Someone Like You

Part Five

Lilah looked at her for a moment, "but why should you have to take him. Are you doing this to make yourself feel better? You know that this won't change what happened to your father."

Nina wagged her finger, "I don't HAVE to, I WANT to. It's not guilt...it's doing the right thing; he's a war vet for fuck sake. I just want him to be happy. And anyway, as you know I've got cousins and stuff there. I can catch up with them."

Lilah eyed her suspiciously, "you are far too generous for your own good. Nevertheless, why do I have bad vibes about this?"

Laughing, Nina stored the completed ring in her safe, "because you are a pessimist, that's why!"

Nina drove her multicoloured Beetle to the Oakdale Home, and as she was climbing out, Mansell appeared looking a little anxious. She jumped out grinning; suddenly this trip was JUST what she needed. An adventure, spontaneity, fun. Everything she'd had to shelve since she started her business.

"You ok?" She asked the very same moment that he spoke.

"We're going in THAT?"

Nina stared at him then patted the car's bonnet gently, "don't listen to him Charlie, he knows not what he says." She was very defensive of the vehicle that had been her transport and often her bed when she'd travelled extensively in Europe a few years earlier, she'd not part with him unless she really, really had to.

"Charlie? We're going to France in an antique called Charlie?"

Giggling Nina grabbed his back and tossed it onto the back seat, "Charlie has driven five thousand miles of European roads; he's taken me everywhere I've wanted to go. And besides, he had a paint job two months ago, his engine is finely tuned, and we've got every genre of music to put on the stereo, you Mansell Gershwin are just like the rest, a total snob!"

That made him roar with laughter, "I'm anything but, I'm just concerned that it won't make it to Dover! But I will take your assurances, and try to squeeze into the front seat, let's go!"

"So tell me where we're staying. A hotel?"

Originally she'd mentioned booking a hotel, but she'd changed her plans. They'd barely left town when he started with the questions, and shook her head as she negotiated the traffic joining the motorway, before relaxing and smiling. "Nope, got us a little house, a village a few miles from Arromanches, my cousin owns a holiday property, farmland with four small houses a pool, a gym and access to the beach. If the sun shines it'll be amazing."

"This is hardly a holiday." Despite the words there was no animosity in his voice, just sadness.

She glanced at him and smiled, "it'll probably be the only holiday I get, so I'm making the most of it. You got a Caribbean cruise lined up for next month?"

She knew that once they reached Oakdale home, few of the residents left, even for holidays. He was silent for a moment as he contemplated her comment.

"I'm more than grateful...for you doing this. I mean you barely know me and you've done more than anyone else."

Nina sighed, "look I'm getting something out of this too. A break, a chance to see some family..." And a chance to do something right. As much as she denied it to her friend, she was riddled with the guilt that her father had died alone in a nursing home with no one near him; it still haunted her every day. She'd been living in Spain, free from the restraints of her car crash life, but if she'd known he was ill, that he was dying she knew she'd have dropped her rebellious absence, come home, been with him, held his hand so that he wasn't alone. But no one had told her. All it would have taken was a phone call; she could never decide whether her brother and her step mother deliberately kept it from her, or whether they really didn't know, didn't care. Her poor father. Instead he died alone, who knew what thoughts, desires and regrets were there at the end. She wasn't sure she'd ever get over that guilt.

Sighing she hit the accelerator and powered towards Dover.

Mansell fell asleep before she hit the Eurotunnel port, but he woke as she was driving onto the train.

"How far do we drive the other side?"

Nina glanced at him with a smile, "four hours maybe, but we can stop as often as you like, I'm in no rush." He sighed and she glanced at him, "what is it?"

He shrugged, "I just wish my family cared as much as you do. They couldn't do this for their only family; you're doing it for a stranger."

She smiled at him, she hated that he thought that she was going above and beyond the call of duty, she wasn't doing this to be a martyr, she was actually looking forward to seeing the celebrations with a man who'd been part of the original battle. Instead Nina reached behind her seat and pulled out a bag, pulling the zip open she handed him a bag of sandwiches, "this, Mansell, is the best adventure I've had in ages. So sit back, relax and enjoy the ride!"

And it was the truth. She was someone who'd always had a huge rebellious streak, who had always lived on a whim, she'd spent more than four years travelling, living day to day, not knowing where fate was going to take her. But since returning from that, since her father's death, she'd knuckled down, tried to make a success of her life, she didn't want to rely on handouts from her father's estate, and that meant working hard. She'd barely had a holiday since those hedonistic days of self indulgence. Nina had surprised herself with her own determination. Now she sniffed an adventure, and she was excited to be a part of. This road trip had morphed into a great change, a release from the tension of the last few years, from her rubbish family, from the commitment of her job, and from the responsibilities of life.

Ripping open a packet of chicken sandwiches she started to munch on them, then swallowing the food gratefully turned to Mansell, "this is going to be a GREAT road trip!"

The older man slept most of the drive, and it was only then that Nina realised that this truly would have been too much for him to do on his own. Smiling she turned up the stereo and sent her car south in the direction of Normandy, absorbing the beautiful and increasingly familiar scenery.

Melody had been back with Sadie for a day. Theo had spent most of the time watching their front door from across the street; he was petrified that something would happen. But as the hours passed, he saw Sadie emerge holding his daughter's hand, watched them take a trip to the shop, later to the park, and then saw the lights go on in what he knew was his daughter's bedroom. All appropriate, as you'd expect.

As he started the engine to take go home, his phone started to ring. Glancing at it he saw the number of his grandfather's nursing home. Panic hit his stomach, they never called him. As bad thoughts rushed through his head, he snatched at the phone and connected the call.

"Yes?"

"Mr Peterson, we're calling about your grandfather."

His heart started to race in fear, Dan had asked him to visit, and he was too busy, the realisation wasn't a pleasant feeling, "why? What's happened? Is he ok?"

There was a silence which seemed far too long, "he's not come home tonight, no one has seen him since breakfast. We don't know where he is."