Page 35 of One December Morning
She picked up a jug of gravy and offered it to Sofia. ‘Come on, everyone, let’s eat.’
To her relief, the poignancy of the moment passed and the conversation soon resumed. In fact, as the meal progressed, Peg felt more relaxed than she had in days, and it was clear the others felt so too. What could have been a miserable, make-do affair became an opportunity to escape their situations, even if only for a little while, and the smiles became bigger and the faces brighter.
The food was demolished, and Peg was pleased to see both Adam and Sofia tuck in with relish. They couldn’t have eaten much over the past day, and if this one small thing made a difference to how they were feeling, then she was glad. She was about to make a start clearing the plates away ready for pudding,when a loud klaxon sounded, cutting through the conversation like a knife.
Adam’s phone lay face down on the table beside his plate, the source of the noise, and all eyes fell on it as if it was an unexploded bomb.
Slowly, Adam picked it up and turned it over, the colour draining from his face. ‘It’s the hospital,’ he said.
16
The room fell silent as Adam rushed through the kitchen door to take the call in private. No one wanted to listen to his conversation, but no one wanted to say anything either, and so they sat, rigid, scarcely breathing while the seconds ticked agonisingly by.
A loud ‘Oh, thank God,’ broke the silence, and the tension, so that by the time Adam returned to the table, all six of them were looking expectantly at him with smiles on their faces.
Adam almost stumbled across the threshold. ‘Dad’s awake,’ he said. ‘Properly awake. They’ve said we can go and see him. He’s asking for us, apparently.’
‘Oh, Adam…that’s the best news.’ Blanche drew him into a hug that surprised both of them by its ferocity and for a moment they stayed that way, locked tight in a release of emotion. It was only broken by Sofia’s joining them, whereupon two became three as they repeated the action all over again.
‘Have they said how things are?’ asked Sofia, pulling away. ‘I mean, he’s okay? Really okay?’
Adam nodded, blinking hard. ‘Yes, and that’s about as much as I know. The nurse said they could give us more details whenwe get there, but he’s conscious and they’re happy with the way things are looking.’
Sofia spun around. ‘I’m not sure where I left my bag…’ She stopped, looking at the pile of dishes by the sink. ‘Oh, but…and we haven’t even had pudding.’
Peg unhooked Sofia’s bag from the back of her chair and passed it across. ‘Don’t worry about anything here, just get going. And please, send him my best wishes, won’t you?’
‘No, Peg, you have to come with us,’ said Adam. ‘Dad’s been asking for all of us, and that includes you.’
Peg got to her feet. ‘I shouldn’t really, this is a time for family. I can see him soon enough, now that I know he’s going to be okay.’
‘Don’t be silly,’ said Sofia. ‘We’d like you to come, wouldn’t we?’ She looked to her husband for confirmation.
‘Of course we would,’ replied Adam. ‘We can’t just eat all your food and then leave you here and rush off. Dad would obviously like to see you.’
‘We’ll wash up,’ said Blanche. ‘And I’ll make sure no one eats the pudding. Yes, Mim, I’m looking at you…’ She gave Peg a huge smile. ‘Don’tyouworry about anything here.’
‘Yeah, Mum,’ chimed in Izzy. ‘Honestly, we’ll be fine. Just go.’
It didn’t look as if Peg would be able to refuse, but she still wasn’t sure why they were all so keen to include her. Surely this was the perfect time for her to bow out of proceedings? Somewhere along the line they’d all been given the wrong idea about her and Henry, and although she knew it probably wasn’t the time to do so, she’d have to explain the situation soon. She had a horrible feeling things would run away from her otherwise.
As it was, Peg insisted that Adam and Sofia go in to see Henry first. A handy sign asking that visitors be restricted to two to a bed added extra weight to her argument, and she was quite happy sitting in the little waiting area opposite the ward.Besides, Henry would probably be very tired, and having three people claiming his attention would be too much too soon.
Part of her was relieved that he was going to be okay, of course it was. Henry had appeared to be a lovely man, and for everyone’s sake, especially his, she was glad that he had pulled through. But one, albeit fairly lengthy conversation, didn’t make them anything other than acquaintances, and now that the initial fear that he might die had seemingly passed, she was beginning to feel quite awkward. She liked Blanche, and despite Henry’s evident difficulties in his relationship with them, even Sofia and Adam had grown on her. She was pleased that she’d been able to help them, had provided some support and perhaps even a respite from the horrible events of the last day or so, but that probably ought to be where her involvement with the family ended. They’d been thrown together by events, more so because it was Christmas, but very soon they’d get back to their own lives, and so would she.
But she’d scarcely even got settled before Sofia appeared beside her.
‘I thought I might give Adam a minute or two on his own,’ she said. ‘But then you should absolutely go in.’
‘How is Henry?’ asked Peg, remaining non-committal.
‘Tired,’ said Sofia. ‘And a bit confused, but that’s to be expected, apparently. Otherwise, he looks…quite well, all things considered.’ She fanned her face. ‘Well, that’s a Christmas we won’t forget in a hurry, isn’t it? And I have some serious making up to do with our friends. We’ve cancelled so many arrangements.’ She pulled a face. ‘We’re supposed to be going out to the theatre this evening.’ She checked the time on her phone as if she was considering whether that might still be an option. Peg was astounded that she could even think such a thing.
‘I’m sure your friends understand,’ replied Peg. ‘At least, I would hope they do. It’s not as if something like this happens often, is it?’
‘No, I guess not.’ Sofia stared at the wall opposite, her face suddenly brightening. ‘I’ll buy Ninette some flowers to say sorry,’ she said, as if that settled things.
Peg raised her eyebrows, turning away so that Sofia wouldn’t see them. If Sofia needed to apologise for her and Adam’s absence from the seasonal social whirl then perhaps it was time to find some different friends. Ninette should be buying Sofia flowers, not the other way around. But there was also something else bothering Peg – the assumption that because it appeared likely that Henry would make a full recovery, everything could go back to normal, instantaneously, almost as if his accident had never happened. Had this whole episode really taught Sofia nothing?
