‘Rory?’
I return to the present day with a jolt. ‘Huh?’
‘The locket. Why haven’t you given it to Emily?’
The gold chain and locket is nestled in the palm of my hand. ‘Oh, umm, Vivi, her sister, died two days before Emily’s birthday. Emily was in a bad place and didn’t want anyone to celebrate her birthday. We were going to do something for her birthday later in the year.’ I stare down at the lino floor. ‘Then she broke up with me. I forgot about the locket in all the chaos of us separating and made a knee-jerk decision to move to Leeds.’
Opening my hand, I stroke the locket before opening it up to reveal two tiny photos of Vivi and Emily, smiling at the camera. My heart wakes up with a splutter.
Peering over my shoulder Cassie gasps. ‘Oh – wow.’
‘Vivi didn’t know but I got someone to cut and insert the photos. I knew how much Vivi meant to Emily.’
Cassie’s chestnut-coloured eyes have dramatically widened. ‘Shit – Emily’s sister died – was she ill or something?’
I let out a heavy sigh. ‘Brain aneurism. Happened quickly. No warning.’
Cassie has covered her open mouth with her hands. ‘Oh, God, that’s awful. Was Emily close to her sister?’
‘Yes, very close, Emily practically raised Vivi when they were children.’
Cassie shakes her head in bewilderment. ‘That’s so sad. Did you get on with Vivi too?’
Stuffing the locket back in my coat pocket I nod. ‘She was a good friend to me. We became mates once I got together with Emily. She and Emily were a force to be reckoned with. It was Vivi who got Emily and me together.’ I can’t believe I’m telling a stranger called Cassie all this. ‘I should be going.’
‘No, tell me. How did you and Emily meet?’
The memory of the newspaper clipping comes back to me. ‘Do you remember a story in the news years and years ago about two little girls who were found living alone in the woods?’
Cassie stares blankly at me.
‘Well, I worked for a local newspaper back in Brighton and I got talking to this woman called Vivi who worked in the advertising team. We were chatting about a story of two runaway boys. Anyway, Vivi took out this old article and showed me it. She pointed at the two little girls, stood holding hands in a forest clearing. Vivi was the younger one and her older sister was Emily. Their mother was a drunk and didn’t want to care for them so one day she dropped off her two young daughters at a nearby wood.’
I can tell Cassie is now hooked to my story. Her mouth has fallen open, and her eyes are now as wide as saucers. ‘She did that to her own kids?’
‘Yes, she did. The amazing thing was these two little girls lived in the woods by themselves for two days.’
‘Eh? Two days?’
I nod. ‘Emily took care of Vivi by building her a shelter inside of an old tree which had been hollowed out, picking blackberries and strawberries for them to eat, washing themselves in a stream and telling her stories when she got scared. Before their mother had taken them to the wood Emily had shoved a load of biscuits up her sleeves so they had those too. They were found fit and well two days later.’
Cassie’s mouth is now gaping with amazement.
I smile. ‘I asked Vivi if I could meet Emily as she sounded amazing and she was… amazing.’ Why is my voice cracking with emotion? How much did I drink last night?
Fighting back tears I stare down at my hands.
‘Rory, that’s so sad about Vivi dying. How’s Emily doing?’
I find myself sitting back down on the stool and running my hands through my hair. Lawrence’s face flashes up inside my head. ‘I know what it’s like to lose someone. Emily’s life will never be the same again.’ Feeling dizzy I grip onto the table. ‘Vivi had a young son, so overnight Emily became his legal guardian. That’s really tough.’
Cassie’s eyebrows have travelled so far up her forehead they are almost touching her hairline. ‘Is the boy the reason why you can’t be together?’
‘Partly yes, no one seems to think fatherhood is for me right now,’ I say, as Felix’s face appears in my head. ‘Emily didn’t think it was fair for us to be together when she was going through so much and she got it into her head I was not serious about our relationship.’
Cassie blows the air out of her cheeks. ‘I’m going to say it again, I am thanking all my lucky stars I didn’t sleep with you last night.’
‘Thanks.’ I’m secretly glad too.
