‘Everywhere is the same. Everyone else is either working on a short-term contract or on these zero hours contracts, Mum,’ she said quickly. She knew she was being snappy but she was very frustrated that her work was so erratic. Since joining the beauty salon, the owner had already let one of the other therapists go as their footfall was down. People just didn’t have the money anymore to spend on facials and massages and getting their nails done. Luxuries. The temping agency she had joined had given her jobs in Glasgow’s city centre hotels, concerts at the OVO Hydro and football matches at Hampden Park Stadium. But demand was high for the shifts and Bella had hoped that by now she would have more security and a better sense of where she was going and what she would do next.Instead, she felt like she was treading water and nothing had changed. She was saving as much as she could in the hope that she could go travelling later in the year. She and her mum and gran had been planning to visit their friend, Olivia, in California in the autumn but that had been put on hold as her mum was worried about the cost. Everything just felt a bit rubbish lately, especially as Bella was now at the stage of her life where she couldn’t wait to get out of Glasgow and explore the world and meet different people. After all, these weresupposedto be the best years of her life. The world wasmeantto be her oyster. It was a shame it didn’t feel like it.
‘Okay, love, you know best,’ said her mum, rolling her eyes. ‘Och, Bella, this room is a total midden.’ She glanced around. ‘You could really do with picking some of your stuff up off the floor.’
‘How was your day?’ Bella asked, swiftly changing the conversation and making sure she kept her eyes trained on her mum’s face. The last thing she needed was for her mum to bend down and start gathering laundry, which she had a habit of doing when she was stressed.
‘It was fine. Just the usual, you know.’
Isobel worked for a children’s charity and didn’t always like to talk about work. But today wasn’t one of those days. Instead, she seemed keen to offload. ‘I’ll just grab a cuppa and tell you about it. Do you fancy one?’
‘Sure,’ said Bella, knowing she needed to be kind and listen. She scooped her dark hair into a ponytail and followed her mum into the small yet immaculate kitchen. She perched on a chair at the table as her mum bustled around making the tea.
‘There you go,’ said Isobel, placing a mug of milky tea in front of Bella.
‘Thanks, Mum.’
Isobel reached into her handbag. ‘Fancy a bit?’ she asked, snapping off a square of dark chocolate. ‘It’s packed full of antioxidants, don’t you know?’
Bella crinkled her nose. ‘You’re okay, thanks Mum. That stuff is bogging. It’s like chomping on charcoal. I’ll pass.’
As Isobel chewed the bitter chocolate, she screwed up her face. ‘Aye, I’m with you. This won’t do. I mean, I know the darker stuff is meant to be better for you especially atmystagein life. And you’re only meant to eat one square — and no wonder. But you’re right. It’s actually giving me the boke. It’s time to get the emergency stash out.’ She spat out the rest of the chocolate into a piece of kitchen roll and put it in the bin. ’Right, don’t look, Bella. Cover your eyes.’
Bella knew exactly where all her mum’s hiding places were, including her bottle of emergency gin which was behind the baked beans. She pretended not to watch as Isobel reached into the box of bran cereal that neither of them ate but Isobel bought as she felt she should tick that ‘eat enough fibre’ box. She pulled out a huge bar of milk chocolate covered in purple wrapping. ‘Here, this is more like it. This is what we need,’ she said triumphantly, holding it up like a trophy. She plonked it on the table next to Bella who reached over, ripped it open and broke off a slab. ‘Tough day, Mum?’
‘Aye,’ she said. ‘You could say that. We lost out on another funding bidandthere’s talk of redundancies.’
Bella grimaced. ‘But there’s always talk of that, Mum. I’m sure it will be okay.’
Isobel shrugged and gave a small sigh. ‘I hope so.’ She popped a piece of chocolate in her mouth. ‘It’s all a bit doom and gloom just now.’
Bella knew exactly what she meant. ‘But at least you have your trip to see Rosie to look forward to,’ she said.
Isobel nodded. ‘True. Yes, that will be a nice change of scene. I’m looking forward to seeing her. Just two sleeps to go and we will be living the island life together.’
Isobel and Rosie were friends from a long time ago, having met at a youth festival in Glasgow, and Rosie had always felt like part of the family. ‘How is she?’ asked Bella.
Isobel sighed. ‘She says she is okay, but Rosie has never been one for complaining and she doesn’t ever say too much on the phone. She tends to only open up after a while, so I will feel better once I can actually see her for myself and spend a bit of time with her. I can’t believe it was almost a year ago we were last on Arran with your gran at the Highland Games. Time flies, eh?’
‘I know. Feels like just a few months ago. Not a whole year. By the way, are you remembering I’m away camping at the weekend?’
Chapter Four
‘I was in the hall cupboard before you came in. Sorting some stuff out,’ said Bella, watching her mum’s face for a reaction or realisation about what was stored beneath the camping equipment. But there was nothing.
‘Did you find the gear? It should all be there,’ said Isobel.
‘Yes,’ replied Bella. Her mum had clearly forgotten that her box of stuff was also there. Her forgetfulness seemed to be a constant theme these days. Bella shuddered. She didnotwant to get old. Not that her mum was that old. But she was now fifty-one and that was old enough. To be fair, though, with her chin-length, wavy, dark hair and petite figure she looked way younger. At least a decade younger. Bella just hoped she had inherited her mum’s youthful genes. Although she kept telling Bella that once you were past forty everything seemed to go downhill. Though, thinking about her gran, who was now well into her seventies, she seemed to be doing okay even as aseniorlady. She was even talking about getting a tattoo.
‘What do you want for tea tonight?’ asked Isobel, looking at the clock.
‘I don’t need anything, Mum. I’m out meeting the girls. Remember I told you?’
Her mum stood up and dumped her mug in the kitchen sink and looked out the window for a moment. ‘Yes, sorry. Brain fog. Again. I guess I’ll make something later after I’ve been to Zumba,’ she said.
Bella’s phone rang. She could see her gran’s number come up on the caller ID. ‘Hi, Gran, how are you?’
‘Hello, duckie. I’m fine although I can’t get hold of your mother. She must have switched off her phone again. Honestly, what’s the point of having a mobile if you don’t answer it? Sometimes I think she does it on purpose to avoid me.’
Bella chuckled and put her on speaker phone. ‘She’s right here. And remember Gran that you are on the speaker phone, so Mum can heareverythingthat you say.Absolutely everything.’
