Page 31 of Merrily Ever After
‘It is nice, I’m glad you like it,’ Emily smiled with relief. ‘And we’ll have it looking like home in no time.’
‘It’s a long time since I’ve been to London,’ Ray continued. ‘I don’t remember it being as green as this.’
‘Which part of London do you like best?’ she asked, not commenting on the fact that the view from the window was in fact Springwood House’s gardens.
‘Camden,’ Ray replied. ‘I met John Lennon there. He’d had a row with Yoko, so I bought him a beer.’
Emily grinned; she had to hand it to her dad, he had a brilliant imagination. ‘You’d have thought with all his money, he’d have got the drinks in.’
She unpacked the teabags, mugs and milk from the bag that Tina had marked as ‘emergency’ and made them both a drink. Once Ray was sitting down with a mug in his hand, she hung some of his clothes in the wardrobe.
Springwood House was a good few degrees warmer than her dad’s old flat and after all the fetching and carrying, she was hot.
‘OK if I leave you here while I unload more from the car?’ Emily said, pushing her hair back from her face and stripping off her coat and sweatshirt until she was just in her dungarees and T-shirt.
Ray slurped his tea and chuckled. ‘Of course you can, I’m sure I’ll be safe on my own for a few minutes.’
Safe. The power of that tiny word was almost enough to make her cry. For so long, she had worried that he wasn’t safe living by himself and now, hopefully, that worry had vanished.
The manager, Gail, had been here to check them in and introduce them to some of the staff and a man called Peter had shown them up to the flat. ‘There are pull cords in all the rooms,’ he’d said, demonstrating. ‘And we pop in regularly. No one is on their own for long.’
‘Yes, Dad,’ she said, swallowing the lump in her throat. ‘I think you will. I’ll be as quick as I can.’
She headed out of the room and along the corridor to the staircase. She ran lightly down the stairs and turned left. Or should she have turned right? She looked both ways, undecided, there were signs saying Fire Exit in both directions, but which way was the car park?
A man appeared from around the corner and walked towards her. He was dressed in jeans and scruffy trainers and had his hands in the front pouch of his hoodie, his blonde hair was tousled and if she didn’t know better, she’d have thought he’d just walked off a beach. All he needed was a surfboard tucked under his arm to complete the look.
‘Hey.’ He slowed to a halt, and she was struck by the intense blue of his eyes. ‘You look a bit lost. Can I help?’
She blinked at him, surprised; he seemed out of place in a residential home.
‘Yes please. I haven’t got my bearings yet,’ she replied gratefully. ‘I’m looking for the car park.’
‘It’s a bit of a rabbit warren at first.’ He inclined his head to the left and grinned. ‘That way. Not trying to escape already, are you?’
‘Not quite.’ She smiled. ‘My dad’s moving in today, I’m still unloading the car.’
‘Ah, tough day then.’ He nodded, his face kind and full of understanding. ‘Well, I’ve got a few minutes to spare before my exercise class, I’ll help. Lead on.’
‘Oh,’ she said, suddenly recognising him. ‘You’re the bedroom athletics guy! I think I saw you when I came to look around.’
He burst out laughing. ‘I think you mean armchair athletics.’
She pressed her hands to her hot face. ‘I meant that. Ugh. Can you forget I said that please?’
He shook his head and pretended to look apologetic. ‘Unlikely, I’m afraid, I might even put it on my CV. So, would you like some help?’
‘It’s very kind of you.’ Her stomach gave a little flip, he had an instant charm about him. If she hadn’t been so preoccupied with getting her dad settled, she would be quite happy to stand here for a bit longer and chat. ‘But you were obviously going somewhere yourself, I don’t want to hold you up.’
‘You’re not.’ He held out a hand for her to shake. ‘I’m Will, pleased to meet you. Occupational therapist by day and a mean cards player by night.’
‘Emily,’ she said, shaking his hand. ‘I’ve never met an occupational therapist before, but I can imagine playing cards would make you very popular here.’
‘Yep,’ he replied, ruffling his hair until it stuck out in all directions. ‘Snap, pairs, rummy … I was a whizz at cribbage in my teenage years, but I’m a bit rusty now. And as for dominoes, I don’t like to boast but—’
He paused as a door opened very slowly and an elderly woman wearing an elegant gold brocade coat peered out crossly.
‘Hello, Maude, looking gorgeous as ever,’ said Will. ‘Everything OK?’
