‘You’ve turned into a wonderful man, Archie. You seem a good husband and father.’
He smiled but before he could reply, his phone rang and when he pulled it from his pocket and answered, his face said it all.
The call was from Monica.
He put it on loudspeaker because he was struggling to hear her.
And hearing Monica’s voice after all these years had emotions pinging all over the place for Nadia. It was joyous, painful, hopeful, scary.
‘I’m sorry… didn’t call earlier.’ Her call kept breaking up.
‘It’s fine. You’re calling now,’ said Archie. ‘Where are you?’ He had the phone right close to him, still struggling to hear with the bad connection.
‘Outside,’ the word came eventually.
‘Outside where?’
Nadia looked at Archie; she swore Monica just said, ‘Your place.’
Archie must’ve thought the same. ‘You’re back in Switzerland?’
It sounded like they’d lost the call, but then came the word, ‘Dorset.’
‘Where exactly are you?’ Archie asked.
The connection seemed to be hanging in there.
‘I’m outside the address the police gave me,’ said Monica, ‘but you and Giles aren’t here. Archie…’ The unmistakable sound of crying came down the line. ‘I shouldn’t have come. I want to go home. I’ve caused so much trouble.’
‘You haven’t; I’m just glad you called.’ Tears welled in his eyes.
‘I need you,’ Monica sobbed. ‘I need Giles. I left you, him, I shouldn’t have.’
And now Nadia felt like she was intruding in this conversation by listening in.
‘Don’t apologise, we just want you to be okay,’ said Archie. ‘Don’t panic. Monica…’
No answer.
‘Monica,’ Archie said repeatedly until he got a response.
‘The baby…’ Her voice didn’t sound right, it was contorted as if each word was hard to get out.
Nadia waved Giles over but he wasn’t budging; he was happy with his new friend. She was about to go over and get him when she heard Monica cry out.
She turned to see Archie’s panic and heard her sister wail even louder. ‘The baby… I think it’s coming!’
21
Hudson admired Nadia for having the guts to call Archie. With everything she’d told him, it couldn’t have been easy. But it had helped Hudson do what he needed to do after he picked Beau up from his stint with the collection pot outside the supermarket.
‘Is that Mum’s car?’ Beau asked when they pulled up in the driveway at home.
‘It is. She’s been waiting with Carys.’
If Nadia could take steps to face up to things, then so could he. And it was about time he and Lucinda represented more of a united front. The snippy remarks, the conflict, it all had to stop, at least in front of the kids. They were both guilty of doing it. He’d called her earlier to ask her to come over so they could talk to Beau together, show that from this moment on, they were still a family, just one that didn’t look the same as before. He’d reminded her that it couldn’t always be him playing bad cop and her good cop; sometimes, she’d have to lay down the rules too even if it meant an argument with her son and, in years to come, her daughter. When they first split up, he hadn’t minded being the disciplinarian, it had made him feel more in control, like he knew what was going on, but for Beau’s sake especially,that had to change. He actually hadn’t expected to get through to her so easily on the phone call, he’d expected her to say he was being dramatic, but she’d agreed that yes, they did need to do something and that she would come over.
Perhaps pillow talk with Conrad had told her how much trouble Beau could’ve been in, perhaps her parents had spoken with her because he’d told them about Beau and what had been going on on the phone a couple of nights ago. Whatever had changed, whatever reason she was here now, it was a good thing as far as Hudson was concerned.
