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‘Okay,’ she said as some of the concern fell from her face.
‘It’s our anniversary. Six months.’
‘Oh, congratulations. But why is anything connected to that causing you the level of stress I can see on your face? Oh shit, you’re not gonna break up with her, are you?’
He shook his head and groaned. Now he had to put the thoughts flying around his head into words.
‘What am I supposed to do?’
‘Penn, is that a trick question?’
‘It’s six months. How much fuss does that require? We’re doing a picnic because of our shifts, but should I book a fancy restaurant for the weekend? Do I buy huge bouquets of flowers? Do I get her a card? Do I book a blimp to do a flyover with a banner? Do I do some of the above or none of the above, and if I choose some, which ones—’
‘Take a breath, man,’ Stacey interrupted. ‘What are you so worried about?’
‘Doing the right thing. Doing the appropriate thing. I don’t want to do too much in case I scare her off, and I don’t want to do too little in case she thinks I don’t care.’
‘You know, Penn, you gotta stop thinking you’re going to mess it up. I really think that Lynne knew how she felt for a long time and she was just waiting for you to catch up. You’ve got to loosen up.’
‘I know. But what if I do something wrong?’
A strange look passed over his colleague’s face before she spoke. ‘We all make mistakes in our relationships. Some are small and some are big, but we just got to do what feels right at the time.’
For a minute Penn was unsure if Stacey was talking about herself or him.
‘So, have you got any ideas?’ she asked.
He reached into the bag at his feet. ‘I got her two gifts,’ he said, placing them on the desk. ‘A book token and a gold bracelet.’
‘Show me the bracelet,’ Stacey said.
He opened the box to reveal what the sales assistant had called a ‘delicate belcher’ bracelet. They’d had chunkier chains, but Lynne didn’t do bulky jewellery.
‘That’s really lovely,’ Stacey said admiringly. She then widened her eyes. ‘And a book token?’
‘She likes to read,’ he defended himself, feeling Stacey was mocking his choice. ‘I just don’t know which is the most appropriate for a six-month anniversary,’ he said, looking from one to the other.
‘Penn, answer me one thing. How does she make you feel?’
‘Whole,’ he said without thinking. ‘I see her and the world is a brighter place. I wake up and she’s the first thing I think about. When I know I’m going to see her, I wish the hours away and I never want her to leave. My heart is fit to burst when I see the relationship she’s building with Jasper, and I literally cannot imagine my life without her.’
Stacey stared at him and he’d swear he could see tears in her eyes.
‘So which should I give her, the book token or the bracelet?’ he asked, still not sure of the right choice.
‘The bracelet, Penn. Definitely the bracelet.’
FORTY-THREE
Welton was no less intimidating to adults as to kids, Kim thought as Bryant parked the car.
Built in the 1970s, it was a study in faceless, featureless concrete. There was nothing to soften the edges and appeared to be frightening from the minute you set eyes on it. There was no indication that any softness existed beyond the cold, unforgiving walls either.
Kim couldn’t help the shudder that passed through her as they approached the double doors. She’d probably spent most of her teenage years just one fight away from ending up somewhere like this.
She’d seen facilities built in the decades since, and great care had been taken to make them appear less threatening. She’d seen photos of Hindley in Manchester, which was built of light brick and looked like an office block.
Stacey had managed to get them an appointment with the governor, who was running a few minutes late. After showing their IDs at the desk and following security protocols, they were directed to a waiting area.
