Page 43 of New Beginnings on Railway Lane

Whilst the soup was bubbling on the stove, and having missed that afternoon’s visiting hours, he rang his dad to see how he was and found Bob sounding a little weary.

‘You’re not ill as well, are you?’ he asked.

‘I’m fine. Who’s ill?’ replied Bob, sounding concerned.

‘Katy,’ Ryan told him. ‘I think she’s caught a chill. There’s a gap in the roof in that small bedroom which needs filling.’

His dad sighed. ‘That’s on me, I guess. I was so busy hanging on to the past that I didn’t think to repair what we already had.’

Was he talking about his marriage or the station? Ryan couldn’t be sure.

Bob was pleased to hear that Katy had moved into his old bedroom which at least would be warmer.

Once they had finished chatting, Ryan checked on the soup and, as soon as he heard Katy stirring inside the bedroom, ladled out a small bowlful and added a chunk of buttered bread alongside it. Then he carried a tray into the bedroom.

‘Hi,’ he said, as she groggily stared up at him. ‘How are you feeling?’

‘Like I’ve been run over by a truck,’ she replied, looking at the tray. ‘What’s that?’

‘Chicken soup,’ he told her. ‘By the way, Dad sends his best wishes.’

‘How is he?’ she asked, struggling to sit up.

‘Raring to get home, I think,’ Ryan told her. ‘How about trying some of that soup?’

She made a face, but he wasn’t taking any argument from her.

‘Come on,’ he said, putting the tray down so that he could arrange the pillows properly behind her. ‘Try to eat something. It’ll help.’

When she was sitting up, he placed the tray gently on her lap and then sat on the small chair at the end of the bed, keeping an eye on her.

He was grateful to see her eat a spoonful of soup.

‘Mmm. That’s good,’ she murmured.

He was pleased that she liked his cooking. ‘All home-made,’ he said.

‘How do you make soup?’ she asked before taking another spoonful.

She listened as he told her, but once finishing most of the bowl, began to look sleepy once more, so he stood up to remove the tray from her lap. By the time he had taken it into the kitchen and returned to the bedroom, she had snuggled back down under the covers.

‘I’ll be better tomorrow,’ she murmured, as he tucked the duvet in around her.

‘You’d better be,’ he said. ‘It’s too quiet around here.’

It had been a joke, but he had missed having her around that day, he realised as he placed more logs onto the fire.

He glanced over at Katy, but she was already asleep. He would check in on her every few hours during the night.

He reckoned that the lack of sleep was a small price to pay given all she had given up to help out his family.

23

Late the following morning, Katy woke up to the sound of birdsong outside and the fire crackling beside her. The sun was streaming through the window onto the bedroom floor beside her. She saw her phone nearby and after checking the time, realised that she had been asleep for nearly eighteen hours.

She turned her head to look across the room, but the chair where Ryan had sat and talked with her the previous evening was empty.

She knew deep down that she shouldn’t be in there. That she should have been strong enough to prevent Ryan from helping her into the main bedroom. After all, she never accepted or asked for help from anyone.