The restaurant is busy for a weekday and voices bounce off the walls, jarring my brain and making my head ache. It echoes too much in here. I look around at the wooden floors, large glass windows and simple furniture. They need more soft furnishings to absorb the noise. I’m struggling to hear what Mark is saying, so I lean forward and watch his lips as well.
‘I need to be there in two weeks, ready to start, but I was thinking of booking leave to give us time to explore the area and feel more settled. Would you be ready to leave in a week’s time?’ He looks worried and reaches across the table to rest his hand on mine. ‘I’ll understand if that’s too much of a rush for you. I could always delay renting the Milton Keynes house out by a few weeks, and you could join me later?’
I cover his hand with my other hand and give it a gentle squeeze. ‘I think I’ll be ready to leave next week. Fiona doesn’t have much time left in this world and I might find it a struggle to cope with her last days. I’m finding the work quite stressful, to be honest.’
‘I thought you wanted to make a career of being a Doulah?’
‘Not anymore. I’ve realised I’d rather do something more uplifting. My life has been dark enough already. Maybe I should train to be a midwife instead. Be there at the start of life rather than the end. There aren’t enough decent midwives around.’
‘That sounds like a brilliant idea. I’m happy to support you through your training.’ He smiles widely. ‘This is exciting, isn’t it? A whole new life for both of us.’
‘You won’t let me down, will you?’ I gaze directly into his eyes. ‘I don’t cope very well when people let me down.’
Chapter 67
October | Jenna
I see Ellis as soon as I push open the double doors to A&E. He’s sitting with his elbows on his knees, but he straightens as a doctor appears through a set of doors to his left. The doctor walks past him and he slumps forward again. I wonder how long he’s been waiting. It’s taken me an hour to get here and I still feel dazed by all that has happened. I needed to find someone to sit with Mum but thankfully our neighbour was willing to go round as soon as she’d dished up her family meal. I wouldn’t ask Grace. I never want to see her again.
Ellis looks up as I approach and jumps to his feet. He folds me into a rough hug and I squeeze his skinny frame then pull away.
‘What’s the news?’ I ask, noticing the tears in his eyes for the first time. Oh God, please don’t let it be bad.
‘She’s gone for a CT scan to see if there’s any visible brain damage, but it’s just a precaution. She hit her head on the steering wheel and was unconscious when help arrived.’
‘Is she conscious now?’
‘Yes. She’s got a broken ankle so needs to have it re-set and plastered. The nurse said she’d fetch me when the scan’s done. I came out here to wait for you.’
‘What happened? Lucy’s such a sensible driver.’
‘She said the brakes were useless. The MOT would have picked that up, I suppose.’
I feel a prickle of guilt. The brakes have always been a bit soft but I’ve got used to them. I wish I hadn’t asked Lucy to take the car in for me now.
A nurse appears by Ellis’s side. ‘Is this Lucy’s sister?’ she asks.
No. No, I’m not her sister. A riptide of emotion takes me by surprise and threatens to pull my legs from under me. My eyes fill with tears. Oh God. Lucy isn’t my real sister. Today has been the worst day of my life.
‘Yes, this is Jenna,’ Ellis says, putting a hand on my lower back and gently pushing me forward. ‘Can we see Lucy now?’
‘Of course. She’s in a side cubicle for the time being. We’ll be sending her up to the ward once we’ve plastered her ankle and have the results of the scan.’
The nurse leads the way and we hurry after her. She pulls aside a curtain and there’s Lucy, white-faced, black-eyed and attempting a weak smile. I rush forward and lean over to kiss her gently on the cheek. It tastes of salt and I realise it’s from my own tears dripping on her face. How ironic that we haven’t been getting on well, but since I’ve learned we’re not related I realise how much I love Lucy and couldn’t bear to lose her.
‘I’m okay,’ she says, patting my arm. ‘I was lucky.’
‘Are you mad? How can this be lucky?’
‘It could have been so much worse, Jenna. Your brakes were soft when I reversed out of the drive but after that they’d completely gone. Thankfully it’s only one road from Bow Brickhill to Woburn Sands and the approach is uphill so I was slowing down for the thirty speed limit. I tried to avoid a car coming the other way so had to hit a parked car instead. I’m afraid your car’s a write-off.’
‘It doesn’t matter as long as you’re okay.’
‘It’ll save the cost of the MOT and tyres as well.’ Lucy gives a small laugh then winces and puts a hand to the side
