[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.She ran over and grabbed me into a tight hug.‘What you said, you do.I love you, Ellie Baxter.’‘I love you too, Brooke Hanson,’ I confirmed as I kissed her hair.‘I’m going to miss you so much,’ she sighed.‘It’s Scotland not Australia,’ I reminded her, though at the moment it sort of felt that far.‘It’s still miles.’‘Dan’s offered to have his plane on standby anytime you want to come to stay, so it’s less than an hour’s flight, with an hour’s drive.See, not that far.’‘I could drive in my new car,’ she nodded against my shoulder, still holding me in her tight embrace.‘That would take you about ten hours, each way.’‘Ok, he can send the plane, as long as I get free peanuts and a sick bag.A flight’s not a real flight without those.’‘I’m sure it can be arranged.Just for you.’‘Damn,’ she groaned.‘What?’‘I’m so excited I just peed myself again.’‘Well I don’t think Oliver’s nappies will fit you, but you really need to be doing more kegel exercises if you’re suffering from bladder incontinence at your age.Anyway, we’ve agreed that we’ll come back to London the last week of every month on a Wednesday night, so I can spend the day in the office at the partners meeting, see clients if required on the Friday and we’ll return on the Sunday night.So even if you can’t come up in between I’ll be back.’‘Like the Terdinator?’ she giggled as she let go of me.‘I’ll cross countries to find you, Brooke Hanson,’ I replied in my best Arnie voice.‘“Talk to the hand,”’ she replied as she shoved hers in my face, making me laugh.‘If you really need me you call me, on the landline, as the mobile signal’s crap.I’m sure Dan could get me back the same day.’‘He’d better,’ she moaned, as she looked up at me and the smile left her face.‘It’s the end of an era.’‘Not quite, but I appreciate the sentiment,’ I smiled.I opened my arms again as fat tears started to roll down her face, which set me off and we held onto each other tightly as we cried together.Day Twenty TwoMonday 10th August ~ Year TwoEllie‘I’ll stay here with Luiza, you and Daniel go today,’ I smiled at Dan.‘Are you sure?’ he asked.‘I’m sure.I’ll cook for when you both get back, ok?’ I gave him a kiss and Luiza and I waved them off from our seats on the decking.His parents were staying in the boathouse, having come to visit us for a long weekend on Friday, but they were heading home tonight.Dan and I seemed to have settled into living together quite well, he wasn’t overly impressed that I hadn’t been with him on Friday to visit Moira, but packing up Oliver and all his things and the car journey every day was getting too much.Besides I couldn’t afford the time out now I was back at work and call me insensitive, but a daily visit to see his comatose wife wasn’t really in my list of priorities every day for the rest of my life.‘So, how are you really?’ Luiza asked as she reached over and covered my hand with hers.‘He’s not here now, you can be honest with me.He can be very moody and bossy at times.’‘Yes, he can,’ I laughed, as I gave her hand a squeeze in return.‘I’m great, really great.Oliver’s doing so well,’ I smiled as I looked down at him on his teddy play mat with a shade to protect him from the sun.He was spark out, letting out the cutest little snore every now and again.‘Well I can see that.He’s big, strong and happy.I was asking about you.’‘We’re doing really well, though I think he expects me to go with him every day to see her and he’s still showing no signs of being ready to let go, despite speaking to the therapist twice a week.’‘How’s that going? He never talks to me about it.’‘Me neither.I take Oliver out for a walk in the harness when Dan’s on the phone, to give him some privacy.But he’s always very quiet when we get back and it takes him a few hours to shake it off.I’ve learned to just leave him in peace and busy myself with preparing dinner.’‘You learn fast,’ Luiza laughed.‘Even now I don’t know when to let sleeping lions lie.’‘It’s sleeping dogs,’ I smiled.She’d asked me to correct her if ever she still said something wrong.She slapped her forehead and groaned.‘Thirty eight years I have lived here, you would think I would know the language by now, even if I haven’t lost my accent.’‘Please don’t ever lose your accent, it’s wonderful,’ I reassured her.‘So you were with Daniel for four years when you got pregnant?’‘Yes,’ she smiled.‘I had a very difficult pregnancy and birth, he was a bigger baby than Oliver.Sadly I had complications and had to have a hysterectomy soon after, so I never got to have any more children.I’d have loved a daughter.’ Her face took on a sad expression as she let out a sigh.‘Me too,’ I nodded, as I rubbed her back.‘But you are still young and healthy, there is plenty of time for you to have more babies.’‘Try telling your son that,’ I replied with a wry smile.‘I mentioned the fact that I’d love another one someday and his exact words were “over my dead body” and that was the end of all conversation for the rest of that evening.He’s not going to be pressured on it and I’m not sure he’ll ever change his mind,’ I advised.She threw her hands up in the air and went off on a tirade of Portuguese before blowing out a calming breath and grabbing my hand again.‘He must see reason.You have had a beautiful boy and you are both strong and healthy.There is no reason for you to not get pregnant again.’‘Except for your stubborn son refusing to allow it to happen.’‘I do not accept this’ she uttered with a mad gesticulation in the air.‘Oliver will need a sibling growing up, especially living out here where he will not have so many friends.This is not London where he will be in big school with friends down the road to come over for sleep overs like we did with my Oliver.Leave this to me, I will find the appropriate time to bring this up tonight.’‘O Luiza, it’s early days, maybe in time he’ll come around [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]