by Janey Fraser
Brigid began to look uncomfortable. ‘I’ve just found out the most amazing coincidence, Mum. Dad’s company used to belong to a relative of your friend Bobbie. Someone called Andy. Andy Gooding. Isn’t that funny?’
Yes. And no. Nothing would surprise Vanessa now. Not after this. There was something really weird about sitting next to someone whom you hadn’t seen for years. Someone whom you used to curl up to at night; who had stood next to you in the labour ward, mopping your brow; who had told you that he would love you until the very day he died. That he was sorry he’d misled you.
‘Do you need the loo, Sunshine?’ said Brigid sharply.
‘No!’
‘I think you do!’
‘But …’
‘No buts.’
Partly amused and partly apprehensive, Vanessa watched her daughter shepherding Sunshine towards the Ladies. Brigid wanted to give them space. Space that she wasn’t sure she wanted.
‘Are you happy, Harry?’ she asked quietly, picking up her napkin and then putting it down again.
His eyes pinned hers. They were still the same blue, but there were so many lines around them that they seemed smaller. Older. In her memories, Harry remained the same age as when she had left him. ‘Not as happy as I would have been if you’d allowed me to stay with you and our girl.’ He made a small gesture with his hands. ‘Still, water under the bridge now. What about you?’
She thought of Brigid. And Sunshine. And her shop. And Brian. And even Bobbie. ‘I’m good, actually. Very good.’
‘Listen, Vanessa.’ He looked as though he was reaching for her hand but then thought better of it. ‘I’d like to make things up to you. I’m a wealthy man.’
‘Stop. Please.’ She felt cross now. ‘Don’t think you can buy forgiveness. I don’t want your money. But if you want to help your daughter and our granddaughter, that’s up to you. They could certainly do with it.’
They both looked across at Sunshine who was coming back to the table, clutching one of those keep-the-kids-quiet colouring sheets along with some wax crayons. ‘See. I said I didn’t need to go.’ Plonking herself next to Vanessa, she whispered loudly. ‘Have you had enough time to talk now? Mum said we had to leave you alone.’ Then she began to draw, sticking her tongue out in concentration. ‘I’m going to make you all a very speshull picture.’
‘At least we did something right,’ said Harry quietly.
Vanessa took in her daughter, who was bending over Sunshine with a wonderfully tender look on her face. ‘We did, didn’t we?’
And then, on the spur of the moment, she reached out for his hand after all and gave it a little squeeze, before making her excuses and nipping out to the Ladies to ring Brian.
GLAMOROUS GRANNY SAYS ‘NO’ TO DR KNOW!
Scoop in Charisma magazine.
Epilogue
BOBBIE
‘I WANT THOSE SWEETS! I WANT THOSE SWEETS!’
She should never have come in here, Bobbie told herself ruefully. Not when the removal van was ready and waiting. But she’d been desperate for certain essentials to get them through the long journey up north. Like marshmallows and poppadoms and sardines.
‘WHY CAN’T I HAVE THEM? WHY?’
The woman behind began tutting and muttering the usual rubbish about things being different in her day. Bobbie waited until she couldn’t stand it any longer and then whipped round. ‘Actually, it’s not easy when they put sweets by the checkout.’
The young mum whose toddler was having the paddy threw Bobbie a grateful look. ‘I don’t know what to do with my daughter,’ she said desperately. ‘We’ve only just moved here and I don’t have any friends to help.’
Bobbie delved into her bag for the leaflet that Vanessa had given her: Parenting Classes For All Ages. Contact Brigid Thomas for more details.
‘Spread the word, can you?’ she’d said, with an enthusiasm that hadn’t left her since Vanessa had got the all-clear for that lump. Such a relief! ‘My friend’s daughter – one of the helpers – she’s got a great way with kids.’
The girl was studying the leaflet doubtfully. ‘Where’s it being held?’
‘Corrywood. It’s one of the local schools.’ Brigid glanced across at the little girl who had dived into the Reduced Bread shelf. Her left arm and leg were coming out at the same time, just as Jack’s had done, nearly nine months ago. Where did they learn it from? Naughty School? ‘It’s got a really good playgroup too,’ she added. ‘Anyway, give the class a go! It will help you find new friends, if nothing else. Good luck!’
Then she paid for her shopping and waddled out to the car outside where Rob was waiting. Jack and Daisy were plugged into their new iPads, a leaving present from Sunshine’s new granddad. They didn’t seem to have moved since she’d left them.
‘No arguments?’ she asked Rob.
‘Not yet.’
Maybe it was a slow burner, this parenting-course business. Perhaps it took time for changes to be made, on both sides. But there was no doubt about it: Daisy and Jack were getting a bit easier to handle.
‘MOVE OVER.’
‘NO. YOU MOVE OVER.’
‘MUM, SHE KICKED ME!’
‘HE DID IT FIRST! ANYWAY, I HAVEN’T GOT ANY ROOM WITH HIS SKATEBOARD ON MY LEGS!’
Maybe not.
‘Ready?’ said Rob, patting her knee.
‘Ready,’ said Bobbie. She felt excited, but also apprehensive. Still, that was normal, wasn’t it? They were moving to a new area, where she’d need to make new friends. Friends that were hopefully more trustworthy than Sarah had been. Friends that were, with any luck, as warm and loving as Vanessa.
‘We’ll miss you,’ the older woman had said as she’d hugged her goodbye.
‘We’ll miss you too.’ Bobbie hugged her tightly back. ‘But you will come and visit, won’t you? All of you!’
She’d miss Andy as well. Of course it was Rob she loved. Yet at the same time, Bobbie was aware that she had been able to talk – really talk – to Andy. Maybe that’s why it was right to move. Best, as Vanessa had said with the wisdom that came from being a grandmother, to put temptation out of reach. A bit like sweets.
Besides, Pamela and Andy were making a fresh start now. Not just with their venture in Devon but with the degree course in September. Psychology! She could just see Andy doing well at that.
‘Are we nearly there yet?’ demanded Jack, breaking into her slightly wistful thoughts.
‘Course not, silly. Google says we’ve got two hundred and forty miles to go.’
‘Everyone got their gluten-free snacks?’ Bobbie turned round to check. It was amazing what a difference it had made to their digestive systems. All of them, actually. Without mentioning names, it turned out that Jack wasn’t the only culprit. Pongo seemed to have completely disappeared from their lives.
Ouch!
‘What’s wrong?’ Rob looked across at her, alarmed.
‘Just another kick.’ Bobbie placed a protective hand on her stomach. ‘These two seem to have a mind of their own.’
Rob gave her a kiss. ‘I wouldn’t have it any other way.’
‘I hope you mean that.’ She shot him a conspiratorial smile. ‘Because it’s going to be pretty manic when they arrive. Even with the new au pair.’
Rob started the engine. ‘Four kids is quite a handful.’ Then he said firmly, as though to reassure himself: ‘But we’ll cope.’
Would they? wondered Bobbie as they drove through Corrywood for the last time, passing a very slim Not Really Pregnant Mum who was waving back furiously. Yes of course they would! They had to.
Besides, who wanted to be a perfect parent anyway? After all, Happy Families come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, don’t they?
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Copyright © Janey Fraser, 2013
Janey Fraser has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
This book is a work of fiction. Names and characters are the product of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
First published in Great Britain in 2013 by
Arrow Books
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ISBN 9780099580850