Page 84 of Coming Home to Hope Street

‘Pip will be okay,’ she said, wiping the lone tear that had fallen down her cheek. ‘And me? I’ll be fine too. I have my big sister to take care of me. I think.’

Chapter Fifty-Two

Hannah walked towards Livvy, waving when she caught her eye.

‘Hey.’ She smiled as she drew near. ‘Pip told me you were here. I hope you don’t mind me coming.’

‘Not at all.’ Livvy got to her feet.

‘I came to talk to Mum the other day.’ Hannah nodded at the grave. ‘I always do when I get worried.’

‘I’ve just done the same. She’s a good listener.’

‘She’s the best.’ Hannah giggled at their joke.

‘I was talking about you.’ Livvy smiled at her shyly.

Last week over a bottle of wine while Doug had taken Pip and Tilly to the cinema, Livvy and Hannah had chatted through their argument. They’d both apologised for their harsh words but agreed to move on and forget it. Hannah had voiced her fears about Livvy leaving again. Livvy had said she was scared it was all going to go wrong as she never had any good luck. But everything had been sorted since Kieran had left, anyway. Both sisters had agreed to start again. There was too much to lose if they couldn’t get past it.

‘I was thinking of our chat when you explained your fears around me leaving,’ Livvy went on. ‘I understand now because that’s how I’d felt about Kieran. Every time he left, another part of our relationship died, until it was enough for me to leave him behind instead.

‘I could have got another flat in Manchester. Worked another job to pay the rent. But deep down, I wanted to come home, away from Kieran being able to pop around whenever he took the fancy. That’s why I got up that morning and booked two train tickets to Somerley.’ Livvy glanced at Hannah. ‘I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to tell you how sorry I am that I left and didn’t come back until now. I was an idiot and I didn’t mean to upset you.’

‘Oh, don’t be daft,’ Hannah told her. ‘You haven’t been back long enough to do that.’

Livvy grinned. ‘I hope you mean that because I – I’d love to stay in Somerley. I’ve realised how much I like the old town now that I’m back. It’s good to belong somewhere, and I’m sure Pip will settle without her dad.’ She looked at her, shyly. ‘I also want to be close to my sister, that is, if I haven’t screwed up too much.’

‘Why would you say that?’

‘Because of Kieran. What happens if he comes back?’

‘Do you honestly think he’ll show his face around here? The community would lynch him.’

‘I’ll have to take Pip to see him, regardless. I can’t deprive her of her father. Although from what she’s saying about him at the moment, I’m not sure she’ll want to go to Manchester anyway.’

‘I can’t say I blame her.’

They smiled at each other.

‘She can make her mind up, I guess,’ Livvy said. ‘Kieran’s only a train journey away. But he’s never coming to stay with us ever again.’

‘Good, because that’s what I’ve come to tell you. You can stay there as long as you want. I don’t want you to go away again, and neither does Doug.’

‘I need to pay rent though, to make me feel better about the money Kieran stole, and I—’

Hannah held up a hand for her to stop. ‘You don’t need to do that. We’ve said before, it wasn’t you who took the money.’

‘It was because of me.’

‘No, it wasn’t. And I’m glad you’re staying. You don’t have to settle for second best, Livvy, when you don’t know what’s around the corner. Have faith.’

Tears welled in Livvy’s eyes again. ‘I don’t know if Kieran has gone for good, but he’s not welcome anymore.’

‘And you have family to support you now. You don’t have to do any of this on your own.’ Hannah stopped for a moment. ‘Remember when we were young and nothing could come between us? We were always together; fighting our corner for each other. No one would get the better of us. We were each other’s alibis. Confidantes, best friends, even when Phoebe was around. Well, I still think we could be all of those again. With nothing between us. What do you say?’

Livvy stopped while she gathered her thoughts, the right words she wanted to say without getting too emotional. But instead she burst into tears. She knew they were ones of relief.

‘I feel guilty for bringing trouble to Hope Street.’ She wiped at them. ‘But I’m not sorry for coming back with Pip. I realise I belong here.’

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