‘Jesus.’ Billy rubbed a hand over his day-old beard. He reached out his hand and lightly touched hers, rubbing her fingers gently. She could hear Wren coming and pulled her hand back. She wasn’t sure what was going on here, and Wren didn’t need any more upheaval and uncertainty. He needed stability, and she was going to provide it.
Billy stood up. ‘I’d better get going. I’m really glad you could use Mom’s stuff. Call me anytime, Ness. OK? Anytime.’ Vanessa saw him to the door.
When she came back into the kitchen, Wren was waiting. ‘I like him, Mom. I think he’s going to be a great friend. To you and me and Ty.’ Approval delivered, he ran down the hallway to his blue room.
7
The next six months seemed to go by quickly. Vanessa couldn’t have been happier with the house, her boys and her freedom, but she kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. For Mark to drag her kicking and screaming back to their old house. There was just no way he was going to let them go without a fight. She knew he’d want revenge.
Wren was happier than he had ever been. He stopped jumping at loud noises and she hoped eventually the haunted look would leave his eyes. He would go around every morning and every night to check the doors and the window locks. He was vigilant about safety and protecting his family. But Vanessa knew that if Mark wanted in, then Mark would get in. She kept her cellphone in her pocket at all times and had a landline installed, with a second handset in the baby’s room, which also had a lock on the door – a good one – installed by Billy. Alongside this, Vanessa had put an old milk crate outside the window, resting on the ground, so Wren could get out of the window if need be. The screen popped off easily and noiselessly. She also kept a baby carrier hanging in the wardrobe in case her boys had to leave in a hurry and run to Billy’s. He hid a spare key for Wren in case of an emergency and they’d drilled what to do. You could never be too careful. It was sad that she had to do all of this, but she would protect her children at all costs.
It was still dark outside when Vanessa woke up. She lay on her side and tried to listen for any sounds in the old house. Vanessa wasn’t sure what woke her. It wasn’t Ty – the baby monitor by her bed was silent. Wren? Possibly. She should get up and check. She looked at her phone; it was two-thirty in the morning, what would Wren be doing up? Then she heard a noise, small and almost inaudible, but it was there. She was sure she wasn’t imagining it. Quietly she rolled out of bed, gripping her phone, and made her way through the darkness of the now familiar house, touching furniture as she went. She checked on Wren, asleep in his bed, and Ty, flat on his back and snoring slightly, his face slack. She went to the front door and ensured it was locked, then repeated it for the back door. The same. She headed back to the front door in the darkness and moved the curtain a little to peek out. Mark’s car sat outside her house. Quickly she let the curtain drop, fear making her head swim. Vanessa backed up a couple of steps before turning and running into the kitchen where she grabbed the first knife she laid her hands on from the knife block. She backed herself into a corner, knife by her side. Then she remembered the phone in her hand. She wasn’t too proud to ask for help. She rang Billy. It had been ages since she’d heard from Mark, but she’d had a feeling that everything wasn’t OK.
He answered on the third ring.
‘His car is out the front. I can’t tell if he’s in it or not. I’m scared.’ She bit her bottom lip, the knife wavering by her side as she wondered if she could actually use it on another human being.
‘Get somewhere safe, lock yourself in Ty’s room. I’m coming right now.’ She could hear the determination in his voice, the desire to protect her and the boys.
She put the phone in her pocket and, holding the knife out in front of her, ran to Wren’s bedroom. She put a hand over his mouth, and he woke up with a start. He knew the drill. Stay silent. Don’t make a sound. She motioned for him to go next door to Ty’s room. She followed him in and spun around, throwing the bolt in the lock. ‘Billy’s coming,’ she whispered, devastated by the frightened look on her son’s face. Just when he was beginning to live a less scared life, here they were again. His mouth was slack, and his eyes were dark pits in the shadowed room, illuminated by a small night-light.
When someone knocked on the bedroom door, she let out a squeal of fright and Wren grabbed her hand tightly.
‘It’s me, Ness, open up.’ Relief flooded through her at the sound of Billy’s voice, and she quickly unlocked the door. ‘You OK?’ he whispered so as not to wake Ty.
‘Yes, we’re OK.’
Billy squatted down so he was looking up at Wren. ‘You all right, little man?’ At those words, Wren threw himself into Billy’s arms, who almost lost his balance. He hugged him back before letting go of the boy and standing up. ‘He wasn’t in his car. Maybe he was just trying to scare you. I’m surprised you made it this long without him finding out where you were living, but I’ll go and check the rest of the house, all right? Lock the door behind me again.’ He left the room, and she did as he said. She pulled Wren to her side and wrapped one arm around him. He slid his arms around her.
‘Why won’t Dad leave us alone?’ he asked, looking up at his mom. ‘He doesn’t even like us.’ He sounded way too old for a ten-year-old. Having a dad like Mark, going through what he had, had given him a perspective that other kids his age couldn’t even imagine.
‘I don’t know, honey. I don’t know what your dad is thinking.’ She left it at that. She had much more to say on the subject, but Wren was not the right audience.
Billy knocked on the door again, announcing himself. ‘He’s not here. I didn’t see any evidence that he was inside either.’
‘But I heard noises, like someone was moving around but it was sneaky like. I don’t know, maybe I imagined it after all. I was half asleep.’ As they spoke, they heard a car peel down the street. Vanessa looked out her bedroom window. ‘He’s gone. If he wasn’t in the car and he wasn’t inside, then where the hell was he?’
‘I don’t know,’ Billy said, ‘but he’s gone now and that’s all that matters.’
‘Thanks for coming to check it out. I’m sorry I called you in the middle of the night.’
He gave her a gentle smile that curved up the edges of his lips and she couldn’t help but smile back, her previous fears almost forgotten. ‘Call me later?’ he said in a low voice.
She didn’t trust herself to speak, so she just nodded. She heard him lock the front door on his way out.
‘All right, Wren, let’s get you back into bed.’ She glanced at Ty, then rested her hand on his tiny chest, feeling the rise and fall of his breathing. God, she loved her kids. One final look at his relaxed face and she ushered Wren back into his room. She was sure that he was asleep before his head even connected with his pillow. It took Vanessa a lot longer to drop off. The first tendrils of dawn were already licking at her windows when she finally fell asleep.
Vanessa woke, trying to wipe the gritty feeling from her eyes. She’d better have a shower before the boys woke up. Checking her phone, she saw she’d only been asleep for an hour and a bit. Not nearly long enough. After her shower, she went to the kitchen to organize breakfast for Wren, but he had beaten her to it.
‘Morning, Mom,’ he said cheerily, pouring milk onto his cereal. He looked well rested despite being woken up in the middle of the night.
‘Morning, honey. You’re making your own breakfast? I’m impressed.’
‘Dad used to tell me that making food was women’s work, but I don’t believe that.’
Smiling, she walked over and gave Wren a noisy kiss on top of his head. ‘Love you, kiddo.’ She watched as he finished making, then eating his breakfast. Wren had come so far in these last few months. Imagine how he’d be in a few years. Stability, she thought again.
Ty started to cry, signaling that he too was awake. ‘I’ll go get him up and ready to take you to school.’ School had always been a safe haven for Wren; he could fall into one of his books and forget about th
e darkness in the world around him.
Vanessa walked into Ty’s room and looked at the fussy baby. ‘Good morning, my darling boy. How are you today?’ He gave her a smile of sorts and gurgled; his earlier cries forgotten. She picked him up out of his cot, changed his nappy and took off his pajamas, put him in fresh clothes and took him into the kitchen where she sat down and gave him his breakfast. Wren packed his lunch, which he’d also made himself, and put it into his bag. Ty let out a whopping burp, which had Wren dissolving into giggles. Vanessa smiled too.
‘Alright, let’s get a wriggle on.’ They all moved out to the car and Wren climbed into the back seat and buckled his seatbelt while Vanessa strapped Ty’s harness into the capsule. Now that they were both safe, she backed out of the driveway, checking both ways, looking for Mark’s car more than anything. Once they pulled up at the school, she blew a kiss to Wren. This year he was walking to class alone, wanting to be a big boy, but now and then she was allowed to walk with him. Not this morning, though.
She looked down at the gas gauge and realized that she needed fuel. There was only one place in town to fill up, a sad-looking café attached to a garage that had been owned by old man Phillips since she could remember. He’d been working on cars forever, his wife running the café. It had been a little neglected – OK, a lot neglected – for a while now.
From the exterior, it looked abandoned; weeds grew through the gaps in the concrete yard, the sign was faded and peeling, and the interior… she didn’t even know where to start. She normally just ignored it, taking Ty in with her, paying for her gas, then leaving again. It smelled like old fried food and it hadn’t seen a lick of paint in a while. The food in the heated cabinets was deep fried, shriveled and entirely unappetizing.
She had filled up her bomb of a car – brought for her by her parents when she graduated high school. Her dad had taught her to drive it. She missed her dad terribly, but she still wasn’t ready to speak to him. She readjusted Ty in her arms, as she walked in to pay for her petrol.
She skimmed the bulletin board while she was waiting.
Staff member needed. Start ASAP. No experience necessary. Part time. Enquire at register.
Well, she did need a job and it couldn’t hurt to ask what it was.
‘Vanessa? Is that you?’ She turned around and saw a familiar face.
‘Toby!’ She gave him an awkward hug as she had Ty attached to her. Vanessa had also gone to school with Toby, old man Phillips’ son. They’d been close until he had moved away just after graduation.
‘You had another baby, I see. What’s his name?’
‘Tyson, Ty for short. He’s such a little gem.’
‘So how is Wren? And Mark?’ he asked casually. He must have already caught up on the gossip to know Wren’s name.
‘Actually, between you and me, I’ve left Mark. I moved out; things are actually beginning to look up.’ She smiled at him, a genuine, happy smile.
‘I saw you looking at dad’s bulletin board. I put a few things up this morning. Anything catch your attention?’
‘Yeah. You’re looking for someone. To do what?’
Toby leaned against the counter, standing exactly where his mom used to stand when she served them snacks after school. ‘What do you think of this café?’
‘What do I think?’ She shifted Ty to the other arm, absent-mindedly jiggling him up and down. ‘Well, I think there’s potential for it to be a really nice café that people can come in, sit down and have a nice lunch or snack in. But what do I see? Neglect. Sadness. A waste.’
Toby was silent.
‘Oh God! I’ve offended you, haven’t I?’
‘No, not at all. Mom passed away and the place has kind of gone to ruin. Dad has tried to keep up, but he was never good at this kind of stuff.’
‘Oh Toby, I’m so sorry to hear about your mom’s passing. I always remembered her as a lovely lady who made a mean apple crumble.’
‘Thanks Ness, I appreciate that. She’d been sick for a while. Tell me,’ he said after a moment’s pause, ‘what would you do differently?’ Toby asked.
Without missing a beat, Vanessa said, ‘Well, I’d start by putting up a new sign at the front with “Under New Management” on it. Repaint the concrete tiles in an appealing terracotta color. I’d like to see some outdoor tables and chairs, maybe with umbrellas for hot days. I’d redo the floor inside, polished concrete – it’s hard wearing and looks great. I’d overhaul the menu, if you can call it that, and lastly, I’d add fresh food and muffins to the menu. I think that’s about it.’
He just stared at her. ‘What? You asked,’ she said defensively, changing the increasingly heavy Ty to the other arm again.
Toby smiled. ‘All right then.’
‘All right then what?’
‘You have yourself a job. Can you start tomorrow?’
He took in her open mouth and wide eyes and began laughing. ‘You should see your face right now. Dad needs help, we’re losing money on this side of the business and you clearly have an eye for improvements and details.’
Surely, he didn’t just offer her a job. Did he?
‘So, can you start tomorrow? There’s no one to train you, but I’m sure you can work most of it out. I need to go back to the city; I can’t spend any more time here, and Dad’s been a bit… stuck since Mom died. He needs a woman’s touch around the place. Here’s my card, contact me to talk about budgets and staffing. You can hire another part-timer to cover you as I know you’ve got a family and you’re a single mom now.’
‘I just can’t believe this. You’re seriously offering me a job?’
‘I’m seriously giving you a job, and I’m really hoping you’re going to take it.’ He put his hand out.
She reached out her free hand to shake his. ‘You have yourself a deal.’ She gave him a smile and he briefly touched Ty’s soft cheek as he said goodbye.
She had a job!
As soon as she got home and put Ty down for a nap, she rang her mom. ‘Hey Mom, it’s me. Can you come over? I’ve just put Ty down and I have news.’ she said excitedly. She was dying to tell her mom what had happened with… everything.
Within ten minutes her mom was sitting across from her, drinking a cup of tea. ‘So,’ she said. ‘You look like you’re going to burst. What has made you so happy?’
‘Actually, I have two things to tell you. One good, one not so good.’
‘I prefer good news first.’
‘OK, remember Toby from school?’
‘Little Toby Phillips?’
‘Yeah, except he’s all grown up now.’
‘Is that the good news? That you ran into an old friend?’
‘No, but something good did happen. He offered me a job running the café next to the gas station in town.’
‘Oh, Ness! That’s wonderful. I’m so proud of you. You’ll do an awesome job.’
‘Do you think you could watch the kids when I’m at work?’ She held her breath; her taking the job depended on her mom helping her out.
‘Of course I will, I’d love to have more time with my grandchildren.’
Vanessa breathed a sigh of relief, then touched her mom’s hand, covering it with her own. She could feel the bones in her hand, thinner than she remembered, delicate, bird-like. ‘Thanks, Mom.’
‘Now,’ she said, ‘what else did you want to tell me? What is the bad news? Do I even want to know?’
‘Probably not.’ Vanessa toyed with the cup of tea in front of her, turning it round and round.
‘Ness. What happened? You’re beginning to worry me.’
‘Mark was here last night. He was outside, and I had to call Billy. I thought I heard something in the house, I thought it was Mark, but there was no sign of him inside. Then his car took off down the street. It scared me, and Wren was awake as well. I just want this all to be over, for Wren to have a normal life. He’s just starting to laugh again, to loosen up, I want that to keep going, not have him regress because of fucking Mar
k.’
‘I agree. He can’t be afraid all the time. He’s scarred by his father; it’s not right.’ Her mother paused before continuing. ‘I have to ask. You and Billy, is there anything going on there? I mean, seriously, no one would blame you. He’s a good guy and you deserve so much more than Mark.’ She almost spat his name in disgust. ‘Billy’s a keeper you know.’
Vanessa blushed. ‘There’s nothing going on.’
‘OK, OK, I won’t pressure you about it, but remember you know you can come to me anytime, with anything. Speaking of exes, I saw your dad the other day.’
‘What? Why? You’re not getting back with him, are you?’ Vanessa was worried for her mom, her dad had done the wrong thing by her and kept it a secret for all those years. Her mom was still vulnerable from spending thirty years with the man.
‘No, I’m not taking him back, I have no intention of it, but he’s having money troubles, so he’s asked if he can move into the guesthouse out the back for a while. I said yes.’ She sipped her tea. ‘Thoughts?’
‘Mom, you can’t. This is just a ploy to get closer to you and you’ve let him come back halfway already by letting him stay on your property. Before you know it, he’ll be back at home. Tell me you’ve thought this through?’ Vanessa was worried, very worried. Her mom was fragile, and she never could say no to her dad.
‘Oh honey, I have. I’m not getting back together with him, I’m just helping him out till he’s on his feet again. He made a terrible mistake and I believe he’s sorry, but it’s over. He wants to see the boys every now and then. He misses Wren and he’d love to meet Ty. Would that be OK?’
Vanessa looked at the doorway as if expecting her children to magically appear, conjured by her memory.
‘That’s a serious ask. You may have forgiven him, but I haven’t. Not yet.’ She ran a hand through her hair, mussing it up.
Never Ever Tell Page 8