Page 46 of Escape to the Country

Theo could give me support

I won’t have to wonder what it’s like to have a dad in my life because I’ll have one

I might realise what I’ve missed out on all these years

Theo is a nice man

Theo could become my friend

So it was clear that one list was way longer than the other, and the things on that list were actually starting to excite me. This could be my chance to have a proper relationship with my father. Whatever ‘proper’ in our situation meant. I looked at Beth and she smiled.

‘Well, that’s sorted that out then, hasn’t it, love?’

I leaned across and gave her a hug. ‘It’s about time we got you sorted out then. Isn’t it time you got your lazy fat arse out of bed?’

‘Cheeky bitch! I’m going to my next physio session tomorrow. But my normal physio has left so apparently there’s a new man. I’m dreading it, to be honest. Apparently he’s not long left the army but thinks he’s still in it. I was going to ask you if you could take me at all? Alex is busy and Dad’s on dog duty. I have to be there at eleven. Would you mind?’

‘Only if I can stay and watch him put you through your paces. Now that’s something I’d pay to see. I’ll come up and fetch you about quarter past ten; that’ll give us time to get you to the hospital and I can drop you off and get parked and all that malarkey. I’m shattered, babe. I’m going home and getting into bed. Thank you for talking through everything with me, I really do appreciate it. I do love you, you know.’

‘Be off with you, you big girl’s blouse. See you tomorrow.’

* * *

As promised, the next morning I helped her down the stairs and into the car. She looked so uncomfortable but we knew that the only way she was going to get better was to keep moving and get this physio regime underway. Pulling up as near to the hospital entrance as I could, I got her comfy on a bench while I went off to find a parking space. Spotting one in the next row, I headed for it, only to have some tosser in a BMW convertible screech into the space I was just about to drive into. I lowered my window and shouted, ‘Excuse me, I was just about to park there!’ to him but he just grinned and shouted over, ‘You snooze, you lose! Sorry, babe, it’s clearly not your day. Good luck with finding a space!’ What a knob – even if he was an incredibly good-looking one. It surprised me that I could still appreciate a handsome man even if I was pissed off, but I still shouted ‘Dickhead!’ as loud as I could at him and he grinned again and blew a kiss at me as he swaggered off towards the hospital entrance.

I spotted an old dear wearing a big winter coat, a headscarf and slippers shuffling over to her car and I waited another ten minutes for her to do a twenty-five point turn to get out and face the right way. The thought of how competently she would actually drive the car scared me to death as she kangaroo’d out of the car park. She raised her hand in thanks and as she drove past and beeped, I noticed that she’d got a sticker on the back of her car that saidHonk if you’re horny!which really made me titter and forget all about the dickhead who had nicked my parking space.

‘Bloody hell, Maddy, where’ve you been? We’re going to be late if we don’t get a move on. We need to make a dash for it.’

We both laughed at that, bearing in mind that she was on crutches, and I didn’t think either of us would be going anywhere in a hurry. We headed for the physiotherapy department and were asked to wait until Beth’s name was called. She didn’t want to sit down again, so we stood around waiting for Mr Miller.

‘Beth Millington, please.’ We turned towards the voice and, oh great!

‘Yes, it’s me. Pleased to meet you. My name is actually Dan Miller though, not Dick Head.’ His eyes twinkled and I knew that he was one of those guys who would be able to get away with murder and who you couldn’t stay angry with for long.

‘Come on, Beth.’

I turned to see that she couldn’t take her eyes off him. I whacked her on the arm to get her attention and bring her back in the room. ‘Close your mouth, love, you’re dribbling!’

She grinned and we followed Mr Miller into his consulting room. He invited me to take a seat next to the bed.

‘I’m just going to get your notes. I’d like you to get on the bed please, Beth.’

He closed the curtain around the bed and we giggled like teenagers as Beth said, ‘I’d likeyouto get on the bed please, Mr Physio. Phwoar! Cop a load of him. What a bloody hottie!’

‘Still here but thank you, that’s very kind,’ came his husky voice from behind the curtain. Mortified, Beth’s eyes became the size of saucers and she turned the colour of beetroot. I had an uncontrollable laughing fit and had to grab a bottle of water to calm me down, which went down the wrong way and I snorted out of my nose, making us even worse.

When Mr Miller came back to us, I couldn’t look at Beth without laughing again, and he suggested that it might be better for all of us if I waited outside so he could concentrate on his patient. Beth nodded, still a little flushed. I took a seat in the waiting room and had to take lots of deep breaths to get back to some sort of normality. Beth came hobbling out after about half an hour, with Mr Miller helping her along.

‘I haven’t worked her too hard today, but she does have some exercises to do at home too. It’s going to be tough, but the more she does, the quicker she’ll mend and we’ll soon be able to get rid of those crutches.’

‘You’re a hard taskmaster, Dan,’ Beth said. ‘But thank you. I do want to get back to work as soon as possible and get my life back to normal.’ As we walked away, we heard a shout.

‘Beth, here’s my card. If you need anything’ – he winked at her – ‘anything at all, just give me a bell.’ For the first time in a very long time, her face lit up as she took his card. Their hands touched and you could feel the spark between them sizzling away, and I rather hoped that this might be the start of something special for my bestie. I couldn’t remember the last time she’d had any romance in her life. Seeing my friend under the influence of love gave me a warm and fuzzy feeling in my tummy.

* * *

I had agreed to meet Theo and Mum at the garden centre at the edge of the next village. It was always better to meet on neutral territory, I thought. That way if I wanted to strop off and have a tantrum, I could. My nerves were getting the better of me and I was all of a dither as I drove there. As soon as I walked into the café, I saw them sitting together at a table at the back of the room. Theo was tucking a strand of hair behind Mum’s ear and she smiled at him bashfully, then she saw me and brushed his hand away. I smiled at her, realising just how much she must still love him. It was a true love story really, come full circle. I supposed we just needed to all work out how and where – and evenif– we fitted in.

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