‘I’ve been here since I was eighteen.All of my clients.I won’t have any income.I’ll have to—’
My throat constricted.Tears burned in my eyes when I thought about the idea of building everything again – over ten years of work, ten years of hard graft.It was years of late nights and early mornings.Years of laughing and networking, and making sure every client, every demand, was taken care of.All of it – gone.Just like that.
Without Momentum, I’d have to build everything from scratch again.
I couldn’t even form words.Tears threatened to overflow, and I hated crying in front of anyone, let alone Craig.
‘Everything has its time, Lydia,’ Craig said sagely.‘I’m afraid there is nothing I can do.’
‘Niall.Niall wouldn’t allow this.We spoke a few months ago about changes.He asked my opinion on the new class structures—’
I’d met Niall, the enigmatic Irish CEO of the gym group, at various times in the last ten years.We had chatted at Christmas parties, and he had always insisted, ‘You’re exactly what this gym needs, Lydia, someone who cares, a friendly face to keep the gym local.’
Whenever I’d got offers from other gyms, I’d thought about Niall.Whenever I’d felt belittled or bullied by Craig, I thought of Niall and his occasional encouragements.
‘That was him on the phone.He agrees.Said this’ll be good for you.A fresh start.He asked me to thank you for your many years of service.’
The colour drained from my face but I kept it neutral.My eyes stung, but I blinked it away.
Keep calm.Don’t make a scene.
‘Look.If you’d prefer not to work the notice,’ Craig said, gently, too gently, ‘I’ll take your clients before they’re reassigned.Gives you space to process… and move on.’
I nodded, feeling numb.
I couldn’t remember leaving Craig’s office, but somehow I made it back to Momentum’s cafe, and someone touched my arm.I turned, but tears – tears I refused to let drop down my face – obscured my view.
‘Lydia.’ Pink hair.Amy.It was Amy.‘We were waiting to check you were okay.’
‘What’s wrong?’ Gen’s voice was low and lethal.
‘Love, come and sit down,’ Claire said.‘Oh, God!What’s happened?Tell us.’
‘I’ve been sacked,’ I said.I realised then that I was sobbing.‘I’ve been sacked from Momentum.’
Chapter Two
Lydia’s Diary, Six Years Old
Dear Diary,
Mum told me something really, really sad today.Her friend Lily is not feeling well.She has cancer.I know that’s really bad because no one wants to say it out loud.They whisper it like it’s a secret.It made me feel sad.Lily came over for Sunday lunch.I told her she didn’t look sick but then Mum told me off.
But Lily wasn’t mad.She smiled and gave me a big hug.She smelled nice, like flowers.
Lawrence was here too but I heard his mum call him Ren, so I’m gonna call him Ren now.Ren brought his toys and we played.His bears fought my Barbies.It was fun.
Maybe he is not so bad after all.
Ren
I was early, too early.
I pushed back on my heels, my legs eager to move.A knot of anxiety ebbed in my chest.The red binder in my hand felt stupidly bright and garish.It was the first time I’d held one since I’d collated my GCSE artwork, one of the only subjects I’d passed because I couldn’t be arsed with any of the others.
The spring sun was shining across Everly Heath High Street, lighting up the rain from last night that shone on the tarmac and pavements.I’d always loved living in a small town on sunny spring days like this.While Liam played football with his friends, Mum would glance at me with a conspiratorial glint in her brown eyes and ask, ‘Farm?’
Everly Heath Farm was more like a petting zoo on the edge of town, where houses and parks broke out into farms, wide open fields, and woodland.Farm days were one of the only things Mum and I did, just the two of us.She loved the horses and I liked feeding the pygmy goats and watching them bounce from hay bale to hay bale.I’d play on the swings and we’d eat ice cream, and I still remember the feeling of it melting down my arm.
