anyway," she said suddenly, her tone shifting. "Enough about your life. Let me tell you about mine."
Irene huffed softly. "This should be good."
"Oh it is good," June said. "Do you remember my neighbor?"
"The one with the attitude problem or the one with the loud music?"
"The one with the little dog."
Irene smiled faintly. "Ah. That one."
"Tell me why that dog woke up this morning and chose violence," June continued. "It walked right up to my porch… looked me dead in the eye… and did its business."
Irene blinked. "No it did not."
"Yes,it did" June said flatly. "And the owner? Just stood there. Watching. Like it was some kind of performance."
A small laugh escaped Irene before she could stop it.
"I'm serious," June added. "If it happens one more time, I'm reporting both of them."
Irene shook her head, smiling despite everything.
"You won't."
"Oh I will" June replied firmly.
That made Irene laugh properly this time.
"Anyway," June continued smoothly. "Speaking of things in my life that are questionable… there's Caleb."
Irene leaned back slightly. "Oh Caleb?"
"Yes, oh," June said. "We're talking."
"Talking how?" Irene asked, already knowing June's version of "talking" could mean anything.
"Normal talking," June said defensively. "Texting. Calls. Occasional flirting."
"Occasional?"
"Okay, frequent," June admitted.
Irene smiled. "And?" she asked.
"And…" June paused. "He's actually… decent."
"That sounded painful for you to say."
"It was," June said. "I don't trust it."
"Of course you don't."
"He's too calm," June added. "Too normal. No red flags yet. It's suspicious."
Irene laughed quietly.
"Maybe he's genuinely a good person."
"Let's not jump to conclusions," June replied immediately. "We're still investigating."
Irene shook her head.
"So what's the plan?" she asked.
"We're seeing where it goes," June said. "Slow. No pressure. No nonsense."
"That doesn't sound like you."
"I'm evolving," June said proudly. "Growth."
Irene smiled softly.
"Well… I hope it works out."
"Me too," June said. Then quickly-"But enough about me. We're circling back to you later. I need updates. Regular updates. This is now a shared experience."
Irene rolled her eyes lightly.
"I knew this was coming."
"I want details," June continued. "Daily if possible."
"You're doing too much." Irene said.
"I'm invested," June corrected.
*A pause*
Irene finishing her coffee- when her phone buzzed against the table.
She glanced at the screen.
A notification.
Not Chris. A message from her landlord Sam that read:
"FINAL NOTICE
Outstanding Rent Balance: £800.00
Payment Required Immediately!
Failure to comply may result in termination of tenancy within 7 days."
It sent chills through her body.
Irene stared at the message. Eight hundred pounds.
She'd been so caught up in the week; work, the texts, the calls, the date, that she'd pushed it to the back of her mind. But it had been sitting there the whole time, quiet and patient, waiting.
She had to sort her phone bill last week. Then the electricity. A small emergency at the pharmacy she hadn't planned for.
"Irene?" June's voice came through the speaker. "You still there?"
"Yeah." She set her mug down. "Sorry. Just got a message from my landlord."
*A beat.*
"Rent?" June asked.
"Yeah."
"How much short are you?"
Irene was quiet for a moment.
"I'll figure it out June."
"Irene. How much."
"I said I'll figure it out-"
"Listen." June's voice dropped into that firm gentle tone she used when she meant business. "I have £150 I can send you right now. Today. No questions-"
"No." Irene said immediately. "Absolutely not."
"Irene it's not a big d-"
"I'm not taking your money June."
"You are not, I'm offering, there's a difference."
"June." Her voice was quiet but final. "I'll sort it. I always do."
A long pause.
"You don't have to always do everything alone you know," June said softly.
Irene didn't answer that.
They said goodbye shortly after.
She sat at the kitchen table for a long time after the call ended, the Sunday quiet pressing in around her. The warm feeling from the morning had faded. In its place was the familiar weight she knew too well- the mental arithmetic, the quiet stress, the stubborn pride that wouldn't let her reach out even when she was drowning.
Her phone buzzed.
Chris: Good morning. How are you feeling today?
She looked at it.
Didn't reply.
An hour later....
Chris: Are you okay? Why aren't you replying my texts, what's going on?
She picked up the phone. Put it back down.
She wasn't in the mood to pretend everything was fine. And she didn't know how to explain what was wrong without it becoming something bigger than she wanted it to be.
Not yet.
At 3pm... he called.
She watched his name light up the screen.
Let it ring out. Didn't answer.
Then sat with the guilt of that for the rest of the evening.
Until the next day...