Mum laughed. ‘Rachel, you’ve got no commitments.’ She coughed down the phone. ‘You’ll have time on your hands. It’s also Christmas, an important time for family to be together. You’re going through a hard time, and you need your family around you. That’s another great thing Fay said on WhatsApp.’
It was then I erupted down the phone at my mother. ‘My cousin Fay needs to mind her own business.’
‘We’re not discussing this,’ snapped my mother. ‘Robert and Karen have already bought Grandpa a train ticket. They will drop him at the station tomorrow. He’ll be arriving at yours at lunchtime. We’ve booked him a taxi from the station to your flat.’
I recalled getting suspicious of Mum when Maddie told me she thought Mum was going through her caring era. I was right to get suspicious. She’d been planning this. ‘Mum!’ I shouted, ‘this is not fair. Grandpa can’t stay in my flat. I have a leaky ceiling. It’s a health hazard.’
‘Life isn’t fair, Rachel,’ hissed my mother, before taking another swig of her iced coffee and a drag on her freshly lit cigarette. ‘Do you think I enjoy being away from my wonderful and precious family at Christmas? I will be miles away in Tenerife having to entertain Gary’s friends who are coming out here for the festive season. It will be exhausting for me.’
‘But you like socialising in Tenerife! That’s the main reason you went to live out there. Hang on, other cousins could look after Grandpa Eric.’
She exhaled loudly. ‘Fay lives in Australia and we’re not sending Grandpa out there. Her sister is about to give birth to twins after Christmas so she can’t have Grandpa Eric either.’ She took another drag of her cigarette. ‘One of your other cousins is backpacking around South America and my sister hasn’t heard from him for two weeks. Your eldest cousin has started shoplifting scented candles again and her sister has gone back to Ibiza to live with that divorced DJ – the one who has four children. Your youngest cousin lives in a squalid flat with three other male students and his sister is now a snake breeder. Rachel, do you see why Fay’s suggestion of you caring for Grandpa works?’
There wasn’t anyone else who could look after Grandpa. ‘I suppose you have a point.’
‘Grandpa won’t mind a few leaks in the ceiling for a night. You can put him in your spare room overnight. Cheaper than a hotel.’ In the background, she said to Gary, ‘Is it too early for a cocktail? No? Can make you me one? Thanks, it’s always a stressful call with Rachel.’
‘Mum, I heard that,’ I snapped. ‘Can we not put Grandpa in a hotel overnight? The spare room is Olivia’s bedroom.’ My voice crackled. ‘I haven’t been in there since she…’
‘Rachel, your grandfather cannot afford a hotel. He’s a pensioner and not made of money,’ snapped Mum. ‘Why don’t you sleep on the sofa?’
The barista had finished my order and was waiting for payment.
‘I have to go, Mum.’
‘Karen has created a WhatsApp chat for you titled,Looking after Grandpa Eric.She’s invited you to join it,’ Mum explained as my phone vibrated. ‘The family will want daily updates on Grandpa so make sure you stay in contact. Oh, and don’t lose your sister’s dog either. It will break her heart and we don’t want that. I’ve got to go. Gary wants me to join him in the pool. You wouldn’t believe how warm it is out here.’
I carried the coffee order back to Kate’s car, cursing my cousin Fay, my mother and the person who invented WhatsApp.
CHAPTERFIVE
‘Happy birthday, Olivia,’ Kate, Connor, and I all chorused, raising aloft our coffee cups. The vanilla latte I’d bought Olivia from Happy Beans Café sat on the top of her gravestone in its cute pink travel mug. On either side of her gravestone were bunches of pink flowers and two heart balloons with –Happy Birthdayon them. The biggest arrangement was from Sonia, Olivia’s mum. ‘When did Sonia come up?’ Kate asked, kneeling to inspect the flowers.
‘She texted me earlier to say she was up here at eight in the morning,’ I explained. ‘The family are all coming back later this afternoon.’
We stood before Olivia’s gravestone. Rummaging in my coat pocket I searched for tissues as tears spilled down my cheeks. Connor pulled me against him and stroked my hair. He began his speech. ‘Olivia, happy birthday. I am missing your winged eyeliner, your ability to walk into any charity shop and find an amazing piece of clothing, your love of liquorice sweets and how, even though you were a dreadful cook, you never gave up cooking us all meals that gave the impression you’d been torturing a vegetable and a stringy piece of meat for hours.’ He grinned at the stone. ‘I hope you get to dance the night away in heaven tonight.’
With a nod and a little sob, I started my speech. ‘Happy birthday, my soul sister. I am missing seeing you go wild on a dance floor and drinking dodgy green liquid shots. I miss sitting on the sofa in identical pink onesies, scoffing steak and onion sandwiches and talking about our future fitness goals. I am missing hearing you shout at imaginary people whilst you type out your romance books. I hope there are some fit angels up there for you to dance with as you celebrate your heavenly birthday.’
Kate rose to her feet and nodded. ‘I still can’t believe you’re gone, Olivia. It’s like you’ve gone travelling or are on an extra-long holiday. I keep expecting to see a photo dump on Instagram, filled with photos of you dancing on tables and lying on a towel looking pale and hungover. I am missing your laughter, your craziness, friendship and love.’
I rubbed Kate’s arm. ‘Me too.’
After placing his coffee cup next to Olivia’s, Connor took out her romance book. Kate and I both nervously glanced around the graveyard for anyone who might not want to hear an extract from,One Night with The Viking King.He started to read, and I closed my eyes.
I remembered the day Olivia had come hurtling out of her bedroom with a huge smile on her face. ‘I’ve finished it,’ she announced. ‘I can’t believe I have written a medieval romance.’ She giggled. ‘My GCSE history teacher is going to be impressed with my historical knowledge when she reads it.’
‘Do you think she will readOne Night with The Viking King?’
She nodded. ‘She’s read all my other books on Amazon and always leaves me a thought-provoking three-star review. When she reads this one, she’s going to feel guilty for predicting me a C at GCSE history. She might go for a four-star.’ We laughed before grabbing our coats and going out for a celebratory drink.
I wiped my tears away as Connor closed the book. He grabbed his coffee and smiled at the gravestone. ‘Olivia, that was amazing. I felt like I was in medieval times waiting for my handsome Viking King to row across the sea. I did wonder whether a Viking king would row his long boat by himself. Surely, he would have had people rowing it for him.’
I placed a hand on his arm. ‘Olivia doesn’t need to hear your editorial criticism on her birthday.’
Connor nodded. ‘As a reader, I did get a good idea of the Viking King’s impressive physique with all those powerful rowing descriptions.’
Kate and I leaned against Connor, and we all gazed at Olivia’s stone.
