by Karen King
Sunday, 28 December
Meg and Oliver
‘We haven’t done Christmas together yet. Let’s celebrate it today,’ Oliver suggested as they cuddled up together in bed after a day and night of making love, dozing then making love again.
Meg sighed contentedly. She was happy to be back home with Oliver and equally happy to do nothing but lie here all morning. Oliver was right though: both their presents were still wrapped under the Christmas tree and she for one would like to see what hers were. It would also make up a little for the sadness of being apart on Christmas Day. ‘That sounds good to me, as long as you don’t want us to cook a turkey dinner. I definitely don’t fancy cooking.’
Oliver kissed the tip of her nose. ‘No cooking,’ he promised. ‘But we still have our Christmas presents to open, and so do the bunnies. Let’s go and open them now, then we can go out for dinner later and celebrate us getting back together. And my new job and our new life. You do still want to go to Cheshire, don’t you? I can turn it down if you prefer. I honestly don’t mind.’
She smiled up at him. ‘Yes, I do want to go. It’ll be a great opportunity for you, a fresh start for us both. And a lovely place to bring up a family.’ She paused. ‘If you’re sure that’s what you want?’
He looked into her eyes and held her gaze. ‘Absolutely positive.’ His lips lowered to meet hers and they kissed, slowly, deeply, sensuously.
Suddenly Meg remembered their party booking. ‘What about the party next Saturday?’ she asked, easing herself out of Oliver’s arms. ‘We can’t let them down. And we have to take the van in for a service tomorrow.’
‘Gosh, I’d forgotten about that.’ Oliver rubbed the stubble on his cheek. ‘I can ask Hugh if I can start the job a week later, explain that I have a few things to tie up first. I’m sure he won’t mind.’
‘That sounds perfect. It gives me time to make sure Dad is okay and for us to say goodbye to our friends,’ Meg said with a smile. ‘Now, shall we open our presents downstairs? I want to give Laurel and Hardy their stockings too.’
Oliver nodded, throwing back the duvet. ‘I’ll go and make a cuppa.’
‘I’ll have a quick shower then I’ll be down,’ Meg told him.
* * *
A few minutes later, clad in a warm jumper and jeans, she stepped out of the bedroom to the smell of fresh coffee wafting up the stairs. Mmm. She’d missed home. She hurried down the stairs and into the kitchen as their Amazon Echo started to play ‘The Power of Love’. Their song. Oliver was standing by the coffee machine, one mug of coffee on the worktop, the other filling up with the aromatic liquid. He turned towards her and held out his arms.
How could she resist when he looked so temptingly beddable with his jeans slung low on his waist, toned bare chest, tousled hair. God, she’d missed him. She moved into his arms and they started to dance the steps they had done on their wedding day.
When the song had finished, Meg rested her head on Oliver’s shoulder, enjoying the warmth and closeness of his body. ‘I never want us to split up again,’ she said softly.
‘We won’t,’ he said, kissing her on her forehead. ‘We’re for keeps.’
A shrill squeaking noise alerted them to Laurel, running around, flicking her long ears about, trying to get their attention. Meg and Oliver both laughed.
‘Laurel wants some of the fuss but Hardy’s too busy tucking into his Christmas carrot to bother; food always comes first with him,’ Oliver said with a chuckle as Meg scooped up Laurel and held her close. It was so good to be back home.
After a breakfast of fresh coffee and hot, buttered toast, they sat on the sofa and ‘helped’ the bunnies open their presents – a willow ball to nibble, a maze to keep them occupied when Oliver and Meg were out and a big plastic ball with a bell inside it – and a stocking each of bunny treats. They both laughed as the bunnies sniffed their presents then played happily with the wrapping paper.
Meg told Oliver to open his presents first. She had chosen them so carefully: a new tablet, a smartphone projector, a guitar case and music stand – he loved them all. Then Meg opened hers: a gold necklace with two hearts entwined – which brought tears to her eyes at the thought that they had almost split up for good, the pale blue leather jacket she’d tried on a few weeks ago in an upmarket boutique in town but they hadn’t got her size, some of her favourite bath stuff, and the thing that really brought a smile to her face because she had always wanted one, a ‘name the star’ certificate. She hugged it to her. ‘Thank you, they’re all perfect.’ She waved the star certificate. ‘I’m going to call it OllyMeg, after us.’
‘I thought you might want to keep it until we have a child and name it after them,’ Oliver said.
She smiled happily but shook her head. ‘No, the first star has to be named after us, because it all begins with us. We can get another star for our baby.’
Oliver reached for her and they kissed and hugged as if they would never let each other go.
* * *
Oliver phoned Hugh to explain about Meg’s dad having a mini-stroke, and him and Meg getting back together, and ask if he could start the new job a little later. Hugh was very sympathetic and told Oliver to take until the end of January – which was plenty of time for Meg to make sure her dad was better, for them to complete their bookings for Party MO, to decide what to do about their house and to sort out what they were going to take with them to their new home. Then, after phoning her mum to check that she and her dad were okay – all fine, Dad was sitting in the lounge watching TV – Meg and Oliver went out to lunch.
They walked into their local pub, hand in hand, and were greeted by a loud cheer from a group of their friends sitting over in the corner.
‘Come and join us,’ Josh called, waving to them.
Oliver glanced questioningly at Meg. They had been planning on having a romantic couple’s lunch, but it was nice to see their friends again, she thought, nodding at him.
‘Thank goodness you two are back together,’ Helen said as they pulled out chairs to join them. ‘I was beginning to lose all faith in love.’
‘We’ve got some news though…’ Meg looked at Oliver; it was his announcement to make.
He wrapped his arms around Meg’s shoulders. ‘I’ve been offered a job in Cheshire so we’re moving away at the end of January,’ he announced proudly.
‘Wow, really? Well, we’re going to miss you guys,’ Helen replied.
‘Big time. But good on you, mate,’ Josh said.
The discussion then turned to Oliver’s new job, where they were going to live, what Meg was going to do and – most importantly – whether they were having a goodbye party.
‘There’s no time, we’ve got masses to do before we go,’ Oliver told them. ‘We can all go for a farewell meal though.’
Everyone agreed that was a good idea.
‘We’ll be back for visits, and you’re all welcome to visit us once we’re settled in,’ Meg added.
Josh raised a glass. ‘Well, here’s to your new home. We all hope you’ll both be really happy there.’
As everyone raised their glasses, Oliver reached for Meg’s hand underneath the table and squeezed it tight. ‘We will be.’
44
New Year’s Day
Sally and Ted
It was back. That familiar feeling of being trapped, of being on the outside looking in, of being on autopilot as she went through the motions, but not really living her life. Sally had tried so hard since she’d come home but the last few days had seemed an eternity. She and Ted were polite, friendly even, to each other but there was nothing between them. Ted had taken it easy for a few days, given himself the chance to recover, pottering in the shed rather than gardening. Sally was sure the mini-stroke had scared him even more than it had scared her. The evenings were spent quietly, sitting side by side on the sofa, watching TV in silence apart from the odd, ‘Do you want a cup of tea?’ They kept to their own sides of the bed, both of them careful not to tou
ch each other. She wasn’t even sure if Ted was pleased she was back. He had never said.
The other morning, Paula had called to Sally over the garden fence to ask how Ted was, and Sally had told her that he was on the mend and that she was back home to stay. They hadn’t exchanged any words since, although yesterday she had seen Ted and Paula chatting over the fence when he’d gone out to check on his vegetables.
How she wished that she were back down Cornwall with Rose and Rory, Leo and Sam. Rose had messaged her a couple of times, asking how Ted was and telling her that Leo had given her the cottage keys and that she would hand them in tomorrow, 2 January, the date Sally had booked the cottage until. In her last message Rose had written:
Do keep in touch and let me know how you are. I’ve come to value your friendship in this short time we’ve known each other.
Sally felt the same; she and Rose had clicked instantly and she missed her warm, no-nonsense manner. She missed Rory too, with his big reaching-his-eyes smile, calmness and daft humour. She’d known them both less than two weeks but she realised that she felt more at ease with them than with Frances, Sylvia or any of her other friends. Frances was back from the cruise now, wanting to know all the gossip, having heard through the grapevine about their break-up, and Ted’s mini-stroke. Sally had fobbed her off, saying she was busy and would talk later.
I wish I was still in Cornwall, Sally thought miserably. Then she immediately got annoyed with herself. She had to pull herself together. She had a lot to be thankful for. Ted could have died. And Meg and Oliver were back together, thank goodness, and moving to a new home in Cheshire later this month. Meg had phoned her to tell her that they had talked things through and agreed to start planning a family once they were settled in their new home. She had sounded so happy.
‘I’m so pleased that you two have worked things out,’ Sally had told her.
‘Me too. How about you, Mum?’ Meg had sounded concerned. ‘Is everything okay?’
Sally had assured her that she was fine, and she wanted to be back home with Ted. Which she did. Well, she wanted to want to, and was trying very hard to be upbeat and supportive.
The family were coming this afternoon for a New Year’s celebration, the first time that they had all been together since before Christmas. A sort of celebration that both Sally and Ted, and Meg and Oliver were back together. And to congratulate Meg and Oliver on Oliver’s new job and their new home.
I’ll miss seeing Meg, Sally thought as she started laying the kitchen table. They’d grown so much closer over the past couple of weeks. Though she was pleased Meg was happy again and that she and Oliver were making a fresh start, Cheshire was a good four hours’ drive away, so she doubted if she would be seeing a lot of them once they moved.
Sally had made a large fruit cake, which she now placed in the centre of the table, and a variety of sandwiches – ham, cheese and salmon – all neatly arranged on a plate with a clear plate cover over them. The trifle was setting in the fridge. She’d been busy, needed to keep herself occupied. Ted was out in his shed. He was keeping out of her way, like she was keeping out of his. She guessed this was how it would be from now on.
She opened some crisps and mixed nuts, putting them into bowls, trying not to think about the strain of keeping up a façade in front of the family this afternoon. Strange how difficult it was to do since she’d been away, yet she had managed it successfully for years.
It’s because you had your freedom and have now lost it again, she told herself.
If coming back home had shown her one thing, it was how unhappy she was here, how empty her life felt.
There’s more to life than happiness, she reminded herself as she laid out some serviettes. She stood back and surveyed the table. It looked good. She glanced at her watch. Almost four. She’d asked everyone to be over for half four, so they had plenty of time to chat. She was looking forward to seeing little Tom again – she had missed him so much – and to seeing the smile back on Meg’s face.
She turned around as Ted came in from the garden. He looked so tired, and not quite himself. But then he would, wouldn’t he? It could have all been such a lot worse. ‘I hope you’re not doing too much,’ she said. ‘Sit down and let me make you a cuppa.’
‘Can you leave that a minute, Sal? I’d like to talk to you. Can we go into the lounge?’
That sounded serious. What had she done now?
‘Of course.’ She followed Ted into the lounge, feeling rather anxious. Ted wasn’t one for talking. Had he had some bad news about his health, something he hadn’t told her yet?
‘Is everything okay, Ted? Aren’t you feeling well?’ she asked when, to her surprise, he sat down on the sofa – Ted always sat in his favourite armchair. She hesitated then sat down beside him.
His eyes met hers, which again surprised her; they rarely looked at each other in the face when they talked. In fact they seemed to avoid eye contact at all costs.
She waited anxiously for Ted to tell her what was on his mind.
He coughed to clear his throat, his eyes still on her face. ‘That mini-stroke gave me quite a shock. I could have died if Dan hadn’t been here and called an ambulance for me.’
Here we go, he’s going to tell me how my selfish behaviour nearly killed him. She’d been waiting all week for that particular accusation. She dropped her gaze to her hands, fidgeted with her fingers, twisted her wedding band around. ‘I know. I’m sorry I wasn’t here.’
‘The thing is, Sal, it made me think. You’re right: life’s short, we’ve got to seize it with both hands, live it. All those clichés you kept saying to me are right.’
Sally raised her eyes back to his face in astonishment. He looked thoughtful, as if he was carefully considering the words he was saying. Was he going to tell her that he wanted to go away with her after all, to get out more? If he did, she appreciated the effort, but she knew that it was more than that which had driven them apart. They no longer loved each other and had nothing in common apart from their children. And she didn’t see how they could ever get that love back. They had to be content with being polite to each other.
‘So, that’s what I intend to do. I could have died that evening and there are so many things I haven’t done, places I haven’t seen. Lying in that hospital bed I realised that, and I’ve been thinking about it ever since.’ He coughed again, awkwardly, and she knew he was feeling embarrassed. Ted wasn’t one to talk about serious stuff. ‘The thing is, I want to live my life now and I want you to live yours.’ He looked away, staring at the wall as if he could find the words he wanted to say written there. ‘I appreciate you coming back to look after me, but I don’t want you to sacrifice your life for me. I want you to live it how you want to live it. Go and travel, see the world.’ He swallowed and turned his gaze back to her. ‘I’m setting you free, Sally.’
‘What do you mean?’ She stared at him uncomprehendingly. Was he saying he wouldn’t stop her from going away? Wouldn’t sulk about it when she came back? Well, he didn’t have to worry about that; she had no intention of going anywhere. She wasn’t going to leave him now – what if he had another stroke? ‘I don’t want to go away, Ted,’ she told him. ‘I’m going to stay right here and look after you.’
‘Don’t you see? I don’t want you to.’ He raised his voice now, red spots appearing on his cheeks. ‘You’re unhappy, Sal, I can see that. And I’m not happy either. We’re not good together any more, haven’t been for a while. You were right all along but I was too pig-headed to admit it. I didn’t want things to change – I was scared of them changing – but now I am starting to see that change is a good thing.’
‘You mean that you want us to split up?’ She couldn’t believe it.
‘Yes, because that’s what’s best for both of us. I want us to divorce while we’re both still young enough to make new lives for ourselves, and while we can still be friends, can still bear to be in the same room together. You were right, we’ve just been going through the mo
tions for years, and I don’t want us to do that any longer. Life’s too precious to waste like that.’
He was saying what she had been trying to tell him when she’d left before Christmas. Did he really mean it or was he telling her what he knew she wanted to hear? ‘Are you sure, Ted? What if you have another TIA?’
‘Positive. I’ve been thinking about it ever since I had the TIA. The doctor said there was no lasting damage, and as long as I take care of myself, there’s no reason why I should have another one. It’s no more risk than you having one,’ he pointed out. ‘We can’t let the thought of one of us being ill bind us together. Accidents and ill health can happen any time. We’ve got to live our lives while we can.’
He was serious! She felt a huge burden lift from her and wanted to hug him, which seemed terribly inappropriate when he’d just agreed to them splitting up. ‘What will you do? And what about the house?’
He rubbed his head. ‘I’m not sure yet. We’ll sell the house, of course – it’s too big for me and, like you, I want a fresh start. I feel like I’ve been given a second chance at life and I want to make it count. For now, how about you take half from the savings to pay for rent on a place, and for anything else you want to do. We’ll sort out all the rest of the stuff later.’ He leant forward and placed his hand on hers. ‘Be happy, Sally. Go and do all the things you’ve dreamt of. And thank you for all the years you’ve given me and for being willing to put your dreams on hold to come back and take care of me.’
‘Are you sure, Ted?’ she asked, her heart fluttering in her chest, hardly daring that it was going to be set free. ‘Are you really sure?’
‘I’m positive,’ he said and he held out his arms. ‘Happy New Year, Sal. Let’s start it in a good way. Friends but apart.’