Free Gut Feeling by Victoria Browne

porch while Ash made tea.
    Over the next few days not much was said in the house but it felt comfortable none the less. The day of the funeral came and went. People brought flowers, staying for coffee and to pay their respects to Mary, a much loved member of the community.
    * * *
    ‘Hello Ash, how are you today?’
    Each day he rang to speak to her, each day she wished he was with her.
    ‘I’m coming home today. Rachel is staying on for a while with Robert.’
    ‘Would you like me to come over? I could stay with you tonight?’
    ‘That would be lovely, thanks.’
    ‘No need to thank me I want to see how you are.’
    ‘I’m OK.’
    ‘I’m sure you are, sweetheart, but everyone needs a cuddle sometimes.’
    ‘Yeah you’re not wrong there, but I don’t want to grieve any more. It’s over now, and anyway she would want me to be laughing not crying.’
    ‘Well, laughter you will get then, ring me when you are home, babe.’
    ‘Bye.’
    ‘Bye, Ash.’
    The cut off and Ash inhaled a long breath before releasing it and gathering her things.
    The hardest thing for Robert was going to church without Mary to hurry him out the door on time, telling him that the tie he had on didn’t match his shirt. He always thought she fussed too much about stuff like that, but now she was gone, he found himself looking in the mirror, wondering if his tie matched or not. Robert changed his tie for the second time and smiled to himself.
    ‘Look what you have turned me into, Mary,’ he said, shaking his head and stepping back to straighten his blazer.
    On the long drive home Ash found it hard to stop her mind drifting back to Lee and when they were happy together. She always knew he was a ladies’ man but never thought he would hurt her the way he had. Ash knew she would have feelings towards him for a long while yet and being upset over Mary she was bound to pine for him a bit. She tried to turn her thoughts to Dave but suddenly she longed for Lee, the way he used to hold her close in his arms at night. She gave a sigh and switched on the radio.
    * * *
    ‘Morning bruv,’ Peter said, scratching his head as he walked into the living room, one hand down his boxers moving around his sweaty genitals.
    ‘Morning, Pete, how was last night?’
    Over the last few days Peter and Issi had been going out every night but always went back to their separate rooms once home.
    ‘Not sure if it was a good or bad night!’ Peter sat down next to him and picked up Dave’s half empty cup of coffee and drank. ‘I woke up with Issi naked in my bed.’ Peter took a sip of the coffee then looked over at Dave to check his reaction, seeing as he had not heard one. Dave’s face was blank looking in the direction of the hall way.
    ‘Morning boys,’ Issi walked past the living room into the kitchen.
    Dave and Peter looked at each other for a moment, and then Dave got up.
    ‘Right, well, see ya.’
    ‘You’re not going out are you, mate?’ Peter looked slightly uncomfortable as he watched his brother walking toward the door. At the same time Issi squeezed past him as he stood in the doorway. She was wearing pink fluffy slippers, a tiny black nightie and was holding a hot cup of tea. She paused for a second, looking up at him then smiled.
    ‘Bye, Dave,’ she walked over to sit at the table on her own with the Sunday paper.
    Dave watched her sit down then glanced at Peter. ‘See ya.’
    With a quick smirk he was gone.
    * * *
    Leon woke late, realising it was gone twelve and he had arranged to meet Jules for lunch in her lunch break. He flew round the flat in a frenzy of panic, pulling out shorts and jeans, suits and trousers, T-shirts, vests, before deciding on a simple combination of polo shirt and shorts and finished with flip-flops.
    Leon met Jules just off Knightsbridge in a unique coffee bar. The bar was filled with oil paintings, sculptures, and lots of different clay pots. The best thing about the coffee shop was that everything was for