‘Dad?’ she answered.
‘Ah, good morning, Alice!’ he boomed in his affable way.
‘Is everything all right?’ They hadn’t spoken since Boxing Day, and hearing his voice now only reminded her how much she’d missed him.
‘Just checking in on my favourite daughter.’ His usual joke. She was his only daughter. ‘How’s the new job going?’
‘Fine, thanks,’ she replied. In fact, things hadbeen going well in her consulting room of late. It had taken the whole three weeks, but she’d got to grips with the records system, been praised by Dr Millen for exhibiting ‘best practice’ in a number of areas as he’d completed his first review of her progress on Friday, and she’d caught two cases of pneumonia early, probably preventing hospitalisation. Plus she’d successfully helped launch the area’s latest school vaccination programme.
‘I’m actually enjoying it,’ she told him.
‘That’s wonderful!’ His voice bubbled in his generous, hearty way, and the familiarity warmed Alice from the inside.
‘And the community?’ he prompted.
‘They’re…’ How to describe the place? ‘Interesting. Not quite what I expected.’
‘Hah, always expect the unexpected in medicine, eh?’
‘Yes.’ She laughed too. ‘Are you all right?’ It felt strange not to be asking how they both were, himandMum.
‘Yes, yes, yes, all well,’ he said, shutting down that topic. Alice was beginning to wonder if they’d ever be able to talk about the separation or her dad’s new girlfriend, who, so far, was a sort of awkward open secret nobody wanted to acknowledge out loud.
‘Everything all right with your…’ Dad let the sentence finish itself.
What was he referring to? Her daydreaming? The waking nightmares? The anxiety and panic attacks? ‘Yes, fine.’ He wasn’t the only one who could shut conversations down. She’d learned from the best.
‘I’m doing a bit of community work at the moment; a social prescription gardening project. I’m here now, actually.’
‘Is that Alice?’ came a woman’s voice in the background, accompanied by what sounded like the clatter of dishes and cutlery.
‘Is Mum with you?’ What was going on?
‘You know how we like to keep in touch. I’ve popped round for a visit.’
That explained why Dad had called. It wasn’t quite so out of the blue after all. Mum had reminded him to.
‘Hold on a minute, she wants to talk to you.’
There was some whispering and a handover. ‘Alice, love?’
‘Mum? What’s Dad doing there?’
‘Oh, you know. His Sunday eggs Benedict brunch was always a sort of tradition, and we… kept it going.’
‘Right.’ Alice sighed. She should be glad they were such good friends. She didn’t reckon she’d have it in her to brunch with an ex-husband who’d recently moved in with another woman, but her mum was a better person than she was, obviously. ‘Just don’t let him take up all your space. That’s your house now.’
‘I know, I know,’ she said in an indulgent way, probably rolling her eyes for Dad’s amusement at her fussing.
‘Tell your mother about the garden project,’ her father called, noisily washing dishes at the sink like his name was still on the deeds. In fact, they probably still were.
Alice explained the nature of the project and how it was actually quite nice to be involved.
‘Are you there in an official capacity?’ her mum wanted to know.
‘I’m workloaded for it. It’s OK, I’m being paid.’
This heralded a flurry of questions that made Alice wish she’d kept her big mouth shut.
