“Have you missed us?”
“Of course I have, all of you! Come here Kimberley!” I’m next to get one of her much loved hugs. Her small hand rubs at my back and she pecks my cheek.
“Have you done something different with your hair?” I ask much to her appreciation. She pats it while pulling a face and winks at us.
“Just a little something, come on through. You’ve just missed Garry, he nipped out to get some cans but he should be back any minute. He’ll be happy to see you!” She sits down sitting Paisley on her lap so she’s sat forward looking at her. She’s holding both her hands and she’s staring at her like she can’t believe her eyes, you would think she hadn’t seen her in years not just months. “I can’t believe how much she’s grown in little to no time, where’s me baby gone?”
“Here, silly” Paisley laughs falling forward to cuddle her again. Cheryl sits on the sofa and laughs when I nervously sit down beside her. I can’t help but wonder where Alaina is, I’ve sort of missed her, isn’t that a shocking confession? I never thought I would but it’s funny how I grew to like her after not getting off to the best of starts. To Cheryl she’s like Sarah to me. We should have brought her along with us actually and we would have if it wasn’t the weekend that Nadine comes home from her trip away visiting her own family in Ireland. I think Sarah and Alaina have more in common. I know they would get on like a house on fire.
“Stop with the nerves” Cheryl chuckles quietly into my ear so only I can hear. I chuckle too and she buries her face in my hair giving behind my ear a quick kiss much to the mock exhaustion of Joan who gasps and raises a hand to her face, blocking her eyes from the sight in front of her. I find her quite hilarious.
“It’s started already!”
“What can I say? I can’t keep me hands off her”
“Well try when your mother is around, Pet. I’ll go and put the kettle on you must all be freezing. Isn’t the weather bad?”
“It is but don’t worry, I’ll do the cuppas. Give yourself a rest, you’re going to need it spending a full weekend with madam muck sat there” I smile standing up and getting appreciative smiles from all angles.
*
It feels like all the energy has been sucked out the room, the positive energy anyways. The laughter and full smiles has now been replaced by a horrible atmosphere as Joan has just delivered some very unexpected and unwanted news about Alaina. I knew it was weird that she wasn’t here when we got arrived.
“What do you mean she’s back on the drugs?” Cheryl asks and Joan swallows hard and puts the blue and white striped mug down on the polished coffee table to her side. Her hands rest on her knees. Her fingers are grasped together, her thumbs nervously move in a circular motion. She looks uneasy and still raw about this whole situation which is expected. She’s like a daughter to her.
“What I said, Pet. I tried to get her sorted but you know what she’s like-“
“Why wasn’t I told? I could have came and-“
“There’s nothing any of us could or can do for her. Like I’ve said. You know what she’s like. I haven’t seen her in weeks. She’s gone back to that crack house with that useless waste of space. Garrys been to check on her and he said she’s in a right state but he refuses to go back there. She’s a lost cause Cheryl” Cheryl looks like her hearts just been crushed, I was forever hearing about how proud of her best friend she was for getting clean after all those years. I stand up even though Cheryl is reaching for my hand that I have just pulled out from hers.
“I’m going to go and get Paisley changed and give you some time to talk”
“No, don’t be daft. Sit back down”
Chapter 78
Comenzar desde el principio
