Robert?’
‘Yeah, Mary insisted I stayed. I think she wanted to make sure I didn’t go back to Steve again—plus Mum and Dad had sold the house and moved so I kinda didn’t have anywhere to go.’
‘Mary never mentioned it—’
‘I know. I told Rachel last night that I asked Mary and Robert not to tell anyone until I was back on my feet. You and Rach have done so well for yourselves I just wish I could compete. It was bad enough I chose married life at the age of twenty over moving to London with you two but to then have it all go wrong… I just didn’t want you both to think badly of me.’
‘Oh don’t be daft. You should have kept in touch. God, so much has happened. How did we lose touch so easily?’
‘I know it was my fault. I never called anyone once the wedding was over. It was like I turned into a fifty-year-old housewife over night. I was so obsessed with making Steve happy I forgot to make myself happy.’
‘Your wedding was the last time I saw you. God, we were all drunk that night. Did you know Rachel shagged Tom Kimpton in the bushes?’
‘ No way! ’
‘Yeah and after you left for the honeymoon we sneaked into the hotel pool and went skinny-dipping. Well, Tom and Rachel did—I just dipped, you know me. And we got caught.’
‘ No way! ’
‘Yeah, Rachel and Tom blamed it on me—said I told them it was allowed. Some may have believed us if we hadn’t all been so badly drunk. My mum made me write a letter of apology.’
‘Oh. My. God. Why didn’t I call you guys!’
Ash laughed. ‘Don’t beat yourself up over it. We should have called you too. Anyway we’re back in touch now.’
‘Yeah and this time I’ll call.’ Gemma hugged Ash.
‘And we will call you too.’ Ash reciprocated.
‘Still hurts like hell when I think about him with her and I know I shouldn’t be selfish but I wish Mary was here to listen to me moan on about it all.’
‘I’m sure she can still hear you, sweetie, and anyway you can moan to me now.’
* * *
‘How much stuff does she have?’
Dave looked at the boxes of shoes and books, bending down to pick up a giant pink fluffy pen from one of the boxes. He raised his eyebrows in shock of what he had let himself in for.
‘I thought she was into football and Indian food,’ he said, looking at Peter and passing him the pen.
‘Thank you,’ Isabella said, taking the pen out of Peter’s hand as she walked on down the hallway to her new room.
Peter shot Dave an icy look then walked after her. ‘He’s touchy about new people. Always has been ever since he was a kid,’ he said, standing in her doorway.
‘I’ll bear that in mind,’ Isabella smiled sardonically.
Dave sat down in the living room finishing of his lunch before heading back to work. He still hadn’t told Ash about Isabella moving in. ‘No time like the present,’ he said out loud, picking up his phone.
But as he listened, he felt helpless: she talked about Mary so fondly and sounded soft and fragile but was trying to put on a strong voice. They talked for a good thirty minutes; it was comfort enough for her to know that he was at the end of the phone if she needed a chat. Dave put down the phone, still wanting to tell her about Isabella but now just wasn’t the right time.
‘Who was that?’ Dave heard Peter ask from outside the room.
‘Ash—she’s gone away for a few days.’
Peter emerged from the hallway. ‘Where’s she gone?’
‘Had a bereavement,’ Dave got up, not finishing his sandwich.
‘Did you tell her about our new roomy?’
‘Not the time to, brov. See you later.’ Dave grabbed his keys and headed out the door.
That night Dave, Peter and Isabella got a takeaway with some beers. They all sat around the table finding out about each other. Isabella was swiftly turning into anything far from an angel and Peter was soaking it all up with glee. Dave started to warm to her: she wasn’t so bad, easy-going and he was sure Ash would like her. She was
‘Yeah, Mary insisted I stayed. I think she wanted to make sure I didn’t go back to Steve again—plus Mum and Dad had sold the house and moved so I kinda didn’t have anywhere to go.’
‘Mary never mentioned it—’
‘I know. I told Rachel last night that I asked Mary and Robert not to tell anyone until I was back on my feet. You and Rach have done so well for yourselves I just wish I could compete. It was bad enough I chose married life at the age of twenty over moving to London with you two but to then have it all go wrong… I just didn’t want you both to think badly of me.’
‘Oh don’t be daft. You should have kept in touch. God, so much has happened. How did we lose touch so easily?’
‘I know it was my fault. I never called anyone once the wedding was over. It was like I turned into a fifty-year-old housewife over night. I was so obsessed with making Steve happy I forgot to make myself happy.’
‘Your wedding was the last time I saw you. God, we were all drunk that night. Did you know Rachel shagged Tom Kimpton in the bushes?’
‘ No way! ’
‘Yeah and after you left for the honeymoon we sneaked into the hotel pool and went skinny-dipping. Well, Tom and Rachel did—I just dipped, you know me. And we got caught.’
‘ No way! ’
‘Yeah, Rachel and Tom blamed it on me—said I told them it was allowed. Some may have believed us if we hadn’t all been so badly drunk. My mum made me write a letter of apology.’
‘Oh. My. God. Why didn’t I call you guys!’
Ash laughed. ‘Don’t beat yourself up over it. We should have called you too. Anyway we’re back in touch now.’
‘Yeah and this time I’ll call.’ Gemma hugged Ash.
‘And we will call you too.’ Ash reciprocated.
‘Still hurts like hell when I think about him with her and I know I shouldn’t be selfish but I wish Mary was here to listen to me moan on about it all.’
‘I’m sure she can still hear you, sweetie, and anyway you can moan to me now.’
* * *
‘How much stuff does she have?’
Dave looked at the boxes of shoes and books, bending down to pick up a giant pink fluffy pen from one of the boxes. He raised his eyebrows in shock of what he had let himself in for.
‘I thought she was into football and Indian food,’ he said, looking at Peter and passing him the pen.
‘Thank you,’ Isabella said, taking the pen out of Peter’s hand as she walked on down the hallway to her new room.
Peter shot Dave an icy look then walked after her. ‘He’s touchy about new people. Always has been ever since he was a kid,’ he said, standing in her doorway.
‘I’ll bear that in mind,’ Isabella smiled sardonically.
Dave sat down in the living room finishing of his lunch before heading back to work. He still hadn’t told Ash about Isabella moving in. ‘No time like the present,’ he said out loud, picking up his phone.
But as he listened, he felt helpless: she talked about Mary so fondly and sounded soft and fragile but was trying to put on a strong voice. They talked for a good thirty minutes; it was comfort enough for her to know that he was at the end of the phone if she needed a chat. Dave put down the phone, still wanting to tell her about Isabella but now just wasn’t the right time.
‘Who was that?’ Dave heard Peter ask from outside the room.
‘Ash—she’s gone away for a few days.’
Peter emerged from the hallway. ‘Where’s she gone?’
‘Had a bereavement,’ Dave got up, not finishing his sandwich.
‘Did you tell her about our new roomy?’
‘Not the time to, brov. See you later.’ Dave grabbed his keys and headed out the door.
That night Dave, Peter and Isabella got a takeaway with some beers. They all sat around the table finding out about each other. Isabella was swiftly turning into anything far from an angel and Peter was soaking it all up with glee. Dave started to warm to her: she wasn’t so bad, easy-going and he was sure Ash would like her. She was
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