by Kim Nash
Her kitchen was filled with everything and everyone she loved. Her heart was full of joy and she couldn’t believe quite how close she had come to throwing it all away. She was looking forward to tomorrow, when she could start to concentrate on her business idea and getting it off the ground. She was excited about the future once more and grateful for her friends. Her friends that gave her the space to work out what she needed to, were there to listen when she needed them and who would always be close to her heart.
Samantha slammed her front door closed, kicking the post that had gathered behind it out of the way, and wondered why the landing light was on. She was sure she hadn’t left it on when she left a week ago. Wow. Was it really only a week since she flew out to Portugal? She heard a creak on the landing, and immediately she knew she wasn’t alone. Her heart started to pound.
‘Helloooo. Who is there?’ Her voice was shaking. Dear God, please don’t let there be burglars in the house.
She picked up an umbrella from the coat stand in the hall and started to creep her way upstairs. ‘Who’s there?’
Her heart was beating hard as the bathroom door started to move. She closed her eyes, flicked the umbrella catch so it opened, and launched herself at the figure in the doorway and screamed, ‘Get out of my house, you thieving bastard!’
‘Fuck’s sake, Mum. What the hell are you doing, you weirdo?’
‘Peter. OMG! You nearly gave me a heart attack.’ Her six-foot-two-inches tall son stood in front of her with a towel wrapped around his middle.
‘What are you doing here?’
‘Well, that’s a delightful welcome home, isn’t it?’ He grinned at his mum. ‘You said you needed me to come home because you needed to talk to me, and I have some stuff to say too, so I thought I’d be here for when you got back.’
‘But why was the house in darkness?’
‘I’ve just had a shower. Oh, how I’ve missed our power shower. The water in the one in our flat just trickles out and isn’t always hot depending on who has been in before you! And I don’t even want to think about the hair round the plughole! I didn’t realise it had gone dark outside. Sorry, Mum, I didn’t mean to scare you. I wasn’t sure what time you were coming back. You just said tonight. Come here.’
Peter wrapped his big strong arms around his mum, and she breathed in the scent of him. A scent she’d missed so much since he’d been away. She didn’t know how to react to this man-boy before her. He was still so much her little boy that she wanted to cradle to her chest, but physically he was a man and he was doing the cradling. She didn’t want to scare him away, but she also wanted to hold him tight and never let him go.
‘I’ve really missed you, Mum. I’m not sure I realised just how much until I came back. I tried so hard to be independent and not call you all the time, even though after a week all I wanted to do was pack up my stuff and come home to you. I’m sorry if that meant I didn’t call at all, but I couldn’t risk it. I knew that if I called you, you’d hear it in my voice and you’d tell me to come home. I couldn’t put that burden on you and I didn’t want you to worry. You always knew what I was thinking, normally before I did.’
These were more words than she’d heard him speak in months. When he’d gone away to uni originally, he was really quiet. She hadn’t wanted to tell him how much she was going to miss him, because she hadn’t wanted to make it a huge thing. She was devastated when the night before he went away, she’d cooked him a lovely tea, his favourite meat pie, mash and veg, and the minute he’d eaten it, he’d gone out to meet his friends. She thought that they’d spend their last evening together and was gutted when he didn’t seem to see the importance of the occasion.
The following day, when she took him to his halls of residence and got him settled in, in the half-hour slot they were given, she felt he couldn’t wait to get rid of her. He’d booked an event for that lunchtime so he could meet some people and he was desperate to go off to that.
That Christmas, when he came home, he didn’t say a lot about uni, although he did say how he was getting on well with the people in his flat but spent most of his time in his room, on his Xbox. When he went back in the new year, he was just as quiet. While she thought that he was quietly leaving her, and starting a life without her in it, he was clearly having his own struggles and couldn’t voice them, not even to his mother.
He gave her that boyish grin that had always wrapped her around his little finger and she knew that everything was going to be OK. It was silly to forget that most things in life were about communication. If people talked more, they’d know what each other were thinking, rather than assuming the wrong thing. There was probably nothing in the world that couldn’t be sorted out with better communication. World wars, famine, politics. People just needed to talk.
All Samantha and Peter needed to do was to find their new normal. They’d done it before when Robert had died and they’d muddled through that time. But right now, she was simply going to enjoy every minute of her boy being home.
‘Come on, son, let’s go and get some supper sorted out. I bet you’ve been living on beans on toast, haven’t you?’
Peter grinned. ‘I’ve missed your cooking, Mum.’ He sat at the kitchen table.
‘And I’m sorry I’ve been an arse.’
She walked behind him and rested her head on his and placed her hands on his shoulders. She kissed his head. ‘You have, but I still love you.’
They both laughed and she knew everything was going to be OK.
Fiona drove straight to the care home from the airport. She’d rung Brenda on the way, and she’d said that she’d be there waiting for her. Fiona couldn’t wait to see her mum. While it had been a relief to take a break, she’d missed her mum terribly.
Brenda met her at the entrance and gave her a hug. She was looking pretty in jeans and a cornflower-blue jumper, which brought out the colour of her eyes much more than the normal uniform she wore.
‘It’s good to see you, Fiona.’
‘It’s good to see you too, Brenda. How is she tonight?’
‘She’s in great spirits. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.’
Fiona knocked on the door of her mum’s room and heard a weak, ‘Come in.’
Her mum was sitting up in bed, propped up on lots of pillows, gazing at a painting on the wall. It looked as if she’d had her hair done recently, and she had colour in her cheeks. Fiona was amazed at how well she looked and she gave a sigh of relief.
‘Hello, Mum,’ Fiona whispered.
She never knew what reaction those words could get. Most of the time, it was pure confusion.
Her mum turned her heard towards the voice, and at first looked puzzled. ‘Fiona? Is that you, Fiona?’
There was a huge lump in Fiona’s throat. She remembered her.
‘Is that really you, dear? Come here where I can see you better.’
‘Yes it’s me, Mum. I’ve been on holiday.’
‘I know that, silly. And you look lovely, all tanned and pretty. You’ve been off to Portugal with your friends for the week, haven’t you?’
Fiona laughed and a sob caught in her breath as well. ‘Yes I have, Mum. I didn’t know if you would remember.’
‘I might be old, but I’m not daft. As if I’d ever forget that. Come and sit beside me on the bed.’ She patted the space next to her.
Fiona squeezed into the space on the bed facing her mum. She seemed to have filled out a bit since the last time she’d seen her. Having someone feed her at the right times, and make sure she was eating it, was obviously doing her the world of good. While Fiona tried so hard, she couldn’t be with her mum every minute of every day, and sometimes she’d make her mum a sandwich and come back, and it wasn’t eaten. When she tried to cajole her mum to eat, she got angry and told her to stop telling her what to do. But that woman seemed a million miles away from the woman sitting in front of her right now.
Her mum took her hand and kissed it. She reached out and stroked her
face. ‘My beautiful daughter. My beautiful Fiona. I do love you, my darling.’
The lump in Fiona’s throat was getting bigger than ever and a tear was forming in her left eye, which she tried to blink away. This was the first time in months her mum had remembered who she was and the first time in a very long time she’d told her she loved her. Those words meant everything to Fiona. It didn’t matter that sometimes her mum got confused. All she knew in her heart was that in that very moment her mother knew who she was and she loved her, and her heart fell full of joy.
She looked up at Brenda in the doorway and smiled. She mouthed ‘thank you’ at her. Brenda smiled back.
Marion looked away at the painting on the wall and then again at her daughter. She frowned. ‘What are you doing sitting on my bed? Have you come to bring my cup of hot chocolate, nurse?’
Fiona giggled. ‘Yes I have, Marion. I’ll just go and get it for you.’
Brenda gave her a hug as she walked out. ‘She’s doing really well. I told you we’d look after her, didn’t I?’
‘You did, Brenda, thank you!’
Brenda linked arms with Fiona. ‘Come on, let’s go and make Marion that hot chocolate and you can tell me all about your holiday.’
Debs stepped out onto the balcony overlooking the bay at Eduardo’s house. Lights twinkled in the distance to show that the nearby town was still wide awake, and the huge full moon cast a light that shimmered prettily on the water. Footsteps behind her let her know she wasn’t alone. Arms snaked around her waist and the warm breath on her neck made her shiver.
‘I hope you are not having regrets, my love.’
‘Not even one. I was just thinking that this was probably one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life.’
‘I will spend every one of my days making you happy and you will never wish you had chosen differently.’
She wriggled around in his arms to face him. ‘I can’t imagine ever wishing I’d chosen differently. Thank you for being you.’
‘And thank you for choosing me.’
He kissed her tenderly and she’d never felt safer and happier in her life.
‘OK, lady. You have to be up bright and early to teach your first craft workshop tomorrow. How exciting. Come on, let’s go to bed.’
‘Is it on?’ Debs tapped the screen. ‘Bloody Portuguese WiFi!’
‘Can you hear me?’ Fiona fiddled with the volume controls on her iPad.
‘Are we all here? Can you see me?’ Samantha peered into the camera on her phone. A little furry face appeared behind her on the screen and they all laughed. ‘I have someone to introduce to you later, ladies.’
Liv raised her G&T to the screen, where she could see all four of them on a joint call. ‘I bloody love you girls. I’m proposing a toast to all of us. To the past and to the future. And to friendship! And I have decided that we should go on a cruise for our seventieth birthdays! To us.’
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Books by Kim Nash
Amazing Grace
Escape to Giddywell Grange
Sunshine and Second Chances
A Letter from Kim
I do hope you enjoyed reading Sunshine and Second Chances. If you did enjoy it, and want to keep up to date with my latest releases, sign up at the following link. Your email address will never be shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.
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I’ve really loved writing Sunshine and Second Chances and hope you have enjoyed a trip to Portugal with Liv, Debs, Samantha and Fiona. The Algarve is one of my favourite locations and we’ve enjoyed many holidays there and made lots of wonderful memories.
If you enjoyed Sunshine and Second Chances, I would be super grateful if you were able to write an Amazon review. I’d love to hear what you think, and it makes such a difference helping new readers to discover one of my books for the first time.
I also love hearing from my readers, so please do get in touch.
Kim x
www.kimthebookworm.co.uk
Amazing Grace
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She’s taking her life back, one step at a time…
Grace thought she had it all. Living in the beautiful village of Little Ollington, along with head teacher husband Mark and gorgeous son, Archie, she devoted herself to being the perfect mum and the perfect wife, her little family giving her everything she ever wanted.
Until that fateful day when she walked in on Mark kissing his secretary – and her perfect life fell apart.
Now she's a single mum to Archie, trying to find her way in life and keep things together for his sake. Saturday nights consist of a Chinese takeaway eaten in front of the TV clad in greying pyjamas, and she can’t remember the last time she had a kiss from anyone aside from her dog, Becks…
Grace’s life needs a shake up – fast. So when gorgeous gardener Vinnie turns up on her doorstep, his twinkling eyes suggesting that he might be interested in more than just her conifers, she might just have found the answer to her prayers. But as Grace falls deeper for Vinnie, ten-year-old Archie fears that his mum finding love means she’ll never reconcile with the dad he loves.
So when ex-husband Mark begs her for another chance, telling her he’s changed from the man that broke her heart, Grace finds herself with an impossible dilemma. Should she take back Mark and reunite the family that Archie loves? Or risk it all for a new chance of happiness?
A funny, feel good romance about finding your own path and changing your life for the better – readers of Cathy Bramley, Jill Mansell and Josie Silver will love this uplifting read.
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Escape to Giddywell Grange
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After having her heart broken by boyfriend Jamie, successful businesswoman Maddy Young threw herself into her career, not realising how she was neglecting her friends and family. But when she’s made redundant from the job she loved so much, Maddy takes her wounded pride back to her childhood home - the village of Giddywell.
With time on her hands being the only thing that Maddy does have, when best friend Beth, needs help with her doggy daycare business at Giddywell Grange, she's the obvious choice to help out.
Soon, Maddy is swapping designer handbags for doggy poo bags and Jimmy Choo heels for wellies… and when she meets furry friend Baxter the Cockerpoo, Maddy learns that love can come from unexpected places.
With Beth's brother - and Maddy’s schoolgirl crush - Alex, back from the States, she soon realises he still makes her heart flip. But when Jamie crashes back into her world, with an offer which looks too good to refuse, will Maddy go back to her old life? Or will she discover that the key to her future lies in making other people happy?
An uplifting romantic comedy that will warm your heart – perfect for fans of Cathy Bramley, Milly Johnson and Lucy Dillon.
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Acknowledgements
First, I’d like to say a huge thank you to Lauren for your wonderful editorial advice and encouragement and also to Jon for your fantastic final polish and input. Your hard work is very much appreciated.
To Hannah, for holding my hand through the final part.
To Lisa/Mary Jane for creating the most gorgeous cover and to Lydia for being my sounding board on the cover.
Thanks to Ollie for your love and support. Love you to the moon and back, my not so little man!
To Lisa, for being my biggest book cheerleader and for telling everyone she meets about her little sister’s books (which is sometimes a little embarrassing!)
To Roni for letting me go over plot holes and timeline issues while out walking through the countryside and apologies to all the mountain bikers and dog walkers who think I’m a loon wandering around talking to myself.
To Nicola May, for being a fab holiday companion on our trip to Portugal. I will never eat vegan food
again without thinking of you! You know why! Thank you for your friendship, your support, your wisdom and your encouragement.
To the blogger and author community that I chat to on a daily basis. I cannot tell you how much you mean to me and have spurred me on to keep writing. Your kind and funny comments, tweets, posts are an absolute joy.
To everyone at Bookouture. You are the best bunch of people I could wish to work with. Your talent, enthusiasm, positivity and energy is incredible.
And finally I’d like to thank my friends. The people who inspire me on a daily basis. Those who inspired me to write this story about friendship. I am so very fortunate to have such amazing friendships in my life and am surrounded by the most brilliant, bright, brave, funny, kind, loving, thoughtful and wonderful people that make my world complete.
Published by Kim Nash in 2020
www.kimthebookworm.co.uk
Copyright © Kim Nash, 2020
Kim Nash has asserted her right to be identified as the author of this work.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.