AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘He definitely takes after you,’ said Amy.
‘Then we made soup. Lots of carrot soup. And courgettes,’ he said. ‘There were loads.’
Amy remembered the pictures on Instagram of ratatouille, courgetti, courgette cake. As she listened, she couldn’t help but feel wistful. She had missed out on so much. She had always been close to her dad growing up. Perhaps because she was the baby of the family. They had a shared love of the outdoor and spent hours walking in the hills and foraging what they could. Her dad would point out the mushrooms you could eat and the ones that were deadly. That had put her off mushrooms completely.
At moments like this her dad was totally lucid and engaged and she knew to focus on these moments with him. He smiled happily as he told her about the flowers he was planning on putting in the wedding bouquet.
‘Are you coming up to the house for lunch?’ she asked, glancing at the clock. ‘Only, I know the kids were on the early shift and will be back soon. They will love seeing you.’
‘Is that okay?’ He sounded apologetic. ‘I don’t want to get in the way.’
Amy scoffed. ‘Dad! You’re never in the way. Come on. Let me settle the bill and then we’ll head home.’
‘Okay, dear. Thank you.’
Amy went over to the till and as she reached into her bag for her purse, she felt a hand on her shoulder.
‘I thought it was you. Is this you back for your sister’s wedding?’
Amy’s heart sank. It was their old neighbour, Anna, who was also an annoying busybody.
‘Yes, that’s right. How are you, Anna?’
‘Och, you know. Okay. My back is giving me bother. But that’s old age for you, isn’t it?’ She glanced over at Amy’s dad and lowered her voice. ‘Your sister will be glad to have you back. I hear your dad’s got a wee problem.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Getting a bit forgetful by all accounts.’
Amy felt her cheeks flush in anger. She knew Anna was stirring things up as she had nothing better to do, but she felt so protective of her dad and hated the thought of people talking about him.
‘Aren’t we all, Anna? Aren’t we all. Now I’m sorry to be rude, but we are in a bit of a rush. Must dash.’
‘See you around, dearie.’
There was nothing kind about the way she said those words and they certainly didn’t sound like a term of endearment. Amy didn’t even bother with a backward glance.
Back at Meadowbank, they settled Dad in front of the TV, which gave him a chance for a quick snooze, while she filled Kirsty in on their morning.
‘She’s a daft old cow,’ said Kirsty. ‘Always has been and I can’t see her changing.’
‘Why don’t you go and sit with Dad, and I’ll make lunch?’ Amy suggested. She’d noticed her sister’s pale face.
Kirsty stifled a yawn. ‘Well, if you don’t mind that would be nice. Thanks, Amy, I appreciate it. Just have a look and see what you can find.’
Amy rummaged in the fridge and pulled out some salad leaves, cherry tomatoes and reached for a red onion from the vegetable rack. Contemplating what to make, she saw that Kirsty had a glut of eggs. Omelettes would be perfect. She sliced up the onion, browned it in a pot with a little oil and some spices and whisked the eggs together before pouring them into the pan. Keeping a close eye on it, she then quickly set about laying the table. She lowered the heat on the pan and stuck her head into the living room. Both her dad and Kirsty had nodded off.
Maybe it was best to let them sleep for a few minutes longer while they both had peace. Her sister clearly needed it. All the stress and tension of Dad and the wedding must have been taking it out of her. As soon as Steve and the kids arrived back, she would wake them up.
Chapter Twenty-One
Emma smiled gratefully when Joy came into her office and placed a takeaway container of soup on her desk. ‘You are a star,’ she mouthed, thanking the gods again for making Joy such an angel.
Joy winked at her. ‘Don’t want you passing out on your big day,’ she whispered.
So much for Emma firing through all her tasks and getting everything ticked off her list. Sometimes, everything felt like such a fight. She had been on hold on the phone for what felt like hours, seeing if she could speak to someone, anyone, at the Crown Office. A particularly nasty domestic abuse case had come in first thing and her client needed a court order offering protection from her abusive partner who had violently attacked her and had been tracking her movements, unbeknown to her, by installing cameras in their home.
Emma sighed. Nothing in this job surprised her and she was so used to listening to similar stories time and time again. Yet these awful stories also served as a reminder to her of how lucky she was.
