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The divorce was finalised shortly after her discovery, she met up with her Gran for coffee but refused to see or talk about a reconciliation with her dad. In the meantime, her mum met someone new, he was tall, and much to all her friends delight, American. Her friends had drooled over him acting like he was a Hollywood star much to her amusement. When he had proposed to her mum she had been thrilled, she had beamed standing by them at the registry office.
It was a week later her world was turned upside down again, her new stepdad’s employers decided them needed him back in their New York office. As her mum was a hairdresser, she could do her job anywhere and before she had chance to get used to the idea they were packed up and moving across the globe. When she thought about it now, she realised that her mum and Brad must have already known and started the wheels in motion long before they told her.
Her gran had cried when she told her that she was leaving, she had attended the wedding and held no animosity towards her mum. Her mum had bought her gran a tablet and made sure she understood how to use it so that Gwen could video call her. Gwen thought bitterly to herself that her gran was the only one who had kept up the video calls. At first her friends had kept up with her, video calls every few days claiming to miss her, but soon life moved on, she was as guilty as them but now they were little more than Facebook friends. Most she’d understood but there was one… She had thought that they would keep in touch, that they’d find a way to visit each other, that she’d come and visit her, that they’d explore Central Park together.
Gwen fought back the tears, even now it still hurt. She stood up grabbed her bag wishing her flatmate good night she headed to the safety of her room before her emotion betrayed her. Kristal watched Gwen leave the room, noting the ways her eyes glistened. She knew there was something her friend was not telling her, some secret that was holding her back and she was determined to find out what it was.
CHAPTER TWO
Gwen heard the landline ring, in her befuddled mind she thought it was her alarm and flapped around trying to silence it. Thinking she had succeeded when it went quiet, she rolled over and went back to sleep.
In the kitchen Kristal had picked up the receiver.
“Hello?”
“Morning Kris is Gwen there?”
“She isn’t up yet. You want me to give her a shout?”
“Please, I wouldn’t normally bother her, but this is important.”
“Is everything okay?”
“No, it’s not good news, she is going to need you to be there for her until I arrive.”
“I’ll get her.” Kristal didn’t ask anymore she placed the receiver on the counter and crossed the room.
THUD! THUD! She banged on the door loudly before entering. Gwen pulled the duvet closer and grunted so she grabbed her by the shoulder and shook her.
“Gwen, GWEN! You need to wake up! Your mum is on the phone.”
“Tell her I’ll ring her back. Am sleeping.”
“No, Gwen seriously, you need to get up. Something is wrong.”
Still half-asleep Gwen rolled from the bed, grumbling. As Gwen headed to pick up the phone Kristal put the coffee machine on.
“Mum…”
“Honey I am really sorry, but gran is in hospital.”
Gwen was suddenly wide awake, her heart was pounding, and she could hear her own blood rushing through her ears, she stood looking at the phone speechless.
“Gwen are you there? Honey, are you okay? Speak to me.”
Gwen’s legs gave way and she crumpled to the floor still clutching the receiver.
“Is she?”
“She got a nurse to call me, she wants to see you, I’m so sorry honey but they don’t think she has long left. I am booked on a flight in two hours, I will be with you by this afternoon then I have us booked on flights tonight. I didn’t know whether to wait until I spoke to you, in case you needed to contact work and sort that. But if we don’t get the flight tonight, the next one we could get tickets for is in two days and…” Her voice trailed off, not wanting to say what she was thinking, that two days might be too late.
“I’ll ring work now and sort it all out, the job I am working on I can take with me and do while we travel. I’ll See you this afternoon, love you mum.”
“Love you too.” The phone went dead but Gwen sat clinging to it.
Kristal crouched down beside her, wrapping her arms around her, as for the second time in twenty-four hours the tears began to flow. This time there was no holding them back.
A little while later Gwen was cried out and Kristal moved her to the sofa. She placed coffee in her hands and offered her some toast. Gwen shook her head, but Kristal coaxed her, one mouthful at a time. Over the next hour Gwen made calls to her boss, at the same time Kristal helped her pack. Not knowing how long she would be gone she packed for a fortnight, anything else she needed she could buy over there. Kristal checked the airlines to make sure Gwen’s mums flight was on time, for the first time Gwen resented the fact her mum had moved South.
