Page 57 of Common People

‘Yeah?’

‘And for the record, I’m really happy about you and Robbie. I think you’re perfect for each other.’

‘Thanks.’

‘Right, I have to go. I have things to do,’ said Max with a smile, before he started walking back to the flat. He needed tosend work an email asking for a three-month sabbatical, which would mean a meeting with his manager, Rhys Powell, and also with HR, but he wasn’t worried about it. Other people at work had taken sabbaticals, or compassionate leave, or whatever else you wanted to call it. Max knew one woman who had taken a month off when her cat died, so he imagined losing his parents would give him at least three. Rhys had actually suggested more than once that Max take a bit of time off for himself, but he had always said no. He couldn’t imagine that Rhys would mind now. Max was also going to call Grace, Hope’s therapist, and make an appointment. Hopefully he could get in to see her soon and begin the therapy process. The only problem he couldn’t fix, and the one he wanted to fix the most was Bethan, but that would require some patience. He just needed to focus on the things he could control.

As soon as Max walked into his flat, he went straight into his bedroom and sat on his bed. He sent work an email, asking for a meeting about a sabbatical. After that he rang Grace and managed to secure a one-hour session on the following Monday. He liked the sound of Grace’s voice, and she seemed nice and most importantly, like someone he wouldn’t mind talking to. Grace was from New Zealand, and had a warm, friendly accent. After hanging-up with Grace, Max had one more phone call to make. It was to Bethan’s voicemail. He knew she wouldn’t pick-up, and so he was going to leave her a message, and hope that she actually listened to it. After a deep breath, he dialled her number and waited. As expected, it went straight to voicemail, and after the beep he spoke.

‘Bethan, it’s Max. I’m sorry that I’ve been texting and calling, but I promise this is the last time. I just wanted to say I’m so sorry. For everything. I betrayed your trust, and I don’t expect you to ever forgive me, but I really hope that one day we can be friends again. I’m going to speak with a therapist next week, andI’m going to take a sabbatical from work for a few months. After what happened, it’s clear that I have things to work through, so I’m going to go away for a little bit. I need to work on myself, and be better. I’m just sorry that it took me doing something so awful for me to realise that I needed help. Bethan, you’re incredible, and the fact I hurt you, is without doubt the worst thing I have ever done. I know saying sorry isn’t enough, but I truly am so sorry. Good luck with the Clapham Half. Good luck with everything. I really hope that one day I can make it up to you. Until then, bye.’

It’s OK not to be OK

It was Monday, and Max had his first therapy session with Grace at eleven o’clock. He had been into work, and after meeting with Rhys and Gail from HR, they had agreed to an immediate three-month sabbatical. Rhys had been lovely about the whole thing, and had told Max it was about time he took some time to really get over losing his parents. As Max walked out ofBroadcasting House for the last time in a while, he felt a relief, a lightness because he was finally taking the time he needed. After the accident, and the horrible weeks and months that followed, Max had always thought that burying himself in work, and then alcohol, was the answer, but the truth was that he was just kicking the can down the road. He hadn’t ever properly dealt with the pain, and now was the time to actually do it.

Grace’s office was in an old townhouse in Camberwell. It was a five-story house which had been turned into a multi-use building, with lots of different offices for a variety of medical practitioners. There were a number of therapist offices, a sports massage specialist, and a couple of acupuncturists. After going through the main entrance, Max walked up two flights of stairs to Grace’s office, which was a simple affair of a small reception area, and then her office behind.

The room wasn’t what he had been expecting at all. There was a simple wooden desk with a chair behind it, and then two chairs in front. The room was painted in a light grey blue, with some relaxing modern prints on the walls of English countryside scenes. There was a wooden sideboard against one wall with flowers, and the room had a clean, slightly floral butnot overpowering scent. It was more professional than he had thought it might be. He was expecting a comfortable lounge where he might lie down, when instead it had the vibe of somewhere relaxing, but also where work was done.

‘Max, hi, I’m Grace,’ said Grace with a Kiwi Accent. Max couldn’t actually distinguish between Hope’s Australian accent and Grace’s Kiwi, but he wouldn’t tell them that. It would probably be like Americans saying that they couldn’t tell the difference between someone from London and Manchester.

‘Hello,’ said a nervous Max, sitting in one of the two chairs in front of the desk. He fidgeted, getting himself comfortable. Grace sat in the chair behind the desk, before she looked at Max with a smile. She had soft, kind eyes, slightly greying hair that was long and tied back in a ponytail. She was dressed in a combination of browns and beiges, with a silver necklace around her neck that had a locket on the end.

‘So, Max, why are you here today?’

‘Oh, right. Well, my parents died.’

‘I’m sorry to hear that. Was it recently?’

‘It will be two years in January. So, about twenty months ago.’

‘OK,’ said Grace, writing something down on her laptop. ‘So, why now?’

‘Why now what?’

‘Why are you here now?’

‘Oh, Hope told me about you. We belonged to the same run club, and she said I should talk to you.’

‘But why are you here?’

Max took a moment to think, and the answer was obvious when he really thought about it.

‘Because I hurt someone I really care about.’

‘Do you want to talk about that?’

Max fidgeted in his chair again, before he started talking to Grace about what had happened at Anita’s Indian feast, and the terrible thing he had done. The way he had started drinking again after meeting Barry by his parents’ graves, how that had led him to drinking too much at the party, and how that had led him to shoving Charlie, and telling everyone that Bethan’s boyfriend had died. Max spoke about how well he had been doing since joining Common People, and what it had given him. He had stopped drinking, started running, and he had been feeling so good about himself until he met Barry Spencer, the man who had killed his parents, and he had fallen apart so quickly. It reminded him that he wasn’t better, wasn’t even close, and then he had hurt the one person he cared about the most in a moment of stupidity and anger. Then he explained what had happened since.

‘I have a three-month sabbatical, and I’m going to go travelling in Thailand for a month.’

‘That sounds like a good idea, Max. Although can I ask you something?’

‘Umm, yeah.’

‘How will you deal with temptation while travelling? If you’re going to Thailand, you’ll be around people drinking, partying, and is that something you want to do?’

‘No, I’m not drinking. I can’t.’