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‘Itis! It would meaneverythingto Gran. I know it would. Oh, how wonderful it would be if I were to find Freda after all this time. But do you really think I could?’
‘You could give it your best shot.’
I grimace. ‘I wish I was braver, though. Then flying to New York and going to all the dance schools and her old address would be easy.’
‘You’re much braver than you think.’
I shake my head. ‘No, I’m not.’
‘Clara, you’re one of the kindest, most courageous people I’ve ever met,’ Rory murmurs. ‘You can do this.’
His confidence in me spurs me on. ‘Ihaveto do it, don’t I? For Gran?’
‘You do. And I’ll come with you.’
‘What?’ My heart gives a giant, hopeful leap.
He smiles. ‘I’m due some time off. We can go the week after next if you like.’
‘Really? Are you serious?’
‘Why not?’
‘Oh, that would be so amazing.’ I stare at him, feeling a mix of happy emotions. Then I remember. ‘Hang on. I think my passport might have expired. And don’t you need a visa for America?’
‘No problem. You can get your passport fast-tracked, and then your visa only takes a couple of days, I think.’
‘Wow. So we could really go?’
‘We could.’ Rory gives me one of his wide, eye-crinkling smiles, the kind that makes my knees instantly buckle with desire. ‘New York, here we come.’
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
The photo booth is tiny and having had several snaps of myself taken for my passport, I pull Rory inside and laughing, we have the final photograph taken together.
‘I’ll check out how to get a fast-tracked passport as soon as I get home,’ I tell him, as we examine the photos to decided which one is best.
‘And I’ll look into flights to New York,’ promises Rory.
As we part and I head for home, I’m psyching myself up to tell Irene and Lois about my planned trip to New York. I know they’ll understand about me wanting to track down Gran’s long-lost sister. But what will Lois think about Rory offering to go with me, to help me find her? It’s totally innocent, of course, and she has no reason to think any differently. But they’ve only recently split up and Lois is bound to be feeling a little vulnerable.
Will she be okay about Rory and me flying off to New York together?
*****
When I get home, I check the passport office website, dreading I might meet an obstacle to getting a passport in a hurry. But it turns out I can apply online and collect it on Wednesday.
Later, having dinner with Lois and Irene, I tell them all about my plans to find Freda, but I chicken out of telling them about Rory offering to go to New York with me. I’m too worried about Lois’s reaction, so I decide I’ll tell her once their surprise about me going has sunk in.
‘I’d come with you if I didn’t have an important meeting,’ Lois says, and I feel quite touched by her offer.
‘That would have been great,’ I admit, although I’m now feeling even more guilty for not mentioning to her about Rory offering. ‘What’s the meeting about?’
‘Going back to work at the estate agency.’
‘Really?’ Lois gave up her job there when she was going to marry Ronnie. ‘Oh, that’s great, Lois.’
‘They haven’t said yes yet,’ she points out.
