Traces of Her

‘Oh my God!’ Becky squeals into the phone. ‘That’s fantastic.’

Her dad has been serious about his latest partner Jack, a lawyer from Florida, for a while now, and I smile. They are good together. I’m happy for them – but my head is spinning.

‘Do you think he’ll let me be their bridesmaid?’ Becky says, once the call has ended, her face lit up by a wide smile.

‘Of course,’ I say.

‘Will he let me wear my DMs, do you think?’

‘Probably.’ Becky could wear a sack and he would let her get away with it.

‘We should get going.’ I glance at my watch, a sense of urgency bringing me to my feet.

She rises too, and links arms with me. As we head across the café I glance back at her uneaten apple.

Chapter 14 (#ulink_94ff4b5a-157c-5784-b3ca-48a263813764)

AVA (#ulink_94ff4b5a-157c-5784-b3ca-48a263813764)

2001

From the moment Gail and Rory pulled up outside Ocean View Cottage in his red Ferrari, tension had crawled across Ava’s shoulders.

Although Gail had finally moved out, it was as though she was still there. Constantly visiting to discuss the wedding with their mum, over and over and over. And now they were having a family gathering to welcome Peter – the prodigal son – back from Australia.

Gail sat on the two-seater sofa next to her brother, scooping her blonde curls behind her ears as she turned the pages of her bridal book. Peter swigged beer from a bottle, his eyes closing briefly each time he swallowed.

‘We’re having the reception at the Jester Hotel in Newquay. It’s five-star with Jacuzzis in every room and everything. But we can afford it, can’t we Rory?’ She sounded like a spoilt child.

‘Of course,’ he said, looking up from shuffling through a pile of CDs.

‘And I’ll be expecting you to get a new suit, Peter,’ Gail continued. ‘And you’ll need a haircut.’

‘I’m up for a new suit,’ he said, ‘but nobody touches my hair.’

‘Well, you’ll need to put a comb through it,’ she said, reaching up and ruffling it.

‘Get off,’ he said, smacking her hand away and laughing. Was Peter really as absorbed as he seemed by her wedding plans?