‘Nothing spoiled about you, Poppy pet,’ said her grandmother. ‘You didn’t know any better. When you know better, it’s different. What’s the plan now, Cal?’ She’d come around to calling her daughter Cal instead of Claire and it helped Callie. Claire was someone she’d left behind and the real Callie, the one who was bringing up her daughter and surviving, was someone she was growing nicely into.
‘The money from work is not really enough for a replacement,’ Callie said ruefully.
‘Time you sorted out that account that Jason says is clean,’ said her mother.
‘No,’ said Callie. ‘I’m not touching a penny of that money, even if none of it came from any fraud. There are people who need their money back and I feel a responsibility for them. If there’s any left over at the end when everyone’s paid back, well – fine.’
They’d gone over the argument many times before.
‘Yes, Gran, we have to pay Dad’s debts,’ Poppy said earnestly. ‘Nita across the road has the same thing. Her dad owes the moneylenders and even the money she earns in the hairdresser’s at the weekend goes into the pot.’
Callie felt her heart swell with pride. It wasn’t a traditional Hallmark moment, but it said how far they’d come. That Poppy, who once would have sold her soul for a new designer handbag, cared about paying back people her father had defrauded was heartbreaking. They’d never pay it all back, of course, but the police had recovered plenty of it. Callie was thinking of petitioning the courts for money for herself and Poppy to live on.
‘Honey, I promise that if you need it for anything serious, I will find money,’ Callie said fiercely. ‘You come first. I won’t raid that bank account for me, but for you, yes. So you are not to limit yourself in your dreams. But I can figure out how to buy a new old banger. And wait till I’ve got my new qualifications in health care – we’ll really be in the money!’ she joked.
The three of them walked inside with Poppy eagerly chatting about a make-up artist she was following online and who had the most incredible YouTube tutorials.
Callie actually knew exactly how to get a new car but she didn’t want to say yes to it: Ricky had offered her one of his.
‘It’s ancient,’ he’d said on the phone. ‘You’d be doing me a favour in getting it off the forecourt.’
‘Freddie wasn’t supposed to tell you. He’s like a parrot,’ chided Callie. ‘Ricky, I can’t take your car.’
‘Why not?’ he’d asked.
Because, Callie thought, it would mean relying on someone. She had come to rely on herself. That felt powerful.
‘If I’m stuck, I’ll get back to you, but give me a chance. I still have a few tricks up my sleeve.’
Sam
Sam was woken on her birthday this year by another phone call, but not quite as early. She was awake anyway – India’s timekeeping still meant there were no lie-ins in their household.
‘Mother!’ she said as her mother came on first.
‘Just wanted to wish you happy birthday, darling,’ Jean said.
This was new – the ‘darling’. Sam liked it.
‘I have a small gift for you and your father and I will drive over before you go down the country, if that’s all right.’
Once, Jean would have dropped something at the door and gone on her way.
Progress had definitely been made.
‘Thanks, Mother,’ said Sam.
‘You’ll love the pressie,’ said her father irrepressibly in the background.
When she got off the phone, Ted had prepared breakfast in bed for his wife.
From the kitchen, India could be heard roaring for her own breakfast.
‘Happy birthday, my darling,’ he said, kissing her. ‘Nothing can compare to last year’s gift but here are ... more earrings!’
He laughed as he handed her a beautifully wrapped box.
‘The gold is not supposed to come off these.’
