and he loves it.’
‘That’s great, sweetheart.’ She smiled. ‘But it’s time for a nap now.’
‘No way!’ she protested. ‘Me and Perce are having the best time. I want us to play a game now.’
My eyes met Gail’s and I saw her eyes were still filled with worry. I turned to Jenny and realised she looked exhausted. Her eyes appeared grey instead of a sparkling blue and her skin was sallow. With a start, I wondered if the hospital visit Jenny had mentioned a few moments ago had something to do with the reason Gail was keen for her daughter to take a nap. I wanted to help. If Jenny had to sleep, the last thing she needed was me distracting her. Opening my mouth wide as if to yawn, I slumped my face onto my front paws and shut my eyes as if I were ready for bed. The action was not lost on Gail, who, I was relieved to find, quickly took advantage of my actions.
‘Well, look at Percy,’ she said gently. ‘He needs a nap because he’s had a big day. He’s falling asleep on your legs, so how about I take him downstairs and let him have a little rest in his new bed. Then you can play games and we’ll give him a full tour after you’ve both had a nap.’
‘Okay,’ Jenny replied sulkily.
As Gail picked me up, she planted a kiss on Jenny’s forehead and then mine. Turning back to glance at her as Gail shut her bedroom door, I was delighted to see the little girl was already fast asleep.
Gail drew her head back and regarded me curiously. ‘I’ve no idea if you can understand what I’m saying, but that’s a couple of times now you’ve helped me out of a sticky situation.’
‘I can understand you loud and clear,’ I replied with a soft whine.
As we padded down the stairs together, Gail beckoned me to follow her. ‘Come on then,’ she said encouragingly, ‘time to see where you’ll be sleeping.’
I trotted eagerly behind her and into the big square kitchen/diner. There was no denying it, Simon was right again, Gail and Jenny had indeed created a luxurious corner for me so I could relax. My large new bed was right next to the radiator so I’d be warm, while the bed itself was dressed in blanket after cosy-looking blanket, with a softer than soft hand-knitted patchwork blanket on top. I realised they smelled of Gail and felt instantly comforted, I was so excited to dive right in. I turned around and looked over at Gail and Simon who were standing at the kitchen doorway, arms wrapped around each other, smiling indulgently at me.
‘Go on,’ Gail coaxed, ‘this is your home now, Percy, just shut your eyes for a bit and have a rest.’
Excited, I turned back to my new bed and placed first one paw then another into the blankets. Soft, squishy and oh so warm, it felt like heaven as I walked around in little circles to try to get comfortable. Once I had found the perfect spot, I sank my head into the nice warm space I had carved out for myself. I needed very little encouragement, as I glanced once more at a delighted-looking Gail and Simon, I shut my eyes and immediately fell asleep.
*
‘If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times, Gail, we can afford it,’ Simon said, his rasping tones waking me from my slumber.
‘I know you keep saying we can afford it, but I just don’t see how,’ Gail protested, as I opened my eyes and saw her emptying the dishwasher. ‘Holidays are expensive, and I know it’s just a week away in the Lakes but, if we go back down to Barnstaple instead, we can stay with my parents for free.’
‘But then it’s not a holiday, love. We’ll get bogged down seeing friends, looking after your parents and doing the things we used to do when we lived down there. If old Mrs Shand finds out I’m back, she’ll have me servicing her boiler for free and you know I won’t be able to resist.’
‘That Mrs Shand won’t just want her boiler serviced if she finds out you’re back! You’re too kind for your own good.’ Gail grinned, swatting him with a tea towel. ‘And I know we need a proper holiday, love, but now I’ve given up my job in the café to home-school Jenny, every penny counts.’
‘So why did you decide now was a good time to get a dog, if money is such a worry?’ Simon spat.
I felt a stab of alarm as I opened one eye and saw Simon rest his back against the sink, his arms folded in what looked like fury.
‘That’s not fair, Simon,’ Gail whispered angrily. ‘You know how long I’ve wanted to get a dog, and how lonely I’ve been since we moved to London. We both agreed to take Percy on.’
Simon shook his head despairingly. ‘We agreed to give him a chance until Christmas and see how it goes, before deciding whether to keep him for ever. We’ve a lot on our plates with Jenny as it is, without taking on any more responsibility.’
Fear coursed through my fur as I realised my instincts were right. This had all been too good to be true; Javier had proved to me how fickle humans were. How stupid I had been to think things would be different with Gail and Simon. I wanted to howl as I realised that within a few short weeks I could be back at the tails of the forgotten. Would I never be good enough for someone to want me and love me for ever?
I closed my eyes tightly, just as I heard Gail walk across the kitchen floor to join Simon at the sink.
‘You have to give Percy a real chance,’ she said warningly. ‘He’s a wonderful dog and could be just what this family needs. He doesn’t cost that much, and he’ll certainly give us a lot more joy than a few days away in a caravan.’
Opening my eyes again, I felt a rush of love once more for Gail as I saw her face was filled with an earnestness I had never seen on a human before.
Simon cocked his head to one side and regarded his wife. ‘Love, I will give Percy a real chance, I’m just asking you to keep an open mind too. It may not work out with him and all of us have to be prepared for that. Let’s see how things are after Christmas.’
‘Fine,’ Gail sighed. ‘But I want you to know, if you won’t keep Percy, then there’s a real chance I’ll go with him. He’s a lifeline to me.’
‘Even more reason we need a break, love,’ Simon begged, reaching for his wife’s hands and clasping them tightly. ‘But Percy aside, Gail, I can provide for my family, and part of that means I can treat us all to a holiday, even if it’s just a few days in a caravan in wet and windy Keswick.’
I glanced up at Gail, who was now biting her lip. She rounded the table and drew out the chair opposite Simon’s to sit down.
‘I know that, love, but the other good thing about going back down to Devon is that if Jenny has a problem, Mum and Dad are there to help us out. Plus, all the staff at the hospital have dealt with Jenny over the years so will be able to treat her quickly. She’s going into hospital in a couple of weeks for another procedure and we don’t know how successful that’s going to be. I think we should wait and see how that goes before we even think about holidays.’
Simon looked across at his wife and clasped his hands over hers. ‘Nobody knows more than me how sick Jenny is. I grew up worrying about heart conditions remember? My old man was always in and out of hospital with a dodgy ticker and after his fifth heart attack I realised I couldn’t control his health by worrying. I knew I had to make the most of my time with him, which is why one of the best things I ever did was take him golfing in Spain just before he died. I’ll never regret doing that. It made
