Page 37 of Only for Christmas

‘They’d only be a stranger the first time they visit. After that, you’d get used to them being here.’ He drained the sink and used a tea towel to dry the crockery. ‘Wouldn’t you like someone to take you out occasionally? Maybe to the shops, or for a coffee, or lunch? Or someone to chat to and do a puzzle with? I notice you like wordsearches.’

‘Nosy bugger, aren’t you?’

‘I prefer to think of it as observant,’ he said, tidying away the crockery. ‘I saw the puzzle books on the table.’ He stuck his head around the door. ‘Have a think about it. I promise I won’t make any enquiries if you don’t want me to.’

‘Big of you.’

He filled the kettle and searched for coffee. Her cupboards were bare, as was her fridge, just a few cans of soup and a packet of rice, but he did find a jar of instant coffee and some long-life milk. It was evident that Mrs Kelsey was struggling to care for herself, but he needed to tread carefully. She was a proud woman who clearly wasn’t open to the idea of getting help.

‘Here we are,’ he said, carrying two mugs of coffee into the lounge and placing them on the table. ‘I have biscuits in my bag. Let me fetch them.’

She frowned as he reached for his holdall. ‘That’s an odd thing to carry in your medical bag.’

‘You’d be amazed what’s in here. Mary Poppins has nothing on me.’ He removed a squeaky toy, which almost made her laugh… almost. ‘Distraction tactics for children, or dogs, or both. The biscuits come in handy for patients with diabetes. Sometimes a quick burst of sugar is needed. Here we are.’ He opened the packet of chocolate bourbons and left them open on the table. ‘Help yourself.’

She didn’t hold back and swiped two, confirming his theory that she hadn’t eaten for a while. She was all skin and bones underneath her maroon kaftan.

Taking a sip of coffee, which wasn’t the worst he’d experienced in the UK, he nodded to a framed photo on the sideboard. ‘Nice picture – is it family?’

‘That’s my son, Nigel,’ she said, not looking at the photo. ‘He lives in Australia with his wife and two daughters. That photo’s about five years old. My granddaughters are teenagers now. Not that I see them. I don’t see neither of my kids.’

Lucas was mildly shocked at how much information she’d revealed, having expected one of her snarky remarks telling him to ‘butt out’.

He sipped his coffee, waiting to see if she’d say any more.

‘My daughter, Keeley, lives in Los Angeles,’ she said, licking chocolate from her fingers. ‘No idea what she does out there. Something to do with technology.’

‘Does she have a family too?’

‘No idea. I don’t think so. According to her brother, she’s gay, but she’s never said nothing to me about it, and I don’t like to ask. I guess she’ll tell me when she’s ready. Or maybe not. It’s not like it matters either way. They don’t make no effort to come see me.’

‘That’s sad. I imagine you must miss them.’

She reached for a tissue and blew her nose. ‘I can’t blame them. Parenting never came natural to me. They complained I was too hard on them. They were closer to their dad, my Pete. Since he’s been gone they’ve drifted away.’

Lucas placed his mug on the table. ‘Do they know you’re having health issues?’ He picked up his medical bag. ‘May I?’

She gave a short shrug, which he took as confirmation. ‘They wouldn’t be interested.’

He removed his stethoscope from his bag so he could examine her chest. ‘Do you speak to them on the phone?’

‘Occasionally. But what’s there to talk about? I don’t know nothing about their lives and they don’t wanna hear about me ailments. Can’t blame them for staying away.’ She began coughing and he heard a definite rattle in her chest.

He switched his stethoscope to her back. ‘Breathe in for me.’

She took a deep breath and held it, before coughing again. ‘Last thing I want is to turn out like me parents,’ she said, banging her chest. ‘All they did was moan, even though I did everything for them and looked after them until they died. What thanks did I get? Bugger all. And now I’m in the same situation. Tough luck, huh?’

‘It’s hard to keep a relationship going when you live so far apart. I’m in the same situation.’ He searched for his thermometer. ‘My parents are divorced and live in different states, and my sister’s here in the UK. We’re definitely not as close as we used to be… I’m going to check your temperature, okay?’

‘Do what you like. It’s not like I care.’

Her temperature was higher than he’d like. ‘You don’t care about your wellbeing?’

‘What’s the point? I’m just sitting around waiting to snuff it. The quicker it comes, the better for everyone.’

‘That’s a sad outlook.’ He checked her oxygen levels and took her blood pressure. ‘Do you have any friends who live locally?’

‘What do you think?’

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