Happy Families

by Janey Fraser

  A misty look came into Araminta’s little piggy eyes. ‘Love! That’s what it is. Look, I didn’t realise it was you making that call, obviously. So I’ll withdraw my complaint. Rob doesn’t have to know. He’s been so good to me that I wouldn’t want to hurt him.’

  Bobbie was still unsure. ‘They might still take action.’

  ‘Not if they don’t have me to give evidence.’ Araminta looked smug again. ‘I used to be an employment lawyer until I switched to advertising, you know.’

  ‘Thank you! Thank you! Oh my God. JACK! That’s too high! Stop right there! And where’s your helmet?’

  Both women stared as Jack, poised at the top of the half-pipe, grinned before launching himself down and then up the next slope. He was really rather good!

  ‘Goodness,’ gasped Araminta. ‘You need nerves of steel to be a parent, don’t you? Your little boy reminds me of my brother. He was always doing naughty things. Drove my mum mad. It’s why I don’t want kids myself, to be honest. I don’t want to end up like her.’ Then she glanced down at Bobbie’s stomach. ‘Hope you don’t mind me asking, but are you expecting again?’

  Of course she wouldn’t spill the beans about her pregnancy, Araminta had assured her with a bracey smile. Instead, she’d persuade Rob to get back early from his conference so Bobbie could talk to him about it before he fell asleep at the kitchen table again.

  She and Rob certainly had a strange relationship, thought Bobbie. The secretary getting her boss to leave early? Maybe it was like that nowadays. It had been so long since Bobbie had worked in an office that she’d forgotten. Either way, she had to hand it to Araminta. Rob was back early and, amazingly, both children were settled in bed by the time they tucked into the salmon en croûte which she’d ‘made’ from the local supermarket.

  ‘That was really nice.’ Rob gave her a little kiss on her cheek. It had been ages since he’d done that. Rather guiltily, Bobbie thought of Andy and how he touched her hand every now and then. That had been dangerous, she could see now. Too much blurring of boundaries. Not that she would have let it go any further, of course. But it had been tempting at times.

  ‘Is this for a special occasion?’

  ‘Sort of.’

  It was no good. She could feel the flush rising up her neck. Bobbie had never been able to lie, apart from the odd fib about ready-made meals, but that was different, wasn’t it? To hide her confusion, she began to clear the table.

  ‘Hey. Leave that.’

  This was unbelievable. Rob never took the plates! Well, he was rarely home long enough to eat off one.

  ‘Tell you what.’ Gently he pulled her down on to his knee. ‘Let’s just sit here for a bit and have a chat, shall we?’ His hand began to stroke her stomach. ‘When were you planning on telling me about this?’

  Bobbie gave a little start. ‘You know?’

  ‘I haven’t watched you go through two pregnancies for nothing.’ His voice was soft as he now stroked her hair, just as he used to in the old days. ‘I know the signs. The sickness. The buttons that don’t do up. The mood swings – dare I say it? I just don’t know why you didn’t tell me before.’

  Because I thought you were having an affair, she almost said. ‘Because I wasn’t sure how you’d react. I mean, we didn’t intend this to happen, did we?’

  ‘No, but it’s great news!’ He gave her a cuddle – just a brief one, but a cuddle nevertheless. ‘I know it’s not easy with me working such long hours but I’ll try and do my best. I really will.’ Then he looked away. ‘In fact, I’m afraid I’ve got a confession to make too.’

  No. Please no. Not an affair.

  ‘Matthew Evans let it slip the other day.’

  Matthew? From parenting class? ‘How do you know him?’

  ‘We started getting the same train recently and fell into conversation. Then we found we both had children at Corrywood.’ Rob placed a little kiss on her forehead. ‘He was telling me about the parenting course and how he admires you for working and bringing up the kids. It made me think. I’m sorry if I haven’t always …’

  ‘Mum! Dad! I can’t sleep.’

  Jack was standing in front of them, rubbing his eyes. He looked so soft and warm. So unthreatening. Not at all like the human bullet that zoomed around during the day, wreaking havoc. Bobbie’s heart fluttered as she breathed her son in. Why was it that no two children ever smelt the same?

  ‘It’s OK. I’ll sort it.’ Rob lifted his son up.

  ‘But how will we manage?’ Bobbie whispered. ‘How will we cope with three?’

  Rob gave her a look. The kind of loving, warm look he used to give her. ‘We just will. Talking to Matthew has made me realise how lucky we are to be a family. Now come on, little man. Time for bed, I think!’

  There once was a teen called Giles,

  Who was always out on the tiles.

  One night he missed his train –

  Moaned mum, ‘Oh not again!’

  So he walked home – all twenty-five miles.

  (Author’s note: The true story behind this one is that Mum paid £100 to get Giles back by taxi from Northamptonshire when he slept through his station.)

  Chapter 32

  VANESSA

  ‘GRANNY!’

  Sunshine flew out of school, pigtails flying, with the lovely gappy smile that Vanessa was getting used to now. It would seem strange when that new front tooth actually came through. ‘I’m Reader of the Week again!’ She grabbed Vanessa’s hand excitedly and did a little pirouette, à la Daisy. ‘Miss Davies says I’m the bestest she’s ever had.’

  One of the mothers standing near muttered something about competition not being healthy any more but Vanessa didn’t care. Nor did she try to correct her granddaughter’s grammar. The great thing about being an older mother (or rather a younger granny) was that you rose above the competition and the jealousies and the friendships and the fallings-out. The only important thing was to make sure your child was happy and healthy.

  And from the look of things, Sunshine was. No one would have guessed that this little bubbly girl was the same introvert scrap who had arrived on her doorstep barely two months ago. They said children were resilient and they were right! Even the nightmares were easing off now.

  Instead, it was Vanessa who was getting them. Ever since that strange broken-off phone message, she’d felt distinctly uneasy. What if it had been Brigid? She’d rung the Foreign Office again and spoken to a really nice woman, who was very understanding but still had no news. ‘We’re trying to trace her,’ she’d been assured. What else could she do?

  ‘It will be all right, lass,’ Brian had said, wrapping his arms around her. But he had said it in the way that a parent spoke to a child when the situation was in fact, uncertain. Meanwhile, she had to carry on as best as she could, looking after her granddaughter and bracing herself for the hospital appointment tomorrow morning.

  ‘VAN VAN! I SAID DO WE HAVE A PICTURE?’

  ‘Sorry?’ Vanessa looked down at the little girl skipping along beside her as they made their way home.

  ‘Do we have a picture of Mummy when she was growing up?’ Sunshine waggled her finger at Vanessa. It was a habit she’d developed recently, she’d noticed. Maybe the teacher did it. Children were such great mimics. ‘You haven’t been listening to me, have you? We’re doing a project on families – it’s going on the classroom wall for the fête! I need a picture of Mummy.’ She gave another little skip past a cluster of spring daffodils sprouting up by the side of the road. ‘They said we needed pictures of Daddy too but I told them that I didn’t have one. Mummy and I are quite enough. That’s what Mummy always said.’ Then she slipped her hand into Vanessa’s. ‘But I love you too.’

  The lump in Vanessa’s throat was so big that she could hardly speak. ‘Pictures of your mummy? I’m sure we can find them somewhere.’ Inside, she was cross. Didn’t teachers realise, in this day and age, that there were lots of children out there who only had one parent? A project like this was
really insensitive. She’d have to have a word with Miss Davies.

  ‘Where’s Jack?’ Sunshine had ground to a halt, looking back with a frown on her little face. ‘And where’s Daisy?’

  Heavens above! She’d forgotten. Bobbie was managing the shop this afternoon. And she, Vanessa, had promised to pick up the children. ‘Quick!’ She grabbed Sunshine’s hand and started running back towards school.

  ‘Faster, Van Van, faster!’

  ‘Practising for the mothers’ race, are you?’ laughed one of the mums from Sunshine’s year as she tried to keep up. Very funny. She might be a young gran but there were times, like this, when Vanessa really understood how older mums felt. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Sunshine had found Daisy by the new hopscotch mat in the playground. But where was Jack?

  ‘He went to look for you,’ said Daisy disapprovingly. ‘We thought you’d forgotten us.’

  ‘We did!’ chirruped Sunshine, jumping up and down.

  Where on earth was the child? And why wasn’t there a teacher in sight? ‘Wait there, you two. And don’t move.’

  She rushed into the school building. It had that undressed air that schools wear when they are empty of children. Weren’t there any adults here, for heaven’s sake? Mr Balls, that nice new head of primary, was still in his office.

  ‘Mrs Thomas. Good to see you.’ Then he frowned. ‘Anything wrong?’

  ‘I’ve lost a child! I was meant to be picking up Jack Wright and he’s not here.’

  The words came out in such a rush that it was amazing he could understand. But immediately, Mr Balls swung into action. ‘No one is allowed to leave until they’re ticked off the list.’ He gesticulated to a chair. ‘I’ll be back in a sec. I’m sure we’ll sort this out.’

  They had to, Vanessa told herself, her heart hammering against her chest. How could she go back and tell Bobbie that she’d mislaid her son? But Mr Balls seemed to know what he was doing.

  ‘Mrs Thomas?’ The head’s voice was tight. ‘I’m sorry but I’m afraid the duty teacher hasn’t ticked Jack’s name off and yet he doesn’t appear to be in school.’

  Vanessa closed her eyes briefly as if shutting out the world for a second might change things.

  ‘But the teacher in question did happen to notice that Jack was messing about on his skateboard.’

  She nodded. ‘He’s addicted to it.’

  ‘Then I’m just wondering if he might have decided to take himself off and try out the new skate park.’

  Of course! Vanessa remembered now. It had caused quite a row, this skate park, in the local paper. Some parents were for it – claiming their kids needed something to do – and lots of others, who were probably non-parents, said it would attract the wrong kind of crowd.

  ‘Shall we go there first, before we call the police?’ suggested Mr Balls briskly.

  They ran, all four of them, including Sunshine and Daisy, who seemed to think it was a game. The effort gave Vanessa a pain in her stomach but she had to keep going. How could she have been so negligent? What was she going to tell Bobbie?

  ‘There he is!’ yelled Sunshine and Daisy at the same time. ‘Look!’

  Open-mouthed, they watched Jack flying down the slope – just like a very wide slide! – his hands out on either side as though he was flying. ‘Good, isn’t he?’ observed Mr Balls.

  But Vanessa was marching up to the child, tempted to shake him by the scruff of his neck. ‘How could you just go off like that? You worried the life out of me.’

  Jack shrugged as he picked up his board and proceeded to go back up the steps towards the slope. ‘You weren’t there and I was bored.’

  ‘That’s no excuse!’ she snapped. ‘If you were my child, I’d …’

  Then she stopped. What right had she to criticise someone else’s kid when her own parenting skills were so sorely lacking? And to think she’d hoped to get it right the second time round with Sunshine. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said after Jack had whizzed down the slope again with incredible poise and balance. ‘It was partly my fault for not being there. But if anyone is late picking you up next time, then you must wait.’

  ‘OK.’

  Mr Balls nodded approvingly. ‘Glad we’ve got it sorted.’ Then he spoke in a quiet voice to Vanessa. ‘I will, of course, have a word with the teacher concerned; we take these security breaches very seriously.’

  ‘Someone could have taken him,’ said Daisy sharply, putting her arm around her little brother. Vanessa had never seen such affection between them. Maybe the kid was milking it.

  Mr Balls coughed awkwardly. ‘Well, it’s all sorted now. Changing the subject, I heard that the parenting course has been quite a success! My wife’s going to sign up for the next one, in fact. And I gather you’re all going off for a “bonding” weekend in Devon. What a good idea!’

  Was it, wondered Vanessa as she walked the children back through town. What with the not-knowing about Brigid and the hospital wanting to extract fluid out of her lump and the DNA result which still hadn’t come through, a weekend with a load of parents – including some she’d never met – was the last thing she wanted to do.

  But Sunshine was so excited! ‘It’s near the sea, Van Van,’ she sang, linking arms with Daisy. ‘We’re all going exploring, aren’t we?’

  ‘I think we’ve done quite enough of that today,’ said Vanessa. Here they were now, at the shop. Ready to face the music.

  ‘Vanessa was late, Mummy!’ Daisy’s little face was puffed up with self-importance. ‘And Jack went missing but we found him in the skate park. Mr Balls said he could have been taken by a stranger!’

  What a little turncoat – and that wasn’t quite true, either! Vanessa listened in horror as Daisy spouted it all out in front of Bobbie, whose expression was becoming ever more grim. ‘I’m so sorry,’ she started to say. ‘I forgot them. But it was only for a few minutes.’

  ‘That’s all it takes,’ Bobbie replied, shaking her head.

  Vanessa had thought she’d understand! Everyone knew Jack was a nightmare. Didn’t they? Always running off. Never waiting. ‘Well at least we’re quits,’ she tried to say, partly as a joke. ‘I mean, you borrowed my clothes and your Daisy pinched Sunshine’s flute.’

  Bobbie gave her a disappointed look. ‘I hardly think that equates to losing my son,’ she retorted.

  ‘I didn’t exactly lose him,’ Vanessa began but then stopped. Bobbie was right. What she had done was unforgiveable. Her friend had entrusted her with the most important job in the world – looking after her child – and she’d let her down. What kind of a grandmother was she? What kind of a mother?

  ‘Remember. This test is only precautionary,’ said Brian, squeezing her knee as they drove to the hospital. He had insisted on coming and this time, she didn’t try to change his mind.

  ‘Yes.’ She looked out of the window to distract herself. That mother from the parenting class – the one who’d been cross with Bobbie over some incident involving a packed lunch – was walking past, ear glued to her mobile while her son was jumping up and down next to her, trying to get her attention. Time, Miss Davies had said earnestly, at their last session, was the most precious gift that you could give a child. But what if your own time was running out?

  ‘It is, isn’t it? Brian glanced briefly across at her as they stopped at the lights. ‘A precaution, I mean?’

  ‘In a way. They want to extract some liquid out of the lump to see if it should come out.’ Vanessa was still looking out of the window, trying to fool herself that she wasn’t really going to the hospital. There was the school where Sunshine would be having lessons right now. There was the skate park. And there was Weasel Face! Brigid’s ex! The boy who insisted he was Sunshine’s father. He was snogging a beautiful tall blonde girl who was far too young to be with him, surely! She almost felt like asking Brian to stop so she could leap out and warn her.

  Reaching into her bag, she brought out her phone.

  ‘Who are you ringing?’ aske
d Brian.

  ‘The DNA clinic.’ When Vanessa was upset, she found herself snapping, just as she used to with Brigid. But Brian seemed to understand. Pulling into the hospital car park, he gave her a hug. ‘You’ve got a lot going on, haven’t you, Nessie? But it’s OK. I’m here for you. I mean it.’

  That was nice. But not nice enough to compensate for the DNA clinic receptionist telling her that the results weren’t available yet due to the backlog. Or for the pain of the biopsy. It hurt like mad. Then again, Vanessa had known it would. She’d been through it before, hadn’t she? It was what had happened last time, five years ago: the beginning of a long haul of treatment.

  ‘But you’re still here, aren’t you?’ insisted Brian as he drove her back home again. ‘It goes to show that they can do so much nowadays. You’ve got to be positive, lass! Now, how do you fancy coming to the races tomorrow? Upper Cut is running at lunchtime and they reckon he’s in with a chance!’

  He was so sweet! ‘I can’t, I’m afraid. It’s the school fête. And I’ve still got to look out some old family photographs for Sunshine to take into a “Guess Who’s My Mum or Dad?” competition. I should have done it ages ago.’

  ‘Putting it off, eh?’

  She nodded. How well he was beginning to know her.

  ‘I couldn’t look at pictures of my wife for ages.’ His face took on a faraway look. ‘Thing is, Nessie, once you start to face the past, you can then go on with the future!’

  Very true, Vanessa told herself as he kissed her goodbye. (Wow – it got her every time!) She’d get down to it right now: sort through those albums, which were neatly stacked under the stairs. If nothing else, it might serve as a distraction.

  ‘Is that really my mummy?’ giggled Sunshine as Vanessa showed her the pictures. ‘She looks just like me!’