Page 54 of A Wish For Jo
'Jo, you must think a little longer.' Dhassim draped an arm around Jo's shoulder and gave her an encouraging squeeze.
'I don't have to.' Jo swallowed a hard lump of worry at what she might be doing. She had the chance to wipe the slate clean for Harvey, but it didn't feel right. He'd struggled — was still struggling — with the fallout from Abby's self-serving claims, but she knew he'd get through it. 'Harvey needs to get back in the work saddle. If I wish for him to be happy, he'll find a way forward. With or without me.'
A wave of tears gathered force and stormed Jo's cheeks. She snatched up a wad of tissues, remembering Harvey's old-school cloth hankie, and mopped her face.
'You humans are so weird. You've got a chance to make a real difference, but you go for happy. What even is that?'
Jo looked at Aaliyah through a haze of tears. 'It's when you feel good about yourself. Despite all the bad stuff, you find a way to put one foot in front of the other. You wake up with hope and go to sleep with it, too. It's simple, really.' A picture of her parents and the second-chance time she'd had with them flashed into her mind, a brief but glorious bubble of happiness that still buoyed her spirits.
Aaliyah didn't look convinced. 'Seems a waste to me, but it's your wish. Let's get on with it.'
They huddled around the WIFI. Its bout of flatulence over, it returned to beeps, jingles and flashing lights.
'If you wish for Harvey to be happy, that doesn't mean he'll stay in Cranley.' Dhassim gave Jo a sad smile.
'I know, but at least he'll be able to move forward. I read somewhere that happiness is letting go of what you think your life is supposed to look like.’ Before she could change her mind, Jo intoned: 'I wish for Harvey to be happy.'
Aaliyah peered at her WIFI and gave a thumbs up. 'Your wish is granted. I guess your man will be doing cartwheels round his living room right now.'
If he hasn't already left,thought Jo.There’s only one way to find out…
CHAPTER51
Jo stoodon the doorstep of Brae Cottage, listening to loud music blaring from inside. Its poky windows rattled in time to Pharrell Williams singing about … being happy.
After another futile attempt at ringing the doorbell, Jo whipped out her phone and fired off a WhatsApp message. She stared at the screen, willing the double tick to appear. A minute later it did, and Pharrell ceased his warbling.
‘Jo!’ Harvey flung open the door, grinning like a cross between the Cheshire Cat and the Joker. It was slightly unnerving, and in sharp contrast to his usual dour expression. ‘Come in, come in.’
Jo stepped into the hallway and gulped at the sight of a small holdall and a laptop bag propped up in the corner. So he was leaving after all.
‘Dance with me.’ Harvey seized Jo’s hand and twirled her around, which was no mean feat in a narrow hallway. Jo’s elbow collided with the wood chip wallpaper and she yelped.
‘Sorry, sorry.’ In a bizarre pastiche of the Gay Gordons, Harvey led Jo through to the living room, twisting her this way and that until she feared he’d strangle her.
‘Harvey…’ Jo wriggled free and flopped into a chair. ‘I need a breather.’ She scanned the room: nothing had changed since her last visit. Nothing, except … the mantelpiece was bare.
‘You seem a little different.’ Jo eyed Harvey warily. Had her wish turned him into someone in need of medication to dampen his Tigger-like enthusiasm?
‘I am, Jo.’ Harvey’s smile dialled down a notch or two. ‘I can’t explain, but something weird happened when I left you. Not right away, but when I started packing to leave.’
‘Are you still going to leave?’ Jo squirmed in the chair as a wayward spring poked her bum.
Harvey did a hop-skip jig. He appeared to be possessed by the ghosts of ceilidhs past, with long-dead pipers whirling and skirling for his ears only. ‘Not right away, no.’
In an attempt to find comfort, Jo swung her legs over the arm of the chair.Better. She waited for Harvey to continue.
‘I felt dizzy scrambling under the bed for shoes and stuff, so I had a wee lie down for a minute or two. Then I carried on packing my stuff and plonked the bags by the door, but something inside me had changed. All the bitterness and anger had evaporated, as if by magic.’
‘But you don’t believe in magic,’ said Jo, raising an eyebrow.
Harvey continued jigging on the spot, as if the threadbare carpet were electrified. He looked so ridiculous that Jo started laughing. A genteel giggle at first, turning into a full-blown bout of hysteria.What have I done?
‘I’ll, erm, sit down now.’ Harvey ceased his jigging and sat down opposite Jo. Beads of sweat trickled from his brow, and his hands continued to beat a tattoo on his thighs.
‘Can I get you a drink? Water, or something stronger?’ Jo needed water herself. Her laughing fit threatened to induce hiccups, and the situation was mad enough without adding that into the mix.
In the kitchen, Jo found two glasses and went to fill them at the sink, which was itself full of empty whisky and wine bottles. She stacked them on the draining board and returned with the water. ‘Did you go on a bender before your epiphany?’ she asked, handing Harvey his glass.
