not even going to speak to him? Pete, he can’t just have this massive change in his life, he won’t cope, you know he won’t!’ The panic was starting to seep in now. He was actually going.
‘He’ll be fine.’
‘No, he won’t!’ she shouted, slamming her hand on the table, the tears forming rapidly in her eyes, threatening to spill over and flood her cheeks.
‘Don’t shout, Nance,’ Pete said, his brow knitted together with concern.
‘Don’t go then,’ she whimpered, her eyes betraying her wishes for the tears to stay put.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said yet again and she was sure she heard a quiver in his voice. He had the decency to look ashamed as he picked up his phone and walked to the front door.
Nancy jumped up and followed him, reaching out for his arm and gripping it tight. ‘Please, don’t do this.’
He paused and turned to her, gazing into her eyes. She instantly felt the familiar warmth that was the love they had. It had been suppressed recently because of everything going on but this surge right now was enough to make her realise that she really didn’t want him to go. She loved him so much. ‘Please,’ she squeaked.
He took her cheek in his hand and rubbed his thumb down it, wiping the moisture. ‘I have to do this,’ he whispered, and before she had a chance to reply, he turned and walked out the door, closing it behind him.
Nancy turned and leaned against the wooden frame, sliding down until her bottom reached the floor. It was only then that she let the tears flow without any restrictions.
He was gone – and she truly believed that he would never come back.
Twelve months later…
‘Grab your passport, we’re going on holiday!’
Nancy watched Harriet stroll into her house, and waltz straight into the kitchen, flicking the kettle on. She closed the door, a confused frown creeping across her face, and followed her friend.
‘I’m sorry, what?’ she said, sitting down on the breakfast bar stool and allowing her friend free rein to make the coffee as she always did. Harriet classed Nancy’s house as her own and seemed to feel completely at ease whenever she was there. They had been friends for so long, they were more like sisters.
‘You and Jack, me, Isla and Tommy – we’re going on holiday.’ Harriet rubbed her hands together and set about searching for some more coffee as the pot was empty. Her shoulder-length light brown hair was always immaculate, styled straight with subtle blonde streaks throughout and hardly ever up in the mum bun that Nancy regularly sported.
‘In the top left,’ Nancy pointed, guiding Harriet to the correct cupboard. ‘I’m sorry but I just don’t understand. Where are we going? How long for? When?’ Nancy laughed as the situation started to settle in her mind.
Harriet plonked the coffee granules jar on the side and walked over to where Nancy was sitting. Leaning on her forearms, she exhaled. ‘I know this sounds a bit crazy and last minute and totally not like me…’
‘You can say that again.’
‘…but you need a holiday and I could do with a break and I’ve found this lovely hotel in Ibiza which is perfect for us and they have a kids’ club and loads of restaurants and cocktail bars…’ Harriet nudged Nancy at the mention of cocktails as if that would sway her, but actually, it was the mention of the kids’ club that turned her stomach. Jack would never go to a kids’ club, not in a million years.
‘I don’t know…’
‘Wait, I’ve not even told you the best bit. You don’t have to pay for a penny.’ Nancy looked confused. ‘It’s on me. All of it. Just please say you’ll come?’
‘So let me get this straight.’ Harriet stood back to listen to Nancy. ‘You – Mrs Work-a-holic – have decided to take us all on an impromptu holiday to Ibiza. You are paying for the whole thing and all I have to do is pack our bags and leave?’
‘Got it in one, babe.’ Harriet winked and resumed her stance back at the worktop to make the coffees, her long legs straddling the washing basket positioned in front of the machine where it pretty much stayed constantly.
‘What about work?’ Nancy felt uneasy – this was totally out of character for her friend.
‘They can cope without me.’ Harriet brushed off the comment but then paused and turned to look at Nancy as she placed down the coffee, raising her eyebrows. ‘What?’
‘They can cope without me,’ she mimicked. ‘Come on, Hari, I have known you for about twenty-two years and that crappy line is not going to cut it with me.’ She raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms.
‘Babe, I don’t care if you believe me or not, fact is, I’m offering you a holiday – do you want it or not?’
‘I don’t know. It’s a bit short notice and I can’t just uproot Jack like that. He needs warnings and notice and…’ she noticed Harriet’s raised eyebrow. ‘What?’
‘You’re making excuses.’
‘I’m not! You know what Jack is like.’
‘Nance, you need this.’
‘Why? I’m fine.’ Harriet made a pfft noise. ‘What?’
‘You are not fine. Don’t think I don’t know what today is.’ Nancy didn’t think she’d remember. Why would she? After all, it was Nancy’s husband that had walked out on her exactly a year ago, not Harriet’s. That was a whole other story.
‘I am fine,’ she insisted, blowing her coffee after she had tried sipping it and burnt her top lip. She licked away the smarting on her lip and placed the cup back down.
‘Well, that may be the case, but I think you deserve a holiday after the year you’ve had, and Jack will be fine. We will get through this and he will have a great time. I promise.’
‘You can’t make that promise, Hari.’
‘I can and I will.’ She poked her tongue out, slid the biscuit jar across the counter and spun the lid off, fingering her way to the bottom to reach the bourbon.
‘Hari, be serious for a second though. Think about it, you know Jack; he’s not the easiest child to spring surprises on. I don’t know how he will cope with this – it’s not just a small change in routine.’
‘Babe, I get that. But you need to start thinking of yourself too. You need some down time. This last year has been—’ she paused, to think of the right word ‘—challenging for you – in more ways than one. I have spent the last twelve months watching my best friend slowly lose the plot—’
‘Thanks,’ Nancy laughed, although the comment did sting
