Page 12 of Lessons in Love at the Cornish Country Hospital

‘No, she’s doing as well as can be expected and we’ve managed to stabilise her condition.’ Danni gave him a smile she hoped was comforting. ‘She’s up in surgery now, where they’ll be removing her spleen and ensuring the fractures are realigned.’

‘Can she have a normal life span without a spleen?’ The fear in Max’s eyes was still apparent and she hoped that was something she could help alleviate.

‘Thankfully the liver can work a bit harder to make up for the removal of the spleen and take over most of its functions. There’s a slightly increased risk of infections becoming more serious when you’re living without a spleen, but I can assure you that the risk in adults is very small.’

‘So she’s going to be okay?’ Max’s tone was a blend of hope and trepidation, and she knew what she said next would be what tipped the balance.

‘It’s going to be a long road to recovery, but there’s every reason to be really hopeful. There was no sign of a significant head injury, and even though there’ll be a long period of rehabilitation, she should regain full use of her arm and leg.’

‘Thank God.’ Max leapt to his feet and threw his arms around Danni, spinning her in a circle, before he suddenly seemed to realise what he was doing, setting her down and letting her go. ‘Sorry, that’s probably the last thing you needed in your condition.’

‘It’s fine.’ She smiled, soaking in the moment. There were far too many times when she had to pass on the worst possible news, so days like that were priceless. ‘Has someone been to talk to you about Barney?’

‘My sister and brother-in-law are with him. He’s got a greenstick fracture to his lower right leg and suspected concussion, but because of Mum he’s going to be okay, and because of you, she is too.’

‘I just did my job, but it sounds like what your mum did for Barney was what really saved a life today. You must be so proud of her.’

‘She’s always been an amazing mum, and she loves being a nana.’ Max smiled. ‘So it doesn’t surprise me in the slightest that she’d put her life on the line for Barney. Although I suppose anyone would do that in the same circumstances; it’s instinctive, isn’t it?’

‘I’m sure most people would.’ Danni’s attempt to return his smile made her cheeks ache. Nicola couldn’t even make time to meet up with Danni when she’d suggested travelling down to Bristol to meet her mother for lunch. She’d wanted to share the pictures from the twenty-week scan, and she’d even found a place close to her mother where they could go for a 4D scan together, now that she was past the twenty-four-week stage. She’d hoped if her mother saw the baby that she might somehow develop a bond with her grandson. It was stupid really, when she barely had a bond with the children she’d given birth to, but somehow Danni still couldn’t quite bear to let go of that hope. Tania had put her life on the line without a moment’s hesitation, and Barney had a grandmother who loved him more than life itself. Danni and Charlie’s baby would have that kind of love from his parents, but she couldn’t help feeling sad for him that he’d never have that from his maternal grandmother. Buried far deeper than that was the pain that Danni carried from never having that kind of love from her own mother. It still mattered, even after all this time, and she had a horrible feeling she’d never stop grieving for the one thing she was never going to have.

8

Wendy snuck a glance at her reflection in the mirror. She’d never imagined she’d be wearing lingerie like this again. A red and black bra and matching lacy knickers made her feel risqué, but even she had to admit they were an improvement from the greying underwear she’d favoured in the latter years of her marriage, when Mike had seemed to stop noticing her at all. She knew she should have worn nice underwear to feel good for herself, but back then she’d forgotten what that was like. Lately, she felt better about herself than she had in years, and it made her want to wear nice things, even if she was the only one who’d see them.

What made putting on her newest purchase feel all the more racy was that it was 3p.m. on a Saturday, and she was fully intending to wake Gary up from his post-night-shift slumber with an offer she knew he’d appreciate. Gwen’s pep talks and the advice of the others in the Miss Adventures group, was starting to help shift her confidence in the right direction, at least a little bit. Gary had told her countless times that she was beautiful, but it hadn’t made a lot of difference to how she felt about herself. It was the advice of her female friends that was doing more tochange that. They understood how she felt, in a way she didn’t think Gary ever could, and she was doing her best to follow their lead. Taking care of the body she had now – rather than the one she’d always wanted, but was almost certainly never going to get – had become more of a priority since she’d joined the group. What she found harder to admit, even to herself, was that the conversation she’d had with Chloe had influenced her thinking too.

Wendy wanted Alice and Zara to see her loving herself just as she was. She might not be able to go that far yet, but faking it was something she’d grown adept at. The idea that she might have had something to do with Zara’s disordered eating broke her heart. Part of her had wanted to tell Chloe where to shove her comments, and to suggest that Zara’s problems probably had more to do with her father getting her art tutor pregnant, than any fad diet Wendy might have been on. But she had to admit Chloe was right; she’d been a role model for self-hatred and shaming her own body for as long as she could remember. Gwen had given her advice about how to love her body and Wendy had nearly choked at the thought of some of the suggestions; she’d rather clean the hospital toilets with her own toothbrush than let strangers see her naked. So this was a compromise and buying good quality, ever-so-slightly naughty underwear, for the eyes of a man who for some reason thought she was sexy, even when she was wearing jogging bottoms and an old T-shirt, turned out to be something she could do.

The blackout curtains were still drawn, and she didn’t want to turn the light on and be caught in its harsh glow – she was a long way from being that confident yet. Instead she left the torch of her mobile phone on, setting it down on the bedside table, giving just enough light to softly illuminate the room. Zara was at her dad’s and Alice was at university so there was no fear of getting caught out, or of making either of her daughters wishthey could rinse their eyeballs out with bleach, just so they could unsee the horror of being confronted by their mother’s sex life.

‘Gary. Wake up.’ She shook his shoulder gently, letting her hair fall forward to brush against his skin as she leant over him, the scent of her perfume filling the space between them.

‘You smell gorgeous.’ The first compliment was out of Gary’s mouth before he had even opened his eyes. But when he did, he gasped. ‘Oh my God, Wend, what are you trying to do to me? You look amazing.’

His body was already responding as she drew back, allowing him to see the full effect of the gravity-defying miracle of such an expensive bra. Even she had to acknowledge that her boobs hadn’t looked this good since before she’d had the girls, and for a moment she felt not just beautiful, but powerful too.

‘I was going to bring you breakfast in bed, but seeing as it’s already three o’clock, I thought you might prefer some afternoon delight.’ Even as she said the words, Wendy’s toes curled under her. Gwen had talked about how she’d reinvigorated her love life following a crisis of confidence in her fifties, and it was Gwen who’d mentioned the phrase. It had sounded far more alluring in Wendy’s head, when she’d rehearsed the line, than it did out loud, and part of her was already dying inside. But when she looked at Gary, his eyes were shining.

‘If I’m still dreaming, please don’t wake me up. I’d pinch myself, because I can’t believe how lucky I am to have you in my life, but I don’t want to risk it.’

‘You’re not dreaming and you’re about to get a whole lot luckier.’ The glass of wine she’d had for bravado while she was getting ready was the only reason she could even say the words, and she was determined to ignore the heat that rose up her neck every time she tried to say something sexy.

‘I love you.’ He reached for her hand, and she was about to respond, when the shrill ringtone of her mobile phonesuddenly filled the room, jangling her senses and making her feel oddly exposed in what should have been the most intimate of moments, even before she glanced at the caller ID.

‘I’m so sorry, but I think I should get this. Alice doesn’t usually call unless there’s something?—’

Gary cut her off, his tone gentle. ‘It’s fine. I understand. It’ll give me time to have a quick shower; just promise me you’ll still be wearing that when I come out?’

‘I promise.’ Counting her blessings to have found such an incredibly kind man, Wendy pressed the button to accept the call.

‘Hello sweetheart, everything okay?’

‘Why do you always think something’s wrong whenever I call you instead of you calling me?’ Alice laughed, not giving Wendy a chance to reply. ‘I know, I know, it’s what mother’s do, and I’ll understand when I am one. Don’t worry, everything’s fine, I just wanted to let you know I’m on my way home for a couple of days.’

‘Oh brilliant! What time will you be here?’ Wendy had missed her older daughter so much since she’d started university in Exeter, and an unexpected extra visit home made her heart soar. The promise she’d made Gary was already forgotten as she reached for a robe, hoping that her daughter wasn’t already too close and that she’d at least be given enough warning to get changed.

‘Probably Monday lunch time.’

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