she can stay,” he said and then added quietly. “Does she know?”
“She
knows I’ve been sick, but I thought I’d tell her on a need to know basis. It
might be easier for her to understand that way. She’s broken up for the summer
holidays but there’s still Brownies and her ballet classes.”
“I
can sort that out. What about your parents?”
She
gave a bright smile. “They arrived yesterday. They’ve taken her to the zoo
today. They wanted to look after her themselves but Dad’s health isn’t
brilliant and I don’t think he could cope...with everything.”
“Well,
it’ll be no problem for her to stay with me.”
“Thank
you,” she whispered.
“Don’t
be silly. She’s my daughter.” He squeezed her fingers. “I hope you don’t
mind me saying it but I think Peter has picked one hell of a time to leave
you.”
She
gave an ironic laugh. “It was my illness that drove him away. It frightened
him witless.” She glanced down at his hands still gripping hers. “Isn’t it
strange, the events that bring out a person’s true nature.”
After Kiera had
left, Jason told the others everything that had happened in his office. Anna
didn’t take her eyes from his face the entire time, Ben stared down at the
table and Mrs Wilby was unable to focus on anything except to dab at the corner
of her eyes with a lace hanky. At the conclusion, Jason suggested that they postpone
their visit to the Grange until further notice. In the end this didn’t cause a
problem since after a brief telephone call, his mother was in complete
agreement that her birthday celebrations should be put on hold for the time
being.
The
following day was very strange. Jason went to collect Hollie as usual and when
she arrived, she crashed into the house pulling a small trolley containing her
possessions and causing Ben to wince at the chipped paintwork on the
doorframe. She was keen to tell everyone that Granddad and Grandma Macintosh
had come to visit all the way from Canada.
“But
Mummy has to go into hospital tomorrow,” she added sadly. “She’s very sick and
the doctors are going to make her better.”
The
adults made no comment.
Anna
followed her upstairs to the small room that had once been her nursery and then
her bedroom until she had left with her mother. Now it was set aside for her
occasional visits. Although the smallest bedroom in the house, it had been
decorated in Hollie’s favourite colour, pink and the bed sported a Barbie cover
that matched the curtains. Anna helped her unpack and noticed that her Brownie
uniform was rather crumpled so she decided to take it to the utility room and
run the iron over it.
Leaving
Hollie to sort out her things, Anna spent the next ten minutes busily removing
the creases from the dress and pressing the collar back into shape, delighting
in the tiny garment that seemed to be made for a doll rather than a child. She
cherished her boys and wouldn’t change them for anything, but she would have
loved a little girl, to dress in pretty clothes, to brush her hair and do all
the things a mother could do for a daughter. She sighed sadly. If Dave hadn’t
been the way he was, she might have contemplated a second pregnancy, but the
way things had gone it was out of the question.
When
she reached Hollie’s room, she found father and daughter sitting on the bed,
deep in conversation. They both smiled as Anna entered the room. Hollie had
unpacked the rest of her things so Anna found a hanger and hung the dress on
the door of the cupboard.
“All
right, young lady,” said Anna turning to the little girl. “I know you’ve
finished school, but if I remember rightly, the teacher often gives homework
for the summer.”
Hollie’s
expression became doleful. “I suppose.”
“What
is it?”
The
little girl shuffled about on the bed. “I’ve got to read two pages of my book
and write down five things I
“She
knows I’ve been sick, but I thought I’d tell her on a need to know basis. It
might be easier for her to understand that way. She’s broken up for the summer
holidays but there’s still Brownies and her ballet classes.”
“I
can sort that out. What about your parents?”
She
gave a bright smile. “They arrived yesterday. They’ve taken her to the zoo
today. They wanted to look after her themselves but Dad’s health isn’t
brilliant and I don’t think he could cope...with everything.”
“Well,
it’ll be no problem for her to stay with me.”
“Thank
you,” she whispered.
“Don’t
be silly. She’s my daughter.” He squeezed her fingers. “I hope you don’t
mind me saying it but I think Peter has picked one hell of a time to leave
you.”
She
gave an ironic laugh. “It was my illness that drove him away. It frightened
him witless.” She glanced down at his hands still gripping hers. “Isn’t it
strange, the events that bring out a person’s true nature.”
After Kiera had
left, Jason told the others everything that had happened in his office. Anna
didn’t take her eyes from his face the entire time, Ben stared down at the
table and Mrs Wilby was unable to focus on anything except to dab at the corner
of her eyes with a lace hanky. At the conclusion, Jason suggested that they postpone
their visit to the Grange until further notice. In the end this didn’t cause a
problem since after a brief telephone call, his mother was in complete
agreement that her birthday celebrations should be put on hold for the time
being.
The
following day was very strange. Jason went to collect Hollie as usual and when
she arrived, she crashed into the house pulling a small trolley containing her
possessions and causing Ben to wince at the chipped paintwork on the
doorframe. She was keen to tell everyone that Granddad and Grandma Macintosh
had come to visit all the way from Canada.
“But
Mummy has to go into hospital tomorrow,” she added sadly. “She’s very sick and
the doctors are going to make her better.”
The
adults made no comment.
Anna
followed her upstairs to the small room that had once been her nursery and then
her bedroom until she had left with her mother. Now it was set aside for her
occasional visits. Although the smallest bedroom in the house, it had been
decorated in Hollie’s favourite colour, pink and the bed sported a Barbie cover
that matched the curtains. Anna helped her unpack and noticed that her Brownie
uniform was rather crumpled so she decided to take it to the utility room and
run the iron over it.
Leaving
Hollie to sort out her things, Anna spent the next ten minutes busily removing
the creases from the dress and pressing the collar back into shape, delighting
in the tiny garment that seemed to be made for a doll rather than a child. She
cherished her boys and wouldn’t change them for anything, but she would have
loved a little girl, to dress in pretty clothes, to brush her hair and do all
the things a mother could do for a daughter. She sighed sadly. If Dave hadn’t
been the way he was, she might have contemplated a second pregnancy, but the
way things had gone it was out of the question.
When
she reached Hollie’s room, she found father and daughter sitting on the bed,
deep in conversation. They both smiled as Anna entered the room. Hollie had
unpacked the rest of her things so Anna found a hanger and hung the dress on
the door of the cupboard.
“All
right, young lady,” said Anna turning to the little girl. “I know you’ve
finished school, but if I remember rightly, the teacher often gives homework
for the summer.”
Hollie’s
expression became doleful. “I suppose.”
“What
is it?”
The
little girl shuffled about on the bed. “I’ve got to read two pages of my book
and write down five things I
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