After the girls had gone to bed, she had sat down with her laptop to check her emails. She hadn’t looked at them all day and as she scrolled through the endless junk, she spotted one from Jenny, an old client she used to work with. The previous week she’d started sending out emails again to some of her old contacts, letting them know that she was looking for work. She had spruced up her website and LinkedIn and spent hours reading up on the latest industry news. She’d also joined a couple of groups for freelance PR professionals. She quickly opened the email.
Kate, hi!
How ARE you? It’s so lovely to hear from you. And your message couldn’t come at a better time. We’re launching a new campaign in the spring and we really need some PR support. From what I remember about your work, it’s right up your street. We’re closing down for Christmas soon but are you free to meet for coffee in the New Year? Maybe first week of Jan? We need to get the ball rolling.
Looking forward to working with you again! Jen x
Kate felt a shiver of excitement. Her first possible piece of work! She quickly typed a reply to Jenny to suggest some dates and then sat back to consider the prospect of working again. It would be a shock to the system, no doubt, but a good way to ease herself back in – working with a client who she knew well already. And once she had a recent campaign under her belt, she could add it to her portfolio and make herself more appealing to other potential clients. It felt like the first step on the ladder. She wasn’t as scared as she thought she’d be, perhaps it was because the meeting wasn’t for a few weeks yet – or could it just possibly be because she was feeling stronger? Pete’s betrayal had changed a lot of things and one of them was making her stand on her own two feet again. She’d relied on him for too long.
The knock on the door brought Kate back to the present. Erin had arrived. When she opened the door, her sister looked her up and down and whistled.
‘Looking good there, sis. Hot!’
‘Oh don’t, it’s only a drink with the school mums, Erin!’
‘Just the mums? No sexy single dads?’
‘Ha ha, very funny. Strictly mums only.’
‘Well I’ve heard how crazy nights out with the school mums can get. You never know!’
Kate picked up her bag and coat and gave her sister a kiss. ‘I’ll be back by eleven.’
At the restaurant she was relieved when she got a seat next to Lottie. There were eight of them out for dinner in total and she didn’t know the others that well. But after a few drinks the conversation was flowing and everyone was having fun.
‘What do you do?’ asked one of the other mums, who introduced herself as Lisa.
It was a question Kate knew all too well. But this time, she said proudly, ‘Actually I’ve just started my own PR consultancy. I worked in the industry for years but stopped when I had the children. I’ve decided to ease myself back in.’
‘What kind of PR?’ Lisa asked.
Kate filled her in on her background.
Lisa said, ‘I work for a local college and we’re desperate to get some positive stories about ourselves out there. Would you be interested? Our budget won’t be anything like what you’re used to but if you fancy having a chat, let me know.’
‘I’d love to!’ Kate replied, her eyes lighting up, before adding, ‘I really need to build up my portfolio so I’d be happy to offer a discounted rate in exchange for some recent work and a testimonial.’
‘Let’s swap details,’ Lisa said, pulling out her phone. ‘Maybe we can meet for coffee in the New Year?’
On the way home, Kate tottered along the pavement in her heels feeling slightly tipsy and more than slightly happy. She’d had a great night and for once she didn’t feel like she’d said anything stupid, plus she’d potentially got some more work lined up for next year. At once the thought of Pete entered her head, as it always did when she felt even the tiniest glimmer of hope. It would keep happening, she knew, for a long time, probably even forever. But what had happened had happened and now she had two choices – to live in the past or to live in the present. And at that particular moment she chose the present.
Letting herself back into the house she walked into the living room where Erin was watching a film. ‘Good night?’ her sister asked, looking up.
‘Fabulous,’ Kate said, sinking down on to the sofa and peeling off her shoes.
‘Good for you, you deserve it. The girls went to bed with no bother. I haven’t heard a peep out of them since.’
‘Thanks for babysitting, Erin.’
‘Any time, love.’
After Erin left, Kate got a glass of water from the kitchen and made her way upstairs. Peering into the girls’ rooms she saw they were both fast asleep. She felt a rush of love for them. Her beautiful, brave little girls. Would she be enough for them? She’d have to be, she had no choice. As she went to her own bedroom all her earlier happiness dissolved and she let the dark thoughts consume her again. Those poor girls, missing their father. Would it be like this forever, she wondered? Fleeting moments of happiness replaced by loss and sadness again? All of a sudden, she felt exhausted. Without even taking her clothes off she climbed into bed, turned off the light and waited for sleep to come.
16
Pete
The urge to see Claire came on without any warning. There was no