Theo followed him docilely, wherever they were going. He had never been in this room before but, as he turned back to face him, there was something familiar in the way Cash locked the door after them and leant against it. An old comfort, from the countless days of Cash letting himself into the sponsor’s office. It felt like a long time ago – it had been a long time ago – but it unburied odd instincts in him, some urge to smile.
The ghost of the urge faded at the apology; the apology itself a reminder of the present situation, and whatever was going on with Cash right now, with him, with his wife, with the baby. Theo wanted to ask him, but still didn’t know how to start – he discarded a whole series of questions before they left his tongue as not right, too much. He didn’t want to launch thoughtlessly into an interrogation, and he didn’t know if Cash was actually inclined to talk to him about this at all.
“Was it something I did?” Theo tried tentatively, his brow creased. Something he had said that evening at the park, or some other time, that had made Cash cut him off. Surely he must have told other people the news, his family, his friends, before the paper – surely it couldn’t have been so hard to write? Maybe he was the issue; Cash could be angry. The flowers had seemed to say otherwise – but if Theo at least eliminated the option that it was something to do with him, maybe it would give Cash an opening to tell him what was happening instead.
The ghost of the urge faded at the apology; the apology itself a reminder of the present situation, and whatever was going on with Cash right now, with him, with his wife, with the baby. Theo wanted to ask him, but still didn’t know how to start – he discarded a whole series of questions before they left his tongue as not right, too much. He didn’t want to launch thoughtlessly into an interrogation, and he didn’t know if Cash was actually inclined to talk to him about this at all.
“Was it something I did?” Theo tried tentatively, his brow creased. Something he had said that evening at the park, or some other time, that had made Cash cut him off. Surely he must have told other people the news, his family, his friends, before the paper – surely it couldn’t have been so hard to write? Maybe he was the issue; Cash could be angry. The flowers had seemed to say otherwise – but if Theo at least eliminated the option that it was something to do with him, maybe it would give Cash an opening to tell him what was happening instead.
