“Here she is now,” she said, shrugging as she handed Jenny the handset.
“Hello?” she said tentatively.
“Jenny – hi, it’s Rebecca. I hope you don’t mind me calling. I got this number from Rachel.”
“Rebecca …um, hi,” She was shocked. Why was Mike’s ex phoning her at Karen’s? And, more importantly, how did she even know she was here?
Her tone must have betrayed her because soon her unspoken questions were answered. “Mike told me what happened.”
Mortification burned through Jenny like fire through crepe paper. “He told you?”
“Yes, but that’s not the reason I called. I’m not going to judge, or take sides – believe me, I might’ve done the same thing in your position – after all, you weren’t to know for sure, but –”
“You mean he told youeverything?” Blood rushed to her head so fast Jenny thought she might faint. Betrayal, anger and disappointment coursed through her simultaneously. Howdarehe? How dare he humiliate her and Holly like that? She knew that he had been upset and betrayed, but did he have to exacerbate those feelings by telling everyone else?
That didn’t sound like the Mike she knew.
Worst of all though was the realisation that he was evidently determined to cut – not just her, but Holly too –out of his life. As if she’d never existed.
And that hurt the most.
She’d hoped that maybe he might still want to be apart of her daughter’s life. After all, he had been Holly’s dad since the day she was born, had been beside Jenny throughout all fifteen hours of labour and had even cut the umbilical cord. He adored her.
Maybe she was being selfish in hoping that he might be able to come to terms with everything, but Holly had been Mike’s world. He couldn’t have loved the baby any more than he did. Or so Jenny had thought.
But in revealing their personal issues, it showed a callous and unforgiving side of him that she hadn’t thought existed.
“I only called because I figured you must be wondering where he is or whether he’s OK. He’s staying with Rachel at the moment. Don’t worry,” she added, correctly reading Jenny’s thoughts, “he hasn’t told her anything, but you know Rachel, she’ll be digging and he’s sworn me to secrecy. Anyway sweetheart, I just wanted to let you know that I’m thinking of you and don’t worry – these things tend to work themselves out in the end.”
“Um … OK, thanks.”
Jenny’s head was spinning when put down the phone.
“What did she want?” Karen asked; intrigued by the side of the conversation she’d been privy to.
“I don’t honestly know,” Jenny said, wide-eyed with mystification. “Mike told Rebecca everything and she called to say that he’s fine and all will surely work out.”
Karen arched a dubious eyebrow.
“O.K. I know you said the ex is nice and all, but hearing that, she must also be a bit partial to the strong stuff.”
62
The weather was mild, but the sun was nowhere to be seen. A dense blanket of angry clouds hid it well. As she walked, Karen felt the air become thicker as it passed through her lungs.
It was especially humid today, although perhaps it just felt that way because she was here. She didn’t come very often, didn’t feel the need to, because she knew that he was always with her.
But today, Karen needed to ask Shane something.
She noticed that the Quinns had since erected a black marble headstone at the head of the plot. Her beloved’s name, date of birth and death had been etched in gold beneath a similar inscription bearing the name of Shane’s father, Patrick.
She had only been at the graveside twice, once at the funeral and more recently for his first anniversary, but judging by the marble’s pristine appearance and fresh etchings, it had been a recent addition.
Karen took out the gift she had brought him – a small teddy bear dressed in a miniature Liverpool football jersey – and sat it against the headstone. She smiled. He would get a laugh out of that.
“They still haven’t won anything, love, not this year, but I hear they’re getting better.” She gave a little chuckle and then her tone grew serious. “So I’m in a bit of a quandary and I need your advice. Seems this court thing between your brother and me is really happening. I know I told you before that I was going to keep going, that I was going to fight to the end but, love, I honestly don’t know if I’m doing the right thing any more.” She bit her lip. “I’m tired. I mean, sometimes I can barely sleep at night for thinking about it. And I feel so angry all the time, not just at your mam and Jack, but angry at everyone. I get so wound up by the simplest little things. And I know that people think I’m obsessive too, to the point that they can’t even mention it without me flying into a rage. They all think I’m going to lose, that I haven’t a hope of winning but they don’t understand that I have to – for your sake, I have to try, don’t I?”
She tried to summon up Shane’s face in her mind but as time went on, this was becoming more difficult. It wasn’t as though Karen had forgotten him; it was just getting harder for her to picture him exactly how he had been. The thought terrified her.
