‘Oh, it’s gorgeous, Kim,’ Ginny said turning to me. ‘Not what I envisaged at all. And it’s so warm.’
‘Couldn’t be happier,’ I said.
‘I know, it’s so good to see you. Did you see Mai?’
I squealed. ‘Yes, she looks so well, and after her wobbly start at Mantero – totally self-induced, she admits – she’s settling in well. She’s working with a team on some vintage silk ideas apparently. It all sounds terribly romantic but she’s working hard.’
Ginny put her arm around me. ‘It’s been her dream. I’m so pleased to hear that. And does she like Milan?’
‘Yeah, she’s finding her way around. Sharing an apartment with an English girl so they’re also sharing an Italian tutor. She’s pretty conversant but he’s helping her on the business terminology. Overall, she’s doing great. I really miss her though.’
‘Aww, I can imagine. Well, if you want to be in Europe for a few months, you know you are always welcome to stay.’
‘Don’t tempt me, Ginny!’
I was just about to ask how she was when Cathy called us for a photo. We scuttled across the wall, my mind still whirling.
Will thought I was overly nostalgic for Kent and our friends. Although he got to know them all and their partners when we began our relationships and married life, I couldn’t expect him to ever really appreciate how much the girls meant to me, especially Ginny and her family. No explanation could really describe what I felt for the girls, but it was a major obstacle that held Will and I back from setting off for Australia back in the day. It took Will five years and a lot of persuasion to get me there. Of course, I loved him so much I didn’t want to deny him the opportunity that called him to Oz, but I did push him to agree to return to Kent at least once a year for a holiday and of course to see our friends. And us girls had made a pact to write often.
Over time, he began to appreciate just how much Ginny, and the others had saved me as a young girl, preventing me from falling into a pit of despair. None of my friends in Australia came anywhere near close to these guys and I cared for them greatly. I was particularly concerned for Ginny right now. I really wanted to be there for her, to repay her, especially now she was on her own.
I was attracted to nursing because I was a natural carer. I liked to help. It probably stemmed from being the oldest child of four and trying to protect my siblings and my mum from the vicious man who was our dad. Before we escaped his wrath and bullying to the safety of Kent, Mum had ended up in hospital for three months with head and neck injuries and we were put into care. Dad was finally arrested. I was only eleven, my sister Paula nine, my brothers, eight and six. The authorities wanted to split us up until, that is, Ginny’s mum heard about us. Her friend was a foster carer who took us all in for a few days until our fate was decided, but she already had three children of her own.
Ginny was an only child and her parents’ house had two spare bedrooms, so amazingly they agreed to take us in voluntarily until Mum fully recovered in a Kent hospital nearby. Our dad was never told of our whereabouts. I did all I could to help Madeline, Ginny’s mum. I took as much responsibility as I could for my siblings. I was so grateful and I loved Ginny and her parents so much for the kindness and love they gave us.
I then helped Mum to move into the house. That was in August. In September, I started at the grammar along with the girls. Fortunately, I could get the bus with them as my stop was just one away further down the village. Mum was so much happier. Like us, she put on some weight, found a local job, although the hours were long. I was always rushing off the bus to collect my sister and brothers from the village school, but I had Ginny’s parents’ help. Luckily for us, we settled quickly in the village with a fresh start. Naturally, after that, all I ever wanted to do was care for people and ensure they were safe. Particularly Ginny. Even though we lived miles apart, my love and loyalty for Ginny, her family and friends never faltered. I only wished I could have been around physically to help with Mike. And now she was on her own, it would mean so much to me to return home and support her as much as she did me.
I watched as Ginny and Cath continued marvelling at the view. I sidled up to Lou. ‘Spectacular, isn’t it?’
‘Oh, amazing. I love it here already.’
Lowering my voice, I was keen for an update. ‘How is Ginny?’
Lou bit her lip and, staring down at her glass, spoke almost in a whisper. ‘Oh gosh, who knows with Ginny. Getting there I think. She’s not herself though, is she? High one minute, low the next. I can’t tell whether it’s the thought of skiing or the anniversary that’s worrying her. I’ve asked, but she says she’s fine.’
In front of us, Ginny got out her phone and wandered along with Cathy to a low wall to take photographs.
‘Mm. I’m worried,’ I said, raising my voice a little. ‘It must be hard, obviously. Neither of us knows how she feels. How can we? We’ve not lost a husband. But … has she mentioned anything else?’ I asked, digging to find out if Ginny had learned about Mike’s infidelity and if she had confided in Lou.
Lou shook her head. ‘Not to me, no. Like I said, she says she’s fine. Doesn’t want to leave home much despite our efforts. Hasn’t really opened up to any of us except to say she’s lonely but feels she’ll get used to it.’
‘I’m sure she is. I feel so useless. Hopefully we’ll have a chat. I can’t help wondering if she is in some sort of denial.’
Lou ran her fingers through her newly styled wispy hair. ‘Exactly my thoughts. When Mum and Dad died in that accident in Spain I was the opposite. I needed people around me. These guys were great, and they helped me so much. Ginny was amazing. I get the impression at some point her mask will crack. I think losing her job shook her just as much as Mike’s death. More maybe. I suspect she had time to come to terms with Mike’s death during the last few months of his life; the redundancy was a jolt she wasn’t prepared for at all. And not to tell us for two months. I don’t know why she holds everything in.’
Taking a large mouthful of wine, I almost spluttered. ‘Me neither – shocking, wasn’t it? The irony is, she is amazing with our problems, but not her own. I only heard when Cathy emailed me. And, not wanting to push Ginny about it, I waited, thinking she would be in touch that day, but I rang her the following morning. It’s heart-wrenching when our friend is too embarrassed to even tell us. I mean, she had just arrived back from Australia when she received the letter. I would have been straight on the phone to her if it were me. And redundancy is a normal occurrence in this economic climate. It’s nothing to be ashamed about – though I guess she’d been there so long, and after Mike’s passing, I don’t suppose she ever imagined the company would do that to her.’
Lou pulled her collar up around her neck, no doubt acclimatising to the shorter hair, ‘I know, we were all surprised at that, but trying to hide it, to have us believe she was just changing jobs, I did wonder what was going through her mind. I think it got worse for her when she began applying for jobs believing doors would be wide open. Being repeatedly turned down, with her experience in marketing, I imagine it ripped her confidence ragged. Sadly, she’s not at all happy in her new job. Apparently, there’s very little, if any, number crunching or marketing analysis, which she loved in her old job – the stats, the charts. She does like her figures as you know, but the company rely solely on advertising and PR to get their brand out there. Seems a bit odd in this day and age, especially with all the data available. She said she would have normally brought it to their attention, but it’s not her place to tell them how to run their company. I can’t help wondering if her lack of confidence is affecting her judgement. Either that or her heart just isn’t in it.’
I sighed raising my eyebrows. ‘Well, at least she’s revealing something. Could be her confidence is so frayed.’
‘We think so. Cathy, Angie and I have all noticed quite a change in her. I’ve popped in to see her a few times over the last few months, and she’s