Page 58 of A Matter of Trust

Becca leaned into the tight hug her daughter gave her, grateful for everything. ‘He’s much better. Yes, he’ll be all right and yes, he needed a nebuliser.’

She sent the girl with some money to get snacks from the vending machine near the reception desk.

Grace had an almost vulnerable expression on her face, perched on the edge of one of the hard plastic chairs with Ned sitting beside her looking tired. ‘I’m sorry I upset him.’

‘It was bound to happen. I knew they wouldn’t be happy with the decision.’

‘I don’t understand. Why go now, after all this time?’

Becca raised a brow. ‘I thought you’d be pleased. It’s what you’ve been pushing for long enough.’

‘It’s different now.’

‘I don’t see how. You still don’t want us in Morgan’s life.’

The older woman bit her lip. ‘I never thought about the alternative.’

‘My taking the twins away?’

‘It wasn’t until you started talking about finding someplace else for the children to go after school that I realised how much I was going to miss them.’

‘You’ve grown accustomed to their faces?’

Grace wrinkled her nose. ‘There’s no need to be sarcastic, Rebecca. Ned and I have always been fond of the children.’

‘It’s me you can’t stomach. Apparently, it’s like mother, like son. I can put up with one Cavanaugh despising me, but two is more than I can swallow.’

Ned shifted in his seat. ‘Why would you think Morgan despises you?’

Heat washed up Becca’s throat and Ned nodded, his eyes kind.

‘It’s no use, Ned. The decision’s been made. It’s too late to back out now.’

‘I understand the sale is final, but it doesn’t mean you can’t compromise.’

‘I’ve spent too many years compromising. It’s time for me to make a fresh start, and I can’t do it here.’

Gabby leaned over the back of one of the rows of chairs in the middle of the room, a drink in one hand. ‘Why can’t we stay here?’

‘Because it wouldn’t work. We need to make our own life, instead of relying on Grace and Grandpa Ned.’

‘What about Morgan? He wouldn’t want us to move away. He likes us.’

How could she tell her daughter it wasn’t about his feelings for the children?

Gabby tossed the empty drink bottle into the waste basket. ‘It’s because Grace doesn’t like us, isn’t it?’

She should have known Gabby would add up the pieces. ‘That’s not true.’

‘Isn’t it? Or is it you she doesn’t like?’

A stifled sound came from Grace.

Gabby spun around to face her grandmother, who’d come to stand beside Becca.

‘It’s your fault we have to go away, isn’t it? It’s not fair. I know you don’t like us much and you wish Dad married someone else and had some other grandchildren so you could love them. I know you’re sad about your babies, but it’s not Mum’s fault. It’s not right for you to punish us because of something that happened a long time ago. Would it make you happy if Edward died?’

Grace paled. ‘Of course not. How do you know?’

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