by Alex Brown
‘Of course it isn’t your fault. You’re always doing your best for her.’ Sam gently lifted Chrissie’s chin so he could look into her eyes.
‘But I don’t always get it right. I can see that now. I know that I’m stubborn and always taking charge – making decisions for everyone without asking what they want …’ She looked at Sam meaningfully. ‘Holly needs us both, and I must let go a bit … I have been listening and I can see what our problems have been doing to her. If Holly comes back …’ Chrissie was crying now.
Sam took her in his arms and gently stroked her back. ‘Hey, when Holly comes back, not if …’
‘I know that we have to work together and I’m willing to try if you are. Just please, please let her get back safely.’ Chrissie cuddled into him. It was ironic, thought Sam, that now, in this moment, they were together. United. If only Holly was here too.
*
Over on the Blackwood Farm Estate, Holly pushed open the little wooden Hobbit door that led into the garden and managed to make her way to the barn, near where she knew the pigs were kept. She’d be safe there for now. She could hide in the barn until the morning and then, when it was daylight, she would see about getting on a train. She could walk to the station from here. It wasn’t that far. But she had no chance of getting there in the dark. The country lane to the station was steep and there were no street lights so it was scary with all the trees arching together to make a tunnel of darkness. And with her eyesight already feeling a bit misty where her levels were dipping from not having eaten in a while, she didn’t want to risk it. Plus she couldn’t leave Tindledale without saying goodbye to Tiger. Not with him being the runt of the litter. And the other pigs didn’t even like him; she had spotted that the very first time she saw him in the corner of the pen.
Holly found the pig pen and lifted Tiger up to her, opening her hoodie so he could snuggle inside against her body. It was getting cold now that the sun had gone down, so she went inside the barn and sat on a big bale of hay.
‘Hey, Holly!’ It was Myles, with a big handheld torch in his hand. She quickly stood up, feeling scared. But he didn’t look cross. ‘It’s OK.’ He set the torch down on the ground and jumped up onto one of the bales of hay. ‘Mind if I join you?’
‘Um.’ She nodded, her heart hammering.
‘What have you got there?’ He pointed to her hoodie.
‘Sorry, I just wanted to see Tiger before I leave,’ she said, willing her heart to slow down. She felt a bit light-headed now. And then realised. Oh no. In her panic, she had come out without her bag. Her insulin. Her phone. And it made her panic more.
‘Leave? Where are you off to, babe?’ Myles asked softly.
‘I’m not sure yet,’ she said, leaning back against a bale of hay. She reckoned she had about half an hour before she’d need to get her insulin. Maybe she could go back to Granny Dolly’s house to get it. Hmm, too risky. What if the police were there? What if someone had seen her pulling those things off the tyres on Gavin’s car. What if her Mum was hurt? Maybe she should go home, see if Mum was there and if she was all right. She could get her insulin then too.
‘Ahh, I get it. Are you running away?’ Myles asked. She managed a shrug. He waited a minute before carrying on. ‘You know, there was a time when I wanted to run away …’
‘Really?’
‘Yep.’ Myles nodded. Come on, let’s go back to the house, it’s nicer in there than in this smelly old barn, and I’ll tell you all about it.’ Holly looked down at little Tiger who was fast asleep now. ‘Bring him with you. Be a shame to wake him up.’ She beamed. Myles was so cool.
On a big squishy sofa beside the massive flatscreen TV, Myles told her.
‘It was years ago, when I felt sad. Is that why you’re running away, Holls?’ he looked sideways at her.
‘Yes, and …’ She nearly told him about Gavin’s car, but stopped herself. She felt ashamed. ‘Why did you feel sad?’ she asked Myles instead.
‘Mainly because I didn’t have a mum and dad.’
‘How come?’
‘My parents didn’t know how to look after kids properly, so I grew up in foster care.’ He said it just like that, and it made Holly feel very grown-up. He obviously trusted her to tell her his personal stuff.
‘Did you feel very lonely?’
‘Yes I did.’
‘So who looked after you?’
‘Strangers mostly. I lived with an aunt for a bit, but that didn’t work out, and then an older cousin, but then he went to prison, and so …’
‘That’s so sad,’ Holly said, feeling sorry for him. It was so unfair. He was a really nice man. And he was cool. She liked how he talked to her like she was an adult. Not a child.
‘It is. But then I wasn’t lucky like you.’
‘How do you mean?’
‘Well, I didn’t have a mum and dad like you do, who love you and are probably wondering where you are.’ Holly kept quiet. ‘And your aunty Jude, she loves you a lot as well. She might miss you if you run away.’ Maybe he had a point. Holly stroked the top of Tiger’s little head. He snuffled against her T-shirt.
‘I don’t think my mum and dad will even notice I’ve gone,’ Holly said solemnly.
‘Do you reckon?’ Myles asked, all casually.
‘They keep having massive arguments right in front of me.’
‘What about?’
‘Dad being away, letting us down, the usual stuff …’
‘Sorry to hear that, Holls. You know, sometimes people get angry because they’re scared or upset, and that’s probably what happened then. They might be scared now too, if they don’t know where you are … Is that why you’re running away? Because of the arguments?’
‘It’s another thing too …’ She stopped talking.
‘Go on. I won’t tell anyone, I promise. Unless it’s really bad.’ He made a silly face. ‘But we can decide together what to do, if it’s extra bad, OK?’ And he smiled really kindly, so Holly told him about the car and the accident and that her mum and Gavin might be hurt. A few seconds later, and Myles said, ‘So Katie’s cousin is an AA recovery man?’
‘Yes, that’s right.’
‘And you took the caps off the tyres?’
‘Yes,’ Holly said, pressing her chin on to the top of Tiger’s warm little head for comfort.
‘I don’t think you have anything to worry about then, babe. Gavin’s car won’t have gone anywhere. If it’s an old car then he’s probably just got two flat tyres. And even if he had driven it before he realised, and then had an accident, I don’t think the AA man would be the first one on the scene.’
Holly leant back against the sofa and closed her eyes.
‘Do you think I could have a drink please, and a biscuit?’
‘Coming right up. Are you feeling rough, Holls?’ Myles asked, and Holly wondered why his voice sounded a bit muffled.
‘Yes, I am a bit.’ She opened her eyes again.
‘Do you need your insulin?’
‘I haven’t got it with me.’
‘Better not leave you on your own then,’ he said, all calmly. Not like Mum, who would definitely panic, thought Holly. And then she felt bad all over again for messing around with Gavin’s car. ‘I’ll call Sylvia,’ and he picked up the walkie-talkie. ‘How about I call your Aunty Jude as well?’
‘What for?’
‘To see if she wants to come over. You get on well with her, and she could get your insulin too and bring it with her. I don’t think she’ll make you go home. Not right away, if you want to hang out here for a bit longer. What do you reckon? Sylvia will make us some dinner too. Fish and chips – you like that, don’t you?’
Holly thought Myles looked a bit worried … so she agreed.
‘OK.’ She managed a smile. ‘But I don’t want her to bring Mum and Dad here.’
‘That’s fine. Have a chat to Jude … and, you never know, things might turn out all right in the end, if you can be brave enough to stick around and give
it all a go.’
*
‘Son, it’s going to be all right,’ Tony leant forward from the dining chair where he was sitting and placed his hand on top of Sam’s knee. ‘It’s only been five minutes or so since Mark left.’
‘Is that all?’ Sam asked, gulping down the single measure of brandy from the glass that Dolly had pressed into his hand.
‘But it feels like an eternity,’ Chrissie said, putting her palms onto her cheeks to mop her tears before leaning back into Sam’s chest. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, pressing his chin into her hair to comfort her.
‘I know, but Mark will find her,’ Tony said, exchanging glances with Jude who was sitting on the arm of the sofa next to Chrissie, and wondering if Sam had a point. He wasn’t sure he could just have sat and waited if something like this had happened when Jude was Holly’s age. He would have wanted to be out there hunting and scouring every single corner of Tindledale and the surrounding fields, woods and valleys until she was found.
‘I say we give it another ten minutes and then we all go out and look; we can get the villagers out too,’ Jude suggested. She hated just waiting here as well, feeling helpless. Holly had only been gone for three hours that they knew of, but every single second felt agonising to her, so she dreaded to think what Chrissie and Sam were going through.
‘Yes. Please, that has to be better than sitting here,’ Chrissie looked up at Jude with pleading eyes.
‘I’m getting my jacket back on,’ Sam stood up, resolute. ‘This is a waste of time waiting here, I don’t care what Mark says.’ He was just about to leave the sitting room when a mobile rang out somewhere inside the cottage.
They all leapt up. Dolly. Tony. Barry. Chrissie. Only Linda stayed in her seat, having near polished off half the bottle of wine by now.
‘That’s my phone!’ And Jude raced into the kitchen to retrieve the mobile from her bag. Seconds later, and she was back in the sitting room with tears of joy in her eyes.
Thank God, her goddaughter was safe!
And not lying unconscious somewhere.
‘I know where Holly is!’ she told them all, waving her mobile around like it was a satellite tracker with a pulsing red dot pointed directly on to Holly.
Sam instantly felt the knot of anxiety dissipate as relief flooded through his veins. He gasped and then, after removing his arm from around Chrissie’s shoulders, he bent over and placed his hands on his thighs in sheer relief.
‘Myles found Holly in a barn having a cuddle with Tiger!’ Jude told them all.
‘A tiger! The girl has guts, I’ll give her that,’ Linda piped up, nearly sloshing wine all over the place as she pointed an index finger in the air and shifted in her seat.
‘SHUT UP!’ Sam, Tony, Barry and Jude all bellowed in unison. Dolly took a sharp intake of breath and put her hands up to her face before saying, ‘Thank heavens our Holly is safe.’ She gave Sam a hug, then Chrissie, squeezing them each as tight as she could.
‘Well, what are we waiting for?’ Sam hollered, reaching for Chrissie’s hand and giving it a triumphant squeeze. Everything was going to be OK now. He just knew it. It had to be. Holly was safe. And this was the start of their family’s fortunes turning around. ‘Come on, let’s go and get Holly.’ He looked at Jude. ‘Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.’ And he planted a big kiss on her left cheek.
‘What did I do?’ she laughed, giving him a hug.
‘Allowed me to breathe again for starters,’ Chrissie said, puffing out a long breath of air before also giving Jude a big kiss of gratitude for being the bearer of the good news.
‘Please can you get in touch with Mark and let him know that she’s been found?’ Sam said, over his shoulder, his heart having soared right up to the top of the emotional rollercoaster. He and Chrissie made a bolt for the door, but Tony blocked their exit.
‘What are you doing?’ he asked, and Sam’s hand froze on the door handle. ‘You can’t drive.’ Tony shook his head.
‘Yes I can. I need to get Holly home.’
‘Tony’s right, my love,’ Dolly stepped in, ‘you’ve had a brandy. That was my fault, I shouldn’t have given it to you, but I thought it might help. For the shock.’
‘I’m not drunk,’ Sam said, going for the door again.
‘Sam … we know you aren’t,’ Tony said, ‘but you’re still shaken up. It’s not wise to drive.’
‘Honestly, I’m OK.’ He looked at Chrissie, and meant it, but she was still smiling. Thankfully.
‘Err … you really can’t go, Sam,’ Jude said awkwardly, shoving her phone into the back pocket of her jeans. She glanced first at Chrissie. Swallowed, took a big breath and then told them both, ‘There’s no easy way to say this so I’ll just come out with it. Myles said he thinks it’s best if I go. I’m sorry … she’s still upset, you see, she doesn’t want either of you to—’
‘What?’ Chrissie slumped down on to the sofa. ‘But we’re her parents, and we’ve been out of our mind with worry,’ she added, holding her head in both hands.
‘It’s fine.’ Sam jumped in, looking at Chrissie. ‘Let Jude go. The priority is to get Holly home safe and, most importantly, she has to be happy. And we have to respect her wishes … especially as we haven’t managed to do that so well lately.’
‘OK.’ Chrissie eventually nodded her consent. ‘You’re right.’ And she touched Sam’s arm.
‘I know you need Holly home as soon as possible so that you can sort all of this out with her properly, but we know she’s safe now.’ And Jude went into the kitchen to get Holly’s bag. ‘I’ll take her insulin too,’ she added, keeping her voice measured. Myles had said she needed to bring the kit quickly, but Sam and Chrissie didn’t need any more to panic about right now.
‘Thank you,’ Sam replied. The sooner they got Holly back, the sooner he and Chrissie could start making things right. So what did it matter who went to collect Holly? And he allowed himself a fleeting moment of ‘what if?’ What if something had happened to their daughter? It just didn’t bear thinking about … so the best thing they could do now was to make the most of this second chance.
‘I’ll be as quick as I can.’ Jude nodded, and left the room.
‘And I’ll get on to Mark right away to tell him the good news,’ Tony said, waving goodbye to Jude.
‘Well, now that the panic is over, we can all relax,’ Linda started up, filling her glass with another measure of wine. ‘Do you remember when we were kids, Barry?’ She looked across the room to where he was standing.
‘Not really. Like I said earlier, it was a long time ago,’ Barry replied, picking up a newspaper from the coffee table. He flicked through it, seemingly uninterested in anything Linda had to say. Tony came back in the room with two cups of coffee in his hands.
‘I’ve spoken to Mark, and it’s all fine; he’s going to call in tomorrow when things have settled down. Just a routine thing to see that you’re all OK,’ he nodded. ‘Here, get this down you. Holly will be home soon and you’ll both be needing clear heads.’ He handed a coffee cup each to Sam and Chrissie.
‘And you can stay here this evening if you want to,’ Dolly said to Chrissie. ‘Colin is on an overnight coach trip to the tulip farm in Amsterdam, so Holly can always come in with me, and then you and Sam can have some time to talk …’ She looked at Tony.
‘Yes, that’s a good idea,’ he said, ‘after everything that has happened tonight, you won’t want to be at home on your own, Chrissie love.’ Tony cottoned on quickly that Dolly was attempting to resurrect the original plan – to get Sam and Chrissie together so they might find a way to work things out. Although he had a feeling that the two of them were well on their way already. It wasn’t nice that Holly had run off, but it sure had shaken the pair of them up … better than any head-banging-together idea that he, or Jude, or Dolly could have cooked up between them.
‘Uh-oh. Not sorted your domestic problems out yet?’ Linda butted in, looking at Sam and t
hen Chrissie. ‘And there was me thinking you had the perfect marriage …’ She slurped another mouthful of wine down.
‘Think you might have had enough of that, Linda.’ Tony went to take the bottle away.
‘Oh, don’t you start. I remember you too, Saint Tony!’ Linda grabbed the bottle and nursed it to her chest. Tony shook his head and went to stand near Barry by the coffee table.
‘For crying out loud, will you please just stop!’ Sam said, staring at his mother. ‘Honestly, we’ve had the most horrendous last few hours and now we are all over the moon. Holly will be here soon. Why can’t you just be happy for once?’ he shook his head and let out a long sigh of frustration.
‘Oh Samuel, don’t be so oversensitive!’ said Linda, doing a little laugh as she looked around the room to see if Chrissie, Dolly, Barry or Tony might join in her bullying of him. None of them did.
‘Oversensitive! Are you for real?’ Sam retorted, feeling the pulse at the side of his neck firing up. He really wanted to keep things civil … at least until Holly was home and safely tucked up in bed, but his mother was pushing him like she always did. Only this time it was different. Knowing what he knew – that she had lied – felt like a game-changer now she was here in front of him. He had thought it shouldn’t matter – Rob was his dad at the end of the day. And he had been a brilliant dad too, so why did it matter? Maybe he should just let it go. But then where did that leave Holly? And then Sam knew why it mattered so much. Linda had deceived him, and in doing so she had changed the course of everything … even Dolly being his grandmother. Sam had come to that realisation in the middle of the night when he’d been lying awake, going over and over it all inside his head: that if Rob wasn’t his biological father, then technically, Dolly wasn’t his gran, or Holly’s great-grandmother. They weren’t related at all. So it wasn’t just about him. Linda had hoodwinked them all. And it stuck in his throat to see her sitting here across the room from him now, having a laugh like she hadn’t a care in the world.
‘No wonder little Holly doesn’t even want to talk to you,’ Linda kept on. ‘But then that’s teenagers for you. So contrary. Sam, do you remember when you used to—’