‘I’ve had a request for a puppy, some sheep and, of course, a pony,’ said Nancy.
‘Wow. Which are you giving in on?’
‘Not sure yet. The sheep could keep down the grass. The pony too, I suppose...’
‘And it’s not like you don’t have the space.’ Beth took a sip of her champagne. ‘Look at her. She looks so...’
‘Happy?’
‘Yes. A bit like the old Lara.’
Nancy smiled. ‘I think she’s a country girl at heart. I know we’d do anything to change what happened, but moving here...it’s been one good thing to come out of so much awfulness.’
‘How’s the asthma?’
‘Good. No attacks so far. Although that pump is never far away. The doctors have said it will make all the difference being here. When I think of the years we spent in that flat...’
‘You had no choice,’ said Beth firmly. ‘Stop beating yourself up.’
She’d probably always beat herself up. Nancy would never forget the day Lara came home from school, two summers ago. It was hot and the air was thick and still.Nancy had closed the window against the stink of the traffic outside. Lara had looked pale and had sat on the sofa, not in the mood to do much, struggling even to watch the TV. Her breath had been wheezy and Nancy had watched as she’d taken puffs on her inhaler. A dozen in the end but it still didn’t seem to ease her breathing. And then suddenly, Lara was struggling, a panicked look on her face as she realized she couldn’t get enough air in. It had been so quick, that was what had terrified Nancy. In less than a minute she’d been calling 999 and then had clutched Lara’s hand in the ambulance as they’d sped to the hospital. As a nurse, she had understood the serious looks on the paramedics’ faces, the intervention the doctors were taking to save her daughter’s life. When Lara had lain in bed, surrounded by machines but over the worst, she and Sam had looked at their child and thanked their lucky stars. But it was the flat, they both knew, the continuous, malevolent vapour of nitrogen oxide winding its way into their home that they couldn’t get rid of, even with all the windows closed.
Later, she and Sam had curled up together, talking through their options, knowing that on their combined modest salaries they couldn’t afford to move for months, if not years, not with the several thousand pounds they were trying to save for a hefty deposit and three months’ rent up front. They’d fantasized about winning the lottery, a desperate, futile attempt at trying to find a solution. ‘Imagine,’ they’d said, ‘imagine winning millions. Think about where we could go, the house we could buy.’ It had seemed impossible, a dream that was far out of reach.
‘Have I told you yet how happy I am you’ve moved back up here?’ said Beth.
Nancy smiled. ‘Only about a hundred times.’
‘So...no more nursing.’
‘Not for the moment. I’ve got enough to keep going for a while. Maybe in a year or so I’ll look for something new.’
‘What are you going to do with your days?’
‘Settle Lara in. Get to know the area. Take up hobbies.’
Beth sat up, interested. ‘Like what?’
Nancy looked embarrassed. ‘Don’t laugh.’
Beth pointed to her serious face. ‘Not laughing.’
‘Pottery.’
Beth smiled.
‘You promised!’ said Nancy.
‘Honest, that’s a smile of approval. Lara isn’t the only one who needs to heal, you know.’
Nancy nodded. ‘I’ve always wanted to do something creative. Never had the time before. How’s Martin?’
‘Good. Still working at the Royal Derby. They’re short on anaesthetists so he’s doing extra shifts. Hey, we can see so much more of each other. Whenever Martin’s on a weekend shift, I’ll let you know.’ She took a sip of her champagne and gazed around the huge garden, the view down to the reservoir. ‘Derbyshire. It’s our spiritual home. Ever since university.’
‘Yes. Although I don’t remember venturing out into the countryside much. Most of our spare time we spent in Derby’s bars and clubs.’
‘Keeping the local economy alive,’ said Beth. ‘Where’s Lara going to school next year?’
‘Thought I’d apply to Kingsgate.’
