As I turn back into the drive, I try to compose myself. I don’t want Eva to see how upset I am. I have to play down my fear. I spot her little face at the window, and then she disappears. Seconds later, she throws open the front door.
‘Did you find her, Mum?’
‘Not yet, sweetie. Let me get my phone and we’ll get in the car and go looking.’
‘But she’ll be okay, won’t she?’
I turn my face away, my voice sticking in my throat. ‘Yes, of course, we’ll go and find her.’
Eva follows me as I snatch up my phone and keys. I take a steadying breath and we leave the house. What if I never see my little girl again? How will I tell Robert?
As I’m unlocking the car, I see a familiar figure striding up the pavement towards me, immaculate in her white trousers, striped shirt and pearl earrings, dark brown hair curling at her shoulders.
Diane?That’s all I need. What’s my mother-in-law doing here? She’s never a smiley person at the best of times, but today she has a face like thunder. And then I see who’s with her…
‘Katie! Katie!’ I run down to meet them, noting my daughter’s tear-streaked face before crouching down and giving her the biggest hug. As I feel her thin quivering body in my arms, I send up a silent prayer of thanks, inhaling the scent of her and feeling her wet tears against my cheek. ‘Where have you been? I was worried to death! We were just about to come searching for you.’
‘Katie!’ Eva cries, following me. ‘Where were you?’ She puts her hands on her hips. ‘Me and Mum werereallyworried!’
Katie buries her face in my skirt.
‘I couldn’t believe it!’ Diane cries, looking over my head. ‘I was driving along, on my way to the doctor’s surgery to pick up a prescription, and I saw Katie two streets away from here, walking unaccompanied and crying her eyes out. I nearly crashed the car! But I can’t get any sense out of the girl. Did you have a row?’ She finally honours me with an icy glare.
I glance away from my mother-in-law’s accusing stare and look instead into Katie’s eyes, pushing her hair off her face and tucking it behind her ears. ‘Katie, darling, what were you doing out of the house?’
‘I’m sorry, Mummy. Are you really cross with me? Grandma said I shouldn’t be on my own, but I got lost.’ Katie’s lower lip wobbles.
‘But why did you go outside?’ I press.
‘I wanted to see Daddy before we went to school.’
‘Daddy’s working. You know that.’
‘But sometimes he comes back in time, so I went out to see. You know, if he was going to come running up the road. But he wasn’t there, so I walked for a bit to see if he was round the corner. But then I got lost…’ Her lip begins to tremble again.
‘You must never ever go out without telling me or Daddy,’ I say, before crushing her small body to my chest once more, and kissing the silky hair on top of her head. The smell of her berry shampoo makes me want to cry. ‘You could have been run over, or…’ I dread to think what else could have happened. ‘That goes for you, too, Eva.’ I hold my arms out to her. ‘No one is to leave the house without Mummy or Daddy.’
‘I wouldn’t do that,’ Eva replies with an eye roll, stepping into my embrace for a too-short moment. ‘Well done, Grandma, for finding her.’
Diane makes a harrumphing sound and purses her lips. But I don’t care how snooty my mother-in-law is being. Thank goodness she showed up when she did.
I straighten up. ‘Thank you, Diane. I… I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t spotted her.’
‘Yes, well, let’s not dwell on that, shall we?’ she replies with a dismissive sniff. ‘Shouldn’t these two be at school by now?’
I check my watch. It’s already eight thirty. ‘We’re late. I’ll have to cancel my meeting.’ But that’s not important now. What’s important is having my girls back home, safe and sound. I hold out my arms and both girls come close, letting me hug them. Eva likes to think she’s too grown up for cuddles, so I’m making the most of this opportunity.
‘Do we still have to go to school?’ Eva asks with a pout, finally having enough of my over-squashy hug.
‘Of course you do,’ Diane replies for me.
Eva wrinkles her nose. ‘But we’ve just had adrama. I thought people had to rest after a drama.’
I give a little snort of laughter.
‘I’ll take them to school, if you like, Gemma. So you can get to your meeting.’
‘What about your prescription?’
