The Story of Our Lives

by Helen Warner

  Every weekend was spent thinking about him and aching for Monday to come around so that she could see him again. When he was away travelling, she felt restless and bored until he returned. Lately, he had started making noises that she should accompany him on his trips to LA and the prospect made her heart soar. She knew, without him ever having to voice it, that that was when their relationship would reach another level. She couldn’t wait.

  The next morning, Sophie was sitting alone in the courtyard garden when Amy appeared. She brought with her a pot of fresh coffee and joined Sophie at the table. ‘Is your head as sore as mine?’ She grinned sheepishly, pouring out two mugs of steaming black coffee.

  Sophie nodded. ‘It was worth it though, wasn’t it? You’re doing so well, Amy. You should be very proud of yourself.’

  Amy blushed. ‘I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you guys. I will never forget that.’

  Sophie nodded and sipped her coffee, thinking as she watched her how much Amy was growing and blossoming a little more each day. She reminded Sophie of the wisteria plant at the side of her house – it seemed as if it had withered and died in the winter, only to burst back into life with the most delicate, beautiful flowers as soon as summer came. Amy’s porcelain skin glowed, her vivid green eyes shone and her thick, auburn hair tumbled like a wild, glossy river down her long, straight back. She was walking tall again, with her head held high and her balletic posture restored.

  ‘And I will always be eternally grateful to you and Steve for taking us in the way you did.…’ Amy continued.

  Sophie batted the words away with her hand. ‘We have loved having you with us. It has never, ever been a chore, not for one single minute.’

  ‘I know. You’ve always made that clear and we have felt so welcome. But…’

  Sophie blinked in surprise. ‘But, what?’

  ‘But I think it’s time for us to get a place of our own. I need to stand on my own two feet and support the children myself. I can’t rely on you and Steve for ever.’

  Sophie could feel the tears pricking the backs of her eyes. She had always known this moment would come. She could feel things building towards it over the past months as Amy became stronger. But she had grown to love Megan and George so much. And Steve had too. He would be bereft at losing them all over again. Plus Amy had been a huge help in looking after the children while he developed his career, which was starting to take off at last. ‘But what will we do without you?’ she asked plaintively.

  Amy reached out and took Sophie’s hand. ‘Well, we won’t be going too far away, so we’ll still see each other all the time.’

  Sophie nodded through her tears. She very much doubted they would still see much of each other once they left.

  ‘I have seen somewhere that could be perfect…’ Amy continued, a wide smile starting to spread across her face.

  ‘Really?’ Sophie sniffed back any further tears and gave herself a mental shake. It was ridiculous to expect Amy to stay with them for ever. Of course she had to stand on her own two feet or she would never move on with her life. Staying would be a permanent reminder of what Nick did to her.

  ‘It’s the house next door…!’ Amy sat back, with a triumphant look on her face.

  Sophie gasped and clapped her hands gleefully. Steve had mentioned something about their neighbours moving abroad but she hadn’t really taken much notice. It was the perfect solution. The children could be in and out of each other’s houses all day long if they wanted and they could still spend weekends and holidays together. ‘Oh, Amy – that’s a great idea!’

  Amy beamed. ‘It is, isn’t it? I won’t feel like I’m sponging off you but I’ll still get to see just as much of you as before.’

  ‘But… if you’re going to set up your own catering business – and I do think that’s a great idea, by the way – what will you do about the kids?’

  Again, Amy smiled proudly. ‘I’m going to hire a nanny. A nice one,’ she added, her face darkening momentarily as she thought back to the nightmare she had had with Suki. ‘And they can look after your two as well, now that Steve’s working so much. It would be another way for me to thank you.’

  ‘Wow.’ Sophie looked at Amy in admiration. ‘You’ve got it all worked out, haven’t you? You have come such a long way, Amy, it’s fantastic.’

  ‘Thank you. I feel the same way Emily does. I really want to make something of my life. I want my kids to be proud of me, the way yours are of you.’

  Sophie quailed. ‘I don’t know about that. We all screw up sometimes, Amy, me included.’

  There was a sudden groan from behind them as Melissa appeared in the courtyard. She was still wearing the shorts and T-shirt she had worn to bed and had clearly not removed her make-up before going to sleep. But somehow she still managed to look gorgeous. ‘I feel like hell,’ she said, laughing. ‘But boy, was it worth it.’

  She joined Amy and Sophie at the table and poured herself some coffee. ‘I’m amazed I’m up before Emily. I think that’s a world first.’

  Sophie frowned. ‘Yes, I hope she’s OK. It’s been a tough week for her.’

  Amy and Melissa both nodded. ‘She’s well shot of him, though.’ Melissa dropped her voice and glanced towards the door, in case she was overheard. ‘I never liked him. Even at university. You could tell he was a creep even then.’

  Sophie rolled her eyes. Melissa had never said any such thing. Quite the opposite, in fact. She stood up. ‘I think I ought to go and check on her.’

  Leaving the other two enjoying the sunshine, she made her way back into the house and up the stairs. The ceilings were so low that she had to duck in places, so as not to bang her head. Emily’s room was at the end of the landing, overlooking the front garden and the road beyond it.

  She knocked gently and lifted the wrought-iron latch. ‘Em?’ she called softly into the gloom. There was no reply. Puzzled, she walked into the room and over to the bed. The duvet had been hastily thrown back and the pretty cotton bedspread lay in a tangled heap on the floor. ‘Em?’ she called again, although it was clear she wasn’t in the room. ‘Emily?’ Still there was no answer. She opened the door of the wardrobe. All her clothes had gone and there was no sign of her little weekend case.

  She made her way back out onto the landing and peered into the bathroom but the door was wide open and it was empty. Although she could already sense that Emily wasn’t in the house, she checked all the other bedrooms, just in case. Maybe something had freaked her out in her room and she had moved to one of the two spare rooms during the night. But she was nowhere to be seen.

  Back downstairs, she checked every room and cupboard, before heading back out into the sunshine of the courtyard. Melissa and Amy looked up at her curiously. ‘What’s up?’ Melissa said. ‘You look worried.’

  ‘I am worried.’ Sophie put her hands on her hips as she tried to think what to do next. ‘Emily’s gone.’

  Emily drove as fast as she could through the country lanes, willing them to end so that she could join the motorway as soon as possible. Every narrowing of the road or sharp bend that forced her to slow the car to a crawl felt like agony. ‘Get out of the bloody way!’ she hissed, as the road was blocked by a tractor pulling into a field, as if the farmer had all the time in the world.

  Finally, finally, she was on the dual carriageway and she could put her foot down as much as she dared. As much as her little Ford Fiesta would allow.

  She had woken at dawn, with a strange premonition that something was wrong. She reached for her phone, plugged into a charger on the floor, as her battery had been completely flat from around 8.00 the previous night. She switched it on and, almost immediately, it began to buzz with voicemail notifications. With a shaking hand and a pounding heart, she clicked on the first message.

  ‘Emily? It’s Mum.’ Her mum’s voice, normally so calm and assured, sounded strained and panicky. ‘Jack’s had an accident. He’s been knocked over by a car. He’s OK but you need to get here as soon as
possible. We’re at Lewisham hospital. Your dad and I are with him. Drive safely.’

  Emily scrolled through her contacts, searching for her mum’s mobile number, panic blurring her vision. Finally, she found it and clicked on the contact number. Her mum picked up immediately. ‘Mum, I’m so sorry, I only just got the message.’

  ‘Don’t worry, he’s going to be fine,’ her mum said, her voice a lot more measured than in her message.

  ‘Is he home?’

  There was a pause. ‘No. They’ve kept him in for observation. Why don’t you drive to the hospital and I’ll be waiting for you.’

  Emily’s senses tingled. There was more to this than her mum was telling her. ‘Are you sure he’s OK?’ she persisted.

  Another pause. ‘Yes. I’ll see you at the hospital. Drive safely.’ The line went dead.

  By the time Emily arrived at the entrance to the hospital, her mum was waiting for her. ‘Your dad’s with him,’ she told Emily, as she hugged her and led her into the hospital. Emily followed her in a daze. She felt certain that something was wrong.

  As they walked into the children’s ward, she spotted Jack immediately. He was sitting up in the bed furthest from the door, under a large window. Beside him, her dad sat in the regulation armchair, dealing out cards for the game they were playing. Emily’s legs went weak with relief. He looked absolutely fine.

  ‘Jack!’ she wailed as she reached him, enveloping him in a hug and bursting into tears.

  ‘Hey, Mum.’ Jack looked up at her sheepishly as they pulled apart. He had an egg-shaped bump on his forehead and a nasty scrape down one side of his face. There were numerous bruises on his arms.

  ‘Well, I was expecting you to be in a much worse state,’ she said, still breathless with relief.

  ‘My leg’s not great,’ Jack said, lifting the cover to show Emily that most of his right leg was heavily bandaged. The rest was covered in large bruises. ‘But other than that I’m fine.’

  Out of the corner of her eye, Emily noticed a look pass between her mum and dad. Again, her senses told her that something wasn’t quite right here.

  ‘Mum, shall we go and get Jack some sweets?’ She motioned pointedly towards the door. Her mum nodded and stood up, a heavy expression on her face.

  ‘I’m not four!’ Jack protested, as they made their way out of the ward. Emily looked back at him and smiled, but he and her dad had already resumed their card game.

  ‘Something’s going on, isn’t it?’ Emily turned towards her mum and blocked her way as soon as the double doors closed behind them. ‘Do you want to tell me what it is?’

  Her mum’s eyes slid away nervously. ‘Let’s sit down here,’ she said, guiding Emily into a chair.

  ‘Mum, you’re frightening me.’ Emily tried to adopt a teasing tone but she couldn’t quite pull it off.

  Her mum swallowed hard and looked as if she was steeling herself to speak. ‘The consultant says they’ve picked up something from Jack’s blood tests.’ She cleared her throat. ‘They want to do some more tests.’

  ‘What sort of tests?’

  ‘I’m not sure. He’ll be back later so you can ask him yourself.’ Her mum’s face crumpled. ‘But I’ve got a horrible feeling it’s something serious.’

  In that moment, Emily truly understood what it meant for someone’s blood to run cold.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  ‘Is she still not answering her phone?’ Melissa’s tone was slightly accusatory towards Sophie, as if she didn’t quite trust that she was telling the truth.

  ‘No!’ Sophie shot back, her frustration bubbling to the surface. ‘Just that text saying she had to leave for an emergency and that she’d explain later.’

  They were walking alongside the river that flowed from Dedham to Flatford. The meadows either side were thronged with tourists making the most of the sunshine and the picturesque countryside. On the river, rowing boats full of inept rowers kept passing by, with teenagers squealing as one of them invariably rocked it, threatening to tip all the occupants into the cold water.

  ‘I wish she’d at least answer her phone to let us know what’s happening,’ Melissa huffed, reaching out to break off a cowslip flower.

  ‘I hope she’s OK,’ Amy added.

  Sophie sighed. Emily wasn’t a drama queen, so she knew it must have been something important to make her dash off like that. She would call her when they got home to try to get some answers.

  As they walked along, all deep in their own thoughts, Amy fell into step beside her. ‘Can I ask you something, Sophie?’

  Sophie looked up at her in surprise. ‘Sure.’

  ‘Why have you and Steve never got married?’

  Sophie raised her eyebrows. ‘Wow, where did that come from?’

  ‘Just curious,’ Amy shrugged.

  Sophie pondered the question. ‘I don’t know. I’ve always thought we would get married one day. But somehow we’ve never got round to it. Never even discussed it, actually.’

  ‘Well, I think you should,’ Amy said emphatically. ‘And let’s face it, we could all do with a really big party. I could organize it for you…’ she began, her eyes sparkling with excitement. ‘My way of thanking you both.’

  Melissa caught up with them and linked her arm through Sophie’s. ‘What’s that about a party?’

  ‘I was just telling Sophie that she and Steve should get married and that I should organize the party.’

  Melissa nudged Sophie. ‘She’s right! We could all do with a big knees-up…’

  Sophie shook her head and laughed. ‘It’s not the best reason in the world to get married, just so that we can all have a big party.’

  ‘Well, obviously that’s not the only reason,’ Melissa conceded.

  ‘No, of course it’s not,’ Amy agreed. ‘It’s just that you two are so perfect together. It would be nice to celebrate your relationship and make it official.’

  ‘Don’t get too carried away, Amy. There’s one small thing you’re forgetting…’

  ‘What’s that?’

  Sophie shrugged. ‘He’s never actually asked me.’

  Later on that evening, Sophie opened the front door to let herself and Amy into the house. Steve was in the garden with the children, enjoying the last of the sunshine as they played a game of chase that seemed to have no rules and involve everyone madly chasing everyone else.

  They dumped their bags and stood watching them through the open bi-fold doors that stretched across the back of the house, giggling at Theo, who squealed with excitement every time he managed to catch one of the others, apparently unaware that they were stopping to let him catch them, rather than the other way round.

  ‘Steve’s great with them, isn’t he?’ Amy nodded towards the garden where Steve was now lying on the grass, as all four children clambered over him. Suddenly, he let out an almighty roar and sat up, causing them all to let out blood-curdling screams and run in every direction. ‘You are a lucky, lucky lady, Sophie.’ Her tone was wistful but she was smiling. ‘Especially when you compare him to Nick or Anton. They’re not fit to lick his boots.’

  ‘He’s going to miss Megan and George, Amy. And you.’

  Amy shook her head. ‘He’ll be fine. We’ll only be next door, hopefully.’

  ‘Are you definitely going to put an offer in then?’

  Amy threw Sophie a sheepish look.

  ‘Oh,’ Sophie said, understanding immediately. ‘You already did…’

  ‘It hasn’t been accepted yet, but the estate agent thinks it will all go through.’

  ‘Why didn’t you speak to us first? We would have helped you.’

  Amy nodded. ‘I know, that’s why I didn’t tell you about it. I wanted to stand on my own two feet for the first time in my life.’

  ‘I can understand that,’ Sophie conceded.

  ‘Plus,’ Amy added, ‘I thought you might try to change my mind. I couldn’t risk it.’

  Just then, Steve noticed them and waved. Sophie waved back, fee
ling a surge of love for him. He never complained about her going away with the girls, meaning he was left to look after the children by himself. Then again, she suspected he loved it.

  He walked towards them, handsome in his jeans and T-shirt. His face and arms were deeply tanned, his hair lightened by the sun.

  ‘Welcome back, ladies,’ he said, bending to kiss Sophie. She loved that he was so much taller than her. It made her feel petite when she was anything but.

  ‘You look like you’re having fun.’ Sophie nodded towards the children, who showed no signs of tiring as they continued to race around the garden after each other. Not one of them seemed to have noticed that their mums had returned home.

  Steve pulled a sarcastic face. ‘Always! Anyway, I could do with a cup of tea – I’m sure you could too.’

  ‘I’ll do it!’ Amy dashed off before anyone could protest.

  Sophie took Steve’s hand and they walked inside the house together. ‘Amy’s got something to tell you…’ she began. ‘I think it’s best to tell him sooner, rather than later,’ she added, when Amy gave her a panicky grimace.

  Amy nodded reluctantly and looked up from the island in the centre of the room, where she was making the tea. ‘Hear me out before you react, Steve.’

  Steve gave her a puzzled look. ‘OK.’

  ‘I’ve decided that the time has come for me and the children to get a place of our own. To let you and Sophie reclaim this house for yourselves. ‘

  Immediately Steve started to shake his head but Amy put her hand up to stop him.

  ‘I need to stand on my own two feet again, Steve. It’s been incredible being here but I always knew the day would come when we had to move on…’