It never snowed in December. Andy had found out that much once the month had begun - but he hadn't been expecting it to. Considering his life had been full of constant disappointments anyway? This was just another to add to the ever growing list.
The city was busy however, with people piling into shops, arms laden with bags and the occasional takeaway coffee. Some preparing to start their Christmas shopping while he overheard others stating how they'd got all theirs done by the end of September.
Seriously?
He had no need to buy for anyone this year, because he had no one. His divorce had been finalised pretty quickly but the custody battle? Well, he was sure that Laurie had slipped the judge something, because it had swayed in her favour. It had all started to go to shit when Jake had been wrongly accused of murder, and since then had escalated until his wife had announced she was filing for divorce.
His way of dealing with the situation? Get it over and done with and then run to the first country you can think of.
Lynn, his boss, thankfully had connections when it came to his line of work - telling him she wasn't having him lose his job as well as his family. She'd put him in contact with a friend of hers who had offered him a place at their law firm.
Now here he was. Six months later. Settled but still unsettled.
Julian Harper had thankfully understood his situation, and was on the same level of empathy as Lynn was. He'd made sure that Andy didn't fall off the wagon, that his papers were in order when it came to working overseas, and that he was on his way to picking himself right back up again. He was grateful, but when it came to the last? He wasn't sure it would happen. He wasn't allowed any contact with Jake, just to send the usual monthly payment up until he hit eighteen.
Laurie had drained him for all he was worth. Money, energy and mentality.
Andy had never once made a New Year's resolution, but this year it would be to try and turn his life around if he did. He pulled his coat around him a little more, bracing himself against the wind and cold. It was the first day in a few that he'd not been caught in a downpour, but that was British weather for you.
He finally managed to reach his destination. Waterstones. He'd not set foot inside a bookshop for ages, being in a reading slump aside from the case notes he always brought home. Laurie had always favoured podcasts over a physical book, but then again she had always listened to them while out for her morning run. Andy had much preferred swimming, and Jake? Well - he had never been one for sports.
Maybe that's why everything had gone to shit - because all three of them had been so different. Well, mainly he and Laurie. Looking back, perhaps their marriage had been dead in the water long before the whole incident with Jacob. He just had been too blind to see it. Too caught up in his own work. Andy had tried to be the man his father wasn't - and he certainly was. But sometimes he wondered whether the little things had been a trait that he just couldn't shake. Little things such as the odd evening working late, or not being able to drop Jake at school because he had a court hearing first thing.
The only thing aside from blood that he and William Barber shared now, was not being able to see his son. Not that his father had ever cared about him, but Andy sure cared a hell of a lot about his own.
The warmth from the heaters made the chill on his face melt away within an instant. The shop was decorated for the season, a couple of Christmas trees in the window display, depicting a festive morning with all the most popular and current reads for people to buy their loved ones.
Book Tok - he had no idea what the fuck that even was, but apparently it was a trend. One he probably had no desire to jump on. Jacob would have been able to tell him what it was in an instant.
Right. Now onto the real reason he'd come here. A decent book.
Scanning the shelves, he looked at autobiographies, more factual ones than fiction. The tables had different ones out too, all popular ones within each genre.
"Anything in particular that you're looking for?" He looked up from reading the inside cover blurb of the book in his hand, to see a young woman putting back a couple onto the shelf. An employee - the name tag was a giveaway. The name however? It was unusual.
Dove.
"It's a nice name..." he nodded to the tag and then shook his head at her question. "Just looking for anything really". Ok now that had sounded wrong.
"I was a Christmas Eve baby, my grandmother called me her 'turtle dove'. My parents liked the name Dove so that was that - and any genre you go to in particular?"
He couldn't stop staring at her. Not only was she pretty (and so very much younger that he felt like he'd be arrested at any moment), her accent was more refined than the usual British ones he'd heard around London. At there was a real mixture for sure.
"I barely have time to read anymore. Not picked up a book in ages, but maybe crime?"
Oh yeah, how original Andy. You've never read a crime novel in your life.
Dove looked thoughtful and then with a small "wait there, I may have something", she went around to the other side of the shelves, soon returning with two books. "These are popular at the moment. May be what you're looking for or not".
He smiled as he took them from her, now getting a good look at her.
Stop! She's probably at least twenty or maybe a little older. Look for older ones buddy.
He didn't care, the books were as good as sold to him already. Reading the blurbs he nodded. "Well, looks like I'll be taking these then".
"Tills are over there". She smiled, "I hope you found everything you were looking for today?"
Although he didn't realise it then. Andy Barber had indeed found everything that he was looking for - and more...