‘Are you all right, darling?’
‘Not really, no.’ This was enough for a fresh batch of tears to fall down her face.
‘Come through, come on.’
Lilly guided her to the kitchen, where Glenda thankfully budged up at the table.
‘Oh no. What’s the matter, love?’ Her friend was as moved as Lilly to see her young neighbour in such distress.
The two women watched as Clodagh placed her arms in a cradle on the tabletop and put her head on them, crying heartily now as her shoulders shook and she sniffed and snuffled.
Glenda pulled a wad of tissues from her handbag and placed them on the young woman’s arm.
‘There, there, my love. Nothing is as bad as it seems at first.’
Lilly was thankful for her friend’s wisdom and kindness. Glenda might be a funny old soul at times, but this was at her core.
Clodagh’s fingers snaked out and pulled the tissues inside the dark confines of her table cave, and she blew her nose and wiped her eyes before sitting up. Her skin was blotchy, her eyes were red and her mouth was quivering.
‘Apollo’s ...’ She paused. Lilly felt the stutter of her heartbeat, waiting to see what came out of Clodagh’s mouth next. Apollo was what? Hurt, ill, lost? All the terrible possibilities ran through her mind. ‘He’s with his dad, Sab.’
Lilly exhaled, unaware she’d been holding her breath. This relief was instantly replaced with new concerns:whydid Sab have him,howhad he got him?
‘Well, if he’s anything like my Norman, they’ll be having a lovely time. Nothing to cry about, love.’
She knew Glenda meant well, taping clichés over the direst of wounds in the hope that it might make things feel better.
‘He’s not seen him for a long time, and he just turned up at school.’ Clodagh gave Glenda the potted version.
‘How did he know where you were?’ Lilly, of course, knew the backstory.
‘Apparently, Milar’s mum works with his sister and mentioned that she knew me from nursery, she told her about Apollo, and I guess they put two and two together.’
‘Oh God.’ She could only imagine the consequences of this coincidence.
‘I was so shocked, I didn’t do anything, didn’t say anything, I just stared at him. He’s got a flash car now, and of course Apollo went nuts when he saw him. He ran into his arms, and Sab was crying, and it was like this wonderful reunion for everyone, apart from me. I felt like I’d been shot. I was rooted to the spot, and Sab asked if he could take Apollo to the park and I didn’t know what to say. What I wanted to say was no, no way, but I wasn’t sure if I could or should. Then Apollo starts jumping up and down, so excited to be going in his dad’s car, and so I just nodded and told him to be back in an hour and a half and gave him our address. He’s going to drop him off here, and that means I have to see him again, and it means he now knows where we are, and I think, legally, he might be able to see Apollo, even if I don’t want him to. I don’t know what’s happening!’ She cried again.
‘Okay, okay.’ Lilly spoke as softly and calmly as she was able, feeling an anxious soup of concern slosh in her stomach. ‘We aregoing to take this one step at a time. The first thing is to sit tight until Apollo is home safely.’
‘You think he won’t come home safely?’ Clodagh asked with a rising note of hysteria.
‘No! No, of course he will!’ Lilly hoped she sounded more confident than she felt. ‘Then after a good night’s sleep we will look at all the options. You have rights.’
‘But he does too!’
‘Yes, but he hasn’t seen the boy for a long time, and he lied to you, and there are other things at play. I’m no lawyer, but we can get advice, Clodagh. You are not to worry yourself over things that might not happen. Okay? No worrying until you absolutely have to.’
‘Lilly’s right,’ Glenda chimed.
‘Good Lord, did you hear that?’ Lilly elbowed Clodagh, softly. ‘Glenda just said I was right. That’s a first!’
‘Cheeky mare! She’s only being cocky because she’s got a date tonight!’ Glenda’s eyes lit up, thrilled to share such gossip.
‘A date? Who with?’ Clodagh sniffed and wiped her eyes, this the perfect diversion, something for the three of them to get their teeth into.
‘Well, his name is Alfred – Alfie.’
‘He’s a pescatarian and can’t be short of a bob or two, he’s taking her to that Gordon Ramsay place in Battersea.’ Glenda filled in the gaps.
