Traces of Her

‘Are you going to be OK to drive, Mum?’ she asks, as I massage my temples. ‘You’re, like, really white.’

‘Once the tablets kick in, I’ll be fine,’ I say, leaning over the table to twirl a straying curl over her ear. She bats me away with her hand and I laugh. ‘Are you looking forward to seeing Willow?’ I ask.

‘Yep. You?’

‘Of course.’ It’s true, but I feel jittery about the photos, and her message is playing in a loop in my head.

Becky smiles, and a dimple forms in her cheek, disappearing as quickly as it came. ‘You know I still can’t get my head round Willow sending you those photos,’ she says.

‘Nor me. I’m hoping she’ll explain more when we get there.’

She pushes sugar granules across the table with the tip of her finger, her earphone back in, and hums a tune I don’t recognise. I realise how glad I am that she’s with me, and watch her, trancelike, for several moments, before saying, ‘Are you OK, sweetheart?’

She looks up. ‘Mega worried about Willow, is all. You don’t think she’s in danger, do you?’

‘I’m sure she’s fine,’ I say, trying not to think about her last voicemail. ‘It’s Willow, don’t forget, we know what she’s like. And we’ll see her in a couple of hours, won’t we? She can tell us everything.’

‘Yeah, I guess.’ Her phone buzzes, and she pulls it from her pocket. Her face lights up. ‘It’s Dad,’ she says, answering it. ‘Hey, Dad.’

Her eyes sparkle, and I know already what he’s telling her. He called me a few days ago to let me know he was getting married. That he wanted to tell Becky himself and would ring her soon.

‘Oh my God!’ Becky squeals into the phone. ‘That’s fantastic.’

Her dad has been serious about his latest partner Jack, a lawyer from Florida, for a while now, and I smile. They are good together. I’m happy for them – but my head is spinning.

‘Do you think he’ll let me be their bridesmaid?’ Becky says, once the call has ended, her face lit up by a wide smile.

‘Of course,’ I say.

‘Will he let me wear my DMs, do you think?’

‘Probably.’ Becky could wear a sack and he would let her get away with it.

‘We should get going.’ I glance at my watch, a sense of urgency bringing me to my feet.

She rises too, and links arms with me. As we head across the café I glance back at her uneaten apple.

Chapter 14

AVA

2001

From the moment Gail and Rory pulled up outside Ocean View Cottage in his red Ferrari, tension had crawled across Ava’s shoulders.

Although Gail had finally moved out, it was as though she was still there. Constantly visiting to discuss the wedding with their mum, over and over and over. And now they were having a family gathering to welcome Peter – the prodigal son – back from Australia.

Gail sat on the two-seater sofa next to her brother, scooping her blonde curls behind her ears as she turned the pages of her bridal book. Peter swigged beer from a bottle, his eyes closing briefly each time he swallowed.

‘We’re having the reception at the Jester Hotel in Newquay. It’s five-star with Jacuzzis in every room and everything. But we can afford it, can’t we Rory?’ She sounded like a spoilt child.

‘Of course,’ he said, looking up from shuffling through a pile of CDs.

‘And I’ll be expecting you to get a new suit, Peter,’ Gail continued. ‘And you’ll need a haircut.’

‘I’m up for a new suit,’ he said, ‘but nobody touches my hair.’

‘Well, you’ll need to put a comb through it,’ she said, reaching up and ruffling it.

‘Get off,’ he said, smacking her hand away and laughing. Was Peter really as absorbed as he seemed by her wedding plans?

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