Page 81 of The Side Road
Holly rested her knitting in her lap. She didn’t move. ‘I don’t know, I mean, why does anyone love anyone?’
Mia didn’t answer; she could think of a dozen reasons someone might fall in love with Oliver.
Holly continued. ‘When he leaves for work before me, he pulls the blanket over my head before he turns on the light, so it doesn’t annoy me. Then he gets my mug ready for tea. Sometimes he leaves me little treats.’
‘What sort of little treats?’
‘You know that German chocolate l like.’
‘Schogetten?’
‘Yes. He holds me before I fall asleep.’ Holly paused. ‘I likedhim from the moment I met him. Initially, it was his optimism. He was funny and he got things done. He had these grand plans for our future together. Country life and the vineyard. The timing was right for both of us. The sex was great. It fixed us together. I thought it would last and that would be enough, but…in the last six months, he’s changed.’ Picking up her knitting, she frowned at the stitches – she had lost her place.
‘One of my biggest regrets was leaving that note for Alfie,’ Mia said. ‘He loved me and he didn’t get closure. He got a letter. What if that wasn’t enough? He deserved a conversation and I didn’t give him one. Heartbreak is terrible, but confusion will do your head in. I think you should talk to Miles. You’re on round nineteen. Knit twelve, knit two together, purl one, knit one. Repeat. You should have eighty stitches.’
Holly didn’t comment or check her stitches. She turned and looked out the window. There was nothing more Mia could say; her opinion was obvious. Holly had repeatedly ignored her advice.
Mia collected her laptop and walked into her bedroom. She wanted to send her brother Jamie an email. Seated on the chair by the window, she opened her computer and wrote.‘Were you ever bullied at school?’
After she closed her laptop, she looked at her phone. How long would it take for him to call? It was Sunday evening, he might be out. He might be watching an addictive mini-series, or he might be having an early night to prepare for the busy week ahead.
When her phone rang, Mia smiled. It took him less than a minute. ‘I love it when that happens,’ she told Snood, who had followed her into the bedroom.
‘Funny, I was just thinking about you,’ she said, answering Jamie’s call.
‘Is someone bullying you, because if they…’
‘No, no. I’ve surrounded myself with kind people, mostly. But in high school…were you bullied?’
‘I went to an all-boys school. Everyone was bullied.’
‘Can I ask what happened?’
‘The usual. I was called names. Punched. Kicked. Shoved. Someone stole my bag, my hat, my sports uniform, and my shoes. There was no reason except that I wore glasses, and I was short for a while.’
‘Then you had that growth spurt. You grew a metre in four weeks.’
‘It was half a metre and it took a few months – I still have the stretch marks – but yes, the bullies moved on. They found a new victim.’
‘I’m sorry that happened to you. Do you think Richard was bullied?’
‘Probably. Mia, are you okay?’
‘I’m fine. I have another question. Have you ever had a panic attack?’
Jamie hesitated. ‘No, but they’re more common than you might think. They can come on without warning. Stress is a trigger, but then so are a lot of things. There is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of, it’s just your body’s fight-and-flight response working overtime. Are you seeing a therapist? Because CBT is an effective treatment.’
‘You know a lot about panic attacks.’
‘Someone I’m close to has had a few.’
‘Is it Richard? Is that who you’re talking about? Is he having panic attacks?’
‘No, it’s not Richard. It’s someone else. We’ve set the auction date for the sheep – end of September. The bidding is live. Tune in, you can watch the family jewels get sold off in front of your very eyes.’
‘Sounds depressing. What sort of car do you drive?’
‘A Volkswagen. Why?’
