Page 59 of One Snowy Day
‘No.’
Jessie had nodded slowly, turned back to Stan. ‘Then I suggest you get that test done pronto, because that poor lass deserves to know the truth. I think we all do.’
If he’d had words to say to that, he hadn’t got them out, because that was when Kayleigh had come charging along the corridor.
‘Gran, I’ve been looking for you everywhere! We need you inside. Cake time! Come on, Grandad, you too!’
That’s how Jessie had ended up standing in front of everyone as they sang ‘Happy Birthday’, desperately trying to hold it together, and she’d managed it until she’d looked out at all those faces when she was giving her speech, and she’d fallen apart in front of every bugger she’d ever met in her entire life.
Hopefully, they’d all just put it down to the emotion of saying thank you and goodbye, but even now, sitting in the loo, her face was burning with embarrassment – for the outburst, and for the fact that she’d somehow missed this ticking timebomb that had been waiting to explode in their lives for all these years.
Alyssa. That lovely young lass. Jessie had known her all of her life and she was one of those kind, decent souls that did her best for everyone. She didn’t deserve any of this. Especially after the news Kayleigh had shared about her losing the café. The poor love had already had a terrible blow and now her whole her world was going to be rocked again.
‘Jessie, doll, are you in there?’ Val’s voice interrupted that thought and Jessie knew there was no point ignoring it, because Val wouldn’t give up easily.
‘I am, Val.’
‘Right then. I’ve got my make-up bag here if you’ve got a face like a burst ball after all that weeping. Jeez, I haven’t seen you soblike that since we watchedSteel Magnoliasand Julia Roberts was just a lass.’
‘Thanks, Val. I’ll be out in a minute.’
‘Right, well, I’ll just leave it here for you. Will I wait or do you want me to stand outside and divert all comers to the gents’ loo next door?’
Despite feeling that her guts were being shredded, that made her smile. What would she do without her pals? And wasn’t that the same thing she’d been thinking for weeks and months now?
‘Aye, if you could create a diversion, I’d appreciate it. Just need a few minutes to gather myself.’
‘I’m on it, doll,’ was the last thing she heard before the door opened and closed again, and then there was silence, apart from – oh the irony – the sound of Moira and Loretta singing ‘I Will Survive’ pounding through the walls.
Puffing her cheeks out, she exhaled, then straightened up and left the cubicle. As Val had promised, the make-up bag was there, and Jessie took out a pressed powder, a blusher and a lipstick, doing what she could to fix her face. When she was finished, she stared at her reflection. Passable. Good enough. Almost normal. But there was something else… As she faced the woman staring back at her, she had the sudden thought that if that person was a friend, Jessie would be giving her good advice. It’s your life. Live it how you want. Don’t sacrifice your happiness for someone else’s choices. So why wasn’t she listening to herself?
Dabbing her lips together, she spotted a tiny bottle of Charlie perfume in Val’s make-up bag and was immediately transported back to the eighties, when it had been her scent of choice. Twenty-year-old Jessie McLean would definitely have had something to say about everything that had happened today.
She gave it a quick squirt, breathed it in, then zipped it back in the bag, feeling a wave of strength and clarity that had beenmissing just a few minutes ago. This was her life. And she’d be damned if Stan, Dorinda, or anyone else was going to control it.
She marched outside, gave Val the bag and a kiss on the cheek. ‘Thanks, ma love.’
Val took in the sight of her, assessing her wellbeing. ‘Are you okay? Do you need me to do anything? Get you a drink? Bury a body?’
Jessie faked a smile and then surprised herself by realising that she meant it. There was something empowering about making decisions and taking action and that’s exactly what she was about to do now. ‘No, I’m fine. I just need to speak to Stan.’
He was standing further along at the end of the corridor, in the same place they’d spoken earlier, waiting for her. His face was now a wretched shade of grey and for a second her heart went out to him. She’d loved this man for over forty years – it was a habit she didn’t know if she could break.
‘Jessie, give me a chance to explain.’
She put her hand up to stop him. ‘Stan, let me speak.’ Her voice was surprisingly calm, but left no room for arguing or discussion. ‘Let me tell you exactly what I’m going to do, and I don’t want to hear a word of objection.’
Steadily, without emotion or hysterics, she spent the next five minutes telling him what was going to happen. Then she left him to find the other person that she needed to speak to right now.
She found her over at the bar table and reached for her hand.
‘Georgie, come with me. You and I need to talk.’
30
GEORGIE
Georgie’s first reaction when her mum came for her was to groan on the inside and kick herself for even thinking that Jessie would have let this go. Of course she wouldn’t. Her mother was the maternal equivalent of a robot vacuum, constantly on the move, on an unassailable mission to pick up other people’s messes. This was no different from the time that fifteen-year-old Georgie had her heart broken when she found out her boyfriend had asked out Linda Nesbit, who still, to this day, lived next door to Jessie. Linda’s mum, Fi, had been in the salon getting her highlights done and had shared news of Linda’s new suitor, unaware that he was already seeing Georgie. Jessie had remedied that straight away and both women had been enraged that their daughters were being played.
