Usually, Annie would have insisted they ate a proper nutritious meal prepared from scratch by her, but she wasn’t sure how many more chances they’d have to order in.
Memories of the hard times began to fill her mind once again.Days of nothing but tinned beans, tuna, and potatoes – and whatever cuts of meat were cheapest or on offer in the supermarkets. She didn’t want that for Charlie. She didn’t want that life again. She couldn’t –wouldn’t –go back to that.
Something had to be done.
The house was a two-bed duplex, and so bright and roomy inside. Annie could still remember what it felt like the first day she walked into it.
There was something about it; something new and fresh and warm, and she knew instantly that this was the place for her and Charlie. This was home.
Now, as she stood in the entrance, she wondered whether whoever came after her would feel the same. Because if the business went under and she had to forgo all her savings to pay her tax bill, she wouldn’t be able to afford this anymore.
‘Mum, I got the menus,’ Charlie shouted from inside the kitchen. Sensing her acquiescence about the takeaway, he’d wasted no time in taking charge before she changed her mind.
She ordered two pizzas in the end. Charlie loved meat, while Annie liked to even out her meat toppings with some veg, something her son – like most five-year-olds – hated, though in fairness he was pretty good with food, and – vegetables aside – not at all fussy. In the early days, he’d had no choice but to eat whatever was available. No such thing as kids’ menus of chicken nuggets and chips or what have you. And despite her gradual change in income and circumstances, old habits died hard and Annie still insisted he eat what she gave him.
‘Don’t forget your drink.’
‘Can I have juice?’
‘Nope. Water or nothing.’
‘Yay, water!’ Charlie quipped, without argument.His cheery temperament had a way of making her feel better even when she wanted to indulge negative thoughts. He truly was her sunshine. He brightened every day, all day.
She badly needed that now.
‘Hey, Mum, are we going on holiday?’ he asked, picking up the invite to Villa Dolce Vita, along with the hotel info that had been sitting on the kitchen counter since she’d brought it home a couple of weeks ago. ‘It says my name on this.’
Annie’s heart turned over. ‘I don’t think so, love.’
‘Why not? It looks nice. Callum’s going to Spain on his summer holidays this year – a big water park with loads of slides. Is there loads of slides there, too?’
‘Not really. That hotel is very different to where Callum is going, definitely no water park, though there is a pool. And that’s not for a summer holiday either, just a weekend.’
‘But I want to go.’
Annie’s smiled tightened. ‘I’ll think about it, OK? Now, eat up and then go and put your pyjamas on, and maybe you can watch a bit ofPaw Patrolbefore you go to bed.’
‘Yay!’
Annie didn’t rush her shower that evening. She usually did, not wanting to leave Charlie on his own for too long in case he got up to any devilment, but tonight she needed every second of that warm water on her head and shoulders.
A migraine was still lingering, but not nearly as bad as when she’d had angry suppliers (and Lauren) in her ear.
Charlie helped with easing her worries, too. He helped with so much and he didn’t even realise it. Her son had the knack of doing the silliest things at just the right time to make her laugh.
Despite all the early hardship, he was her greatest blessing, really.
‘Mum, I’m waiting!’ he called out from his room now.
‘In a sec,’ she answered as she towelled off her hair and pulled an oversized T-shirt over her head.
She headed towards Charlie’s room but stopped short when she heard her phone beep, indicating an incoming message. Her heart hammered.
Hoping it was the reply she’d been hoping for, she rushed back to check but it was just a text from Nick.
Hope you’re feeling a bit better about everything. Just wanted to say that I’ll come along to the bank with you next week for moral support if you like?
Swallowing back her disappointment, Annie smiled. Nick was a great friend and she was lucky to have him in her corner.
