Coming Home: An uplifting feel good novel with family secrets at its heart. Fern Britton

woman’s hand reached to grasp his. He smiled now, but not at Sennen. He was looking at someone behind her. ‘Darling,’ he said.

      Sennen turned. A pretty blonde with long legs was pulling him from the crowd. ‘Ali, come on. I promised the babysitter we’d be back.’

      Sennen stood between them. ‘Ali? It’s me, Sennen.’

      He knew who she was. His eyes told her that. For a second he stared back at her with what, fear? Panic? The woman pushed Sennen out of the way. ‘Excuse me, love. He needs to get out of here.’

      Sennen fell back as Ali swept past, looking anywhere but at her.

      When Rosemary and Rachel got home later that evening, Sennen was already packed.

      ‘What are you doing?’ asked Rosemary, puzzled.

      ‘You’re going back,’ she said, struggling with the straps of her rucksack.

      ‘What?’ asked Rosemary.

      Sennen looked at her, as though she were a halfwit. ‘It’s what you want isn’t it?

      ‘Well, yes, but … not right now. I’m sort of enjoying it now.’

      Rachel, leaning against the bedroom door, held her hands up. ‘I know Spanish dentists can be bad, but this is ridiculous.’

      Sennen turned on her. ‘It’s nothing to do with a dentist, I just … I just want to go. Okay?’

      Rachel shrugged. ‘No skin off my nose. I’m going to make a cuppa if anyone’s interested.’

      Alone in their room, Rosemary sat on the bed and watched as Sennen gathered up her passport and make-up.

      ‘What’s happened?’ she asked gently. ‘Is it Henry and Ella? Are they okay? Are you missing them?’

      Sennen sat down and burst into tears. ‘I don’t know. I just … It’s me.’

      ‘What’s you?’

      ‘I just want to leave here, okay?’

      ‘Henry and Ella will be pleased to see you.’

      ‘Stop talking about them!’ Sennen rubbed her tears away ferociously.

      ‘But you’re their mum.’

      ‘Shut up! I don’t want Rachel to hear. Forget about them. I have.’

      ‘Have you?’

      Sennen dissolved into tears again. ‘No,’ she sobbed. ‘But I want freedom. I don’t want to be judged any more. I don’t want my sainted parents looking at me in their disappointed way any more. I don’t want to be woken up at all hours of the night. I want to sleep, and lie in – and be me again.’

      ‘I’d love to have a baby,’ said Rosemary quietly.

      Sennen pulled herself together and wiped her nose. ‘That’s what I thought, too.’

      ‘But I’ll have their dad to help me,’ said Rosemary.

      ‘Ha,’ Sennen scoffed, stuffing a pair of socks from the floor into her rucksack, ‘assuming he’ll want to hang around.’

      ‘I’m sorry.’ Rosemary passed Sennen a clean tissue. ‘I shouldn’t have said that.’ She watched as Sennen rubbed the smeared mascara from her face. ‘Any chance that their dad would help you?’

      Sennen laughed bitterly. ‘Oh no. Absolutely not.’

      Through the long night Sennen and Rosemary talked. Eventually Rosemary persuaded Sennen to return to Cornwall with her in the morning. ‘We’ll get the earliest ferry. We’ll go to your parents first and explain. I’ll be with you. By tomorrow night you will be in your own bed and Ella and Henry will be so happy to have their mummy home.’

      They got up and left the squat before Rachel woke up. Sennen left a note saying thank you and to tell Tomas that they were sorry, and Rosemary left half of her tip money next to it.

      The sun was coming up as they walked towards the docks. The first boat from England had just come in and the cars with their shiny GB stickers were disembarking. The girls had to cross the road to the ferry terminal to buy their tickets and waited as the cars went by. A man driving an estate car full to the gunnels with luggage, two children in the back and his wife in the front, slowed to wave them over.

      Rosemary lifted her hand in a wave of thanks. The wife stared at them. She nudged her husband, then lifted a newspaper from her lap. Sennen saw the photos of herself and Rosemary on the front page.

      ‘Run!’ she said sharply to Rosemary. ‘Hide your face and run.’

      In the terminal they dashed into the ladies loo, out of breath and panicking. ‘They saw us,’ gulped Sennen. ‘Shit. We’re in the papers.’

      Rosemary went white. ‘We must be in so much trouble!’

      Sennen searched for her purse. ‘Here.’ She shoved what money she had into Rosemary’s hand. ‘Take it and go. I’m not coming with you.’

      ‘But you must! You said you would,’ Rosemary pleaded. ‘We’ll go together. It’ll be okay.’

      ‘Go and buy a ticket and get on that boat,’ ordered Sennen.

      ‘I’m not going without you,’ Rosemary sobbed.

      Sennen rubbed her forehead with the back of her hand. A bad headache was setting in. ‘Okay, okay.’

      Sennen checked around her. The building was quiet. A handful of foot passengers were waiting to buy their tickets but the cars were already embarking. Sennen could hear the metallic thump and rattle as each vehicle drove over the gangplank into the bowels of the ship.

      There were no police and nobody waving copies of British newspapers about. ‘You get your ticket. I’ll just get a drink from the shop over there. Do you want anything?’

      ‘No, I’ll be fine.’ Rosemary had calmed down and was looking much happier. ‘See you at the ticket office.’

      In the small shop Sennen went to a display of cuddly toys. She picked up a pink pony with a white fluffy tail and a green dragon with silvery wings. She stuffed them in her pockets while the lady shopkeeper had her back turned then marched to where Rosemary was waiting. She took the toys from her pocket and handed them over. ‘Give these to the kids, will you? Tell them they’re from me.’