Page 16 of Sanctuary at MacLeod's Cove
‘Glass of wine, Jen?’ asked Lucy. ‘It’s good. I buy only the best.’
‘Perfect. Pour me one while I check on Liam.’
Lucy popped a cracker topped with creamy brie into her mouth and mumbled her agreement as Jen left the room.
Although Jen knew she was about to face the third-degree from her sister and mother as to what exactly had happened with Alistair, she felt relieved to be able to tell someone about what had been going on over the past few years. She’d borne it alone until now. Scared to confide in anyone in case word got back to Alistair.
She opened Liam’s door to find him already in his pyjamas, lying on his stomach, flicking through an old comic. He’d switched on both the bedside and the nightlight, and the attic bedroom looked cosy and inviting.
Sitting on the side of the bed, she ruffled his hair. ‘What are you reading?’
‘The Beano,’ he said.
‘The Beano?’ she laughed. ‘My goodness, your grandma keeps everything. That was a collector’s item in my brothers’ day.’
He laughed at something he was looking at and, still holding the comic, rolled onto his back. ‘It’s funny. It makes me laugh.’
‘Does me too. And do you want to know what else makes me laugh?’
‘What?’
‘You.’ She knelt on the bed and held her hands up high. ‘Your laugh when I tickle you.’
He shrieked, and she tickled, despite knowing it wasn’t likely to help him settle. But she felt so… normal, that she couldn’t resist. And to her surprise, when she’d finished and his laughter had subsided, he lay down beside her. Snuggled in her arms, he quickly calmed down. When he reached for his soft toy, she knew a short story would be sufficient for tonight. After she’d finished reading, she brushed his hair from his face and kissed the top of his head.
‘Sweet dreams, baby.’
He sighed and gave a soft, contented grunt.
She walked quietly to the door.
‘Mum,’ he said. ‘We can stay here now, can’t we?’
She grasped the soft fabric of her shirt and turned to him. ‘Yes,’ she said, knowing she wasn’t being entirely honest because she wasn’t sure herself yet. But she needed Liam to feel secure. ‘Would you like that?’
He nodded back, his curls bobbing with equal enthusiasm. ‘Yes. Grandma said we could explore the beach more, and she’ll take me to this big park where they have geckos and wetas and birds and creepy crawly things I’ve never heard of.’ He looked at her with shining, excited eyes. ‘I like Grandma.’
‘Me too.’ She went back over to him and kissed him again. ‘Me too. I’ll come back in a little while to switch off your light. Night-night.’
She began to close the door as she’d always done to make sure he was safe and unaware of any shouting from Alistair.
‘No!’
She opened it wide, alarmed by his response.
‘I like the door open. I can hear you all then.’
She smiled. ‘Of course. I’ll leave it half-open, so you can see the light from the landing, and hear us downstairs. OK?’
He nodded and snuggled down in his bed.
‘Night, darling,’ she said.
‘Night Mum.’ He looked up at her. ‘And Mum? I’m glad we can stay here. I never want to go back to London.’
She cleared her throat. ‘We won’t.’
As he reached again for his soft toy, she knew he’d be asleep in moments.
