With her emotions already too raw, Lisa couldn’t stop her lip from quivering any longer. ‘Like her and Stan, reunited at last,’ she spluttered.
‘Stan?’
‘Yes, Stan and Winnie together at last.’
‘But my dad’s Robert.’
‘What?’
‘Gran, she’s reunited with my dad. They’re together now, as we speak.Granddad’s name was Stan. He passed away a few years back.’ Dom looked at Lisa confused.
‘I know I went to his grave, after the service for Saint Ass… Ass something. But, wait, what are you saying?’
‘Gran wrote to Dad. They haven’t seen each other for too long, not since Granddad’s funeral I don’t think, and after he got her letter he came down here. Well, not straight away, ashe can be a stubborn bugger, but Gran’s letter, and a push from me and Mum was all it took in the end. I’ll admit she nearly died from the shock, but it will be some time before my gran’s ready to meet her maker, as she’d say…’ Dom took a breath.
‘There’s plenty of life in the old girl yet!’ Both Lisa and Dom spoke in unison and then laughed.
‘Oh my God, I thought… well, I thought… I’m sorry, Dom, I thought she’d died.’ Lisa breathed, feeling guilty that she had ever had the thought.
‘Died! Why?’
‘She wrote me a letter—’
‘I know, about the fact she’s gone to stay with Dad and I’ll be looking after Jack for a bit.’
‘Oh!’ Lisa did a few steadying breaths as her mind caught up with the fact she had been jumping to erroneous conclusions andWinnie was still alive.
‘Dad came and collected her. It was like one of those Holly Willoughby programmes you see at Christmas, all shock and tears. With a shed load of things left to talk about, but, you know, at least being together means that might happen.’
Lisa raised an eyebrow.
‘Hey, that’s more TV I watch with Gran; obviously, I watchThe World’s Strongest Manandother things that make you go grrrrr when it’s my choice!’
Lisa laughed. As she watched Dom smiling she realised she must look a mess. In the time since she had arrived at Winnie’s she had cried, been completely slobbered by Jack, almost passed out and had an inappropriate fit of hysterical laughter. But she didn’t care, Winnie was OK. Hopefully better than OK, as she was finally catchingup with her son. It was the best news.
‘Gran will be so sorry to have worried you—’
‘Don’t you dare tell her! I can’t possibly have Winnie thinking I thought she’d… she’d gone.’
‘Good point. I won’t tell if you don’t. And I’m pretty sure Jack’s not going to confess to leaving mud everywhere – so our secret is safe!’
Lisa smiled.
‘So how about, to put allthis behind us, you agree to come out for a drink with me? And I don’t mean from a tea kiosk!’
