Of all things, it was the red brick that stuck in her mind. Eve sighed and gazed at the rain diagonally streaking her window with sharp slashes, the office hum slowly melting as her thoughts returned to the previous week. *** The phone call had woken her early, and as she was reaching for the receiver, she wondered what time she'd finally managed to drop off. Certainly not before 3.00am.
'Hello?'
'It's me. Just wanted to make sure you're OK?'
'Fine.'
'Not having second thoughts?'
Eve paused. What did he mean, second thoughts? Second thoughts meant changing her mind. She couldn't remember making her own mind up. 'No.' *** As hard as she tried, she couldn't recall any detail of the journey; it was all a blur of traffic and emotionless instructions from the Sat-Nav - ideal for taking you to places you'd never been to before. And places you'd never want to visit again. She'd parked up a few streets away, desperately needing some fresh air. The amble along the wide, leafy avenue had ended outside a smart, suburban house, all bright red brick and green ivy. Her measured pace slowed further as she crunched along the gravel driveway to the anonymous front door. Reaching for the doorbell, Eve's hand paused, and instead diverted to a brass plaque announcing 'Amaranthus'. Her fingers carefully traced the letters, before progressing to the smooth brickwork behind. She pulled her hand away and examined her fingers, half expecting to see them stained red - but they remained the same pallid hue.听She looked down past her outstretched hand to a single brick lying against the bottom of the wall. It looked as solitary as she felt. Taking a breath, she pushed the bell, and was surprised by the chime - more ice-cream van than upmarket suburbia. It created the only smile of the day.
'Hello?' enquired a middle-aged lady.
'Eve. Eve Jones.'
'Come in,' said her host, with a natural warmth that wasn't lost on the visitor.
'On your own?'
Eve thought back to the phone call and nodded. She followed the lady into a cosy lounge, where two couples were already sitting on well-worn sofas. Dropping into an armchair, she grabbed a magazine - the perfect excuse to avoid eye-contact. The half-hour wait seemed longer, but Eve was soon led up the stairs to a room on the first floor, this one more business-like than the lounge. She sat across from a silver-haired man, and was drawn to the red brick framed window reflected in his John Lennon glasses. 'Hello Eve. My name is Dr Johnstone, and I will be performing the procedure today. Before that happens though, one of our abortion counsellors will speak to you.'
Eve nodded, numbly. *** The sound of the Sports Channel was filtering through her front door before she even reached it. He was waiting for her.听Eve clutched her shoulder bag, comforted by its weight, and stepped into the house.
'Done it?' he asked, not even bothering to look around.
She couldn't bring herself to answer. The tiny pill had been the hardest thing she had ever swallowed.
'Told you it'd be no problem,' he said, still more interested in the football. A very old replay, if the mullets were anything to go by. Eve stared at the back of his head, and then into her bag. She couldn't remember picking up the red brick from outside the clinic. *** 'Eve.'
Eve glanced from the window to see Jane hovering in front of her and shifting her weight from foot to foot.
'Eve, it's your boyfriend's mum on the phone again. She still hasn't heard from him. Will you speak to her this time?'
Eve looked to the window again, closed her eyes and nodded, 'Sure.' | 
