The two girls began listening to a bouncer speaking on the radio.
‘Well, first of all I just want to tell you that for the past few nights we have had I don’t know how many princesses and ladies queuing up at our door. Since that bloody programme was aired people seem to think we’re going to let them in if they’re royalty! And I just want to say, girls, it’s not going to work again so don’t bother!’
Tom kept laughing and tried to hold himself together. Holly flicked the switch off on the radio.
‘Denise,’ Holly said seriously, ‘the world is going mad.’
The next day Holly dragged herself out of bed to go for a stroll in the park. She needed to start doing some exercise before she turned into a complete slob and she also needed to start thinking seriously about job-hunting. Everywhere she went she tried to picture herself working in that environment. She had definitely ruled out clothes stores (the possibility of having a boss like Denise had talked her out of that one), restaurants, hotels, pubs and she certainly didn’t want another nine-to-five office job, which left … nothing. Holly decided she wanted to be like the woman in the film she had seen last night; she wanted to work in the FBI so she could run around solving crimes and interrogating people and then eventually fall in love with her partner, whom she hated when they first met. However, seeing as she neither lived in America nor had any police training, the chances of that happening didn’t seem too hopeful. Maybe there was a circus she could join somewhere …
She sat down on a park bench opposite the playground and listened to the children’s screams of delight. She wished she could go in and play on the slide and be pushed on the swings instead of sitting here and watching. Why did people have to grow up? Holly realised she had been dreaming of going back to her youth all weekend.
She wanted to be irresponsible, she wanted to be looked after, to be told that she didn’t have to worry about a thing and that someone else would take care of everything. How easy life would be without having grown-up problems to worry about. And then she could grow up all over again and meet Gerry all over again and force him to go to the doctor months earlier and then she would be sitting beside Gerry here on the bench watching their children playing. What if, what if, what if …
She thought about the stinging remark Richard had made about never having to bother with all that children nonsense. It angered her just thinking about it. She wished so much that she could be worrying about all that children nonsense right now. She wished she could have a little Gerry running around the playground while she shouted at him to be careful and did other mummy things, like spit on a tissue and wipe his pudgy little dirty face.
Holly and Gerry had only started talking about having children a few months before he was diagnosed. They had been so excited about it and used to lie in bed for hours trying to decide names, creating scenarios in their heads of what it would be like to be parents. Holly smiled at the thought of Gerry being a father; he would have been terrific. She could imagine him being so patient while he sat helping the kids with their homework at the kitchen table. She could imagine him being so overprotective if his daughter ever brought a boy home. Imagine if, imagine if, imagine if …
But Holly needed to stop living her life in her head, remembering old memories and dreaming of impossible dreams. It would never get her anywhere.
Well, talk of the devil, Holly thought to herself, seeing Richard leaving the playground with Emily and Timmy. He looked so relaxed, she thought, watching him in surprise as he chased the children around the park. They looked as though they were having fun, not a very familiar sight. She sat up on the bench and zipped up her extra layer of thick skin in preparation for their conversation.
‘Hello, Holly!’ Richard said happily, spotting her and walking across the grass to her.
‘Hello!’ Holly said, greeting the kids as they ran over to her and gave her a big hug. That made a nice change. ‘You’re far from home,’ she said to Richard. ‘What brings you all the way over here?’
‘I brought the children to see Grandma and Granddad, didn’t I?’ he said, ruffling Timmy’s head.
‘And we had McDonald’s,’ Timmy said excitedly, and Emily cheered.
‘Oh, yummy!’ Holly said, licking her lips. ‘You lucky things. Isn’t your daddy the best?’
Richard looked pleased.
‘Junk food?’ Holly questioned her brother.
‘Ah,’ he waved his hand dismissively and sat down beside her, ‘everything in moderation, isn’t that right, Emily?’
Five-year-old Emily nodded her head as though she had completely understood her father. Her big green eyes were wide and innocent and her nodding head was sending her red ringlets bouncing. She was eerily like her mother and Holly had to look away. Then she felt guilty and looked back and smiled … then had to look away again. There was something about those eyes and that hair that scared her.
‘Well, one McDonald’s meal isn’t going to kill them,’ Holly agreed with her brother.
Timmy grabbed at his throat and pretended to choke. His face went red as he made gagging noises and he collapsed on the grass and lay very still. Richard and Holly laughed. Emily looked as if she was going to cry.
‘Oh dear,’ Richard joked, ‘looks like we were wrong, Holly. The McDonald’s did kill Timmy.’
Holly looked at her brother in shock for calling his son Timmy, but she decided not to mention it. It was obviously just a slip of the tongue.
Richard got up and threw Timmy over his shoulder. ‘Well, we better go bury him now and have a funeral.’ Timmy giggled as he dangled upside down on his father’s shoulder.
‘Oh, he’s alive!’ Richard laughed.
‘No, I’m not,’ giggled Timmy.
Holly watched in amusement at the family scene before her. It had been a while since she had witnessed anything like this. None of her friends had children and Holly was very rarely around any. There was obviously something seriously wrong with her if she was doting on Richard’s children. And it wasn’t the wisest decision to become broody when there was no man in your life.
‘OK, we best be off,’ laughed Richard. ‘Bye, Holly.’
‘Bye, Holly,’ the children cheered, and Holly watched Richard walk off with Timmy slung over his right shoulder, as little Emily hopped, skipped and danced along beside him while gripping his hand.
Holly stared in amusement at the stranger walking off with two children. Who was this man who claimed to be her brother? Holly certainly had never met that man before.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Barbara finished serving her customers and as soon as they left the building she ran into the staffroom and lit up a cigarette. The travel agent’s had been so busy all day and she had to work all through her lunch break. Melissa, her colleague, had called in sick that morning although Barbara knew very well she had partied too hard the night before and any sickness she might have was self-inflicted. So she was stuck in this boring job all by herself today. And, of course, it was the busiest day they’d had in ages. As soon as November came, with those horrible depressing dark nights and dark mornings and piercing wind and sheets of rain … everyone came running in the door, booking holidays to beautiful hot sunny countries. Barbara shuddered as she heard the wind rattle the windows and made a note to herself to check for any special holiday deals.
Her boss had finally gone out to run some errands and she had flown into the staffroom as quickly as she could to light up a cigarette. The bell over the door sounded and Barbara cursed the customer entering the shop for disturbing her precious break. She puffed on the cigarette furiously, almost making herself dizzy, reapplied her glossy red lipstick, made sure her name badge was still pinned on and sprayed her perfume all around the room, so