Page 68 of All We Want for Christmas
‘Will you be going back?’
‘Yeah. I have to. I want to. I need to get a good job to support Esme. She’ll have a nursery place three days a week and Nan will help out.’
‘What about your mother? I heard she works abroad.’ Lara could not help herself. She was so curious about the woman who’d given birth to Flynn’s daughter.
‘She does help when she can, but her job means she’s usually away. She needs to work and this is how she helps us. She saves loads.’
Lara nodded, imagining the sacrifices Imogen had made to bring up Molly. Even so, it must be heartbreaking for Flynn to have been denied the chance to help. ‘Does your mum stay with your nan when she’s back in the UK?’
‘Yes. She does have a flat in Bootle, but she rents that out long-term. She can’t usually use it, so she may as well have the revenue.’ Lara noted there was no mention of a partner but didn’t dare push it.
‘Have you told your mum and nan about Flynn yet? People might start talking, seeing you spend so much time at the castle. And I’m not sure if you realise that you let it slip about Flynn being Esme’s grandad in front of my friend Jazz.’
‘Oh, shit!’ Molly clapped her hand over her mouth. ‘Did I?’
‘I’m afraid so, but don’t worry, Jazz won’t tell anyone, and I certainly won’t. I told her the situation is delicate, if that’s OK? But you can see how hard it’s going to be to keep such exciting news a secret,’ Lara went on, hoping she hadn’t caused trouble.
‘It’s hard. Idowant to tell people, and I will have to. It isn’t fair on Flynn to expect him to keep it all to himself, but that means coming clean to Nan.’
‘Won’t your nan ask what happened in the house and who fixed it?’
Molly pulled a face. ‘I’ve thought of that. I don’t think I can lie. I don’t want to.’ She heaved a deep sigh. ‘I do think I’m going to have to tell her the truth.’
‘But you’ll talk to Flynn first?’ Lara asked, slightly horrified that Molly might not.
‘Of course I will. There’s no way I’d go behind his back with something that big. He seems like a nice guy. I don’t want to cause him any more trouble than I already have.’
She put her mug down and frowned at Lara. ‘Are you and him …? Do you two have athingtogether?’
‘No. No … we’re friends, but we work together and that complicates things.’
‘Oh. OK. I get that. Cos I wouldn’t want to ruin anything between you both by turning up.’
‘Don’t worry, you haven’t,’ Lara insisted, wanting to scream out loud but realising she was meant to be the adult here.
‘OK. That makes me feel better. I’ve probably caused enough trouble as it is. I bet Flynn wishes he’d never moved up here.’
‘I’m sure he doesn’t feel like that,’ Lara said. It wasn’t her place to speak for Flynn, but Molly was seeking reassurance – validation – for her decision.
Molly nodded. ‘Goodnight. See you in the morning. And thank you, Lara.’
Even though Molly wasn’t her long-lost daughter and this wasn’t her newfound family, somehow Lara felt she’d taken on a tiny share of the burden of responsibility.
The following morning, Molly was in the kitchen when Lara walked in, mashing up a banana and adding it to a Weetabix in one of Lara’s nibbles bowls.
She grinned over her shoulder. ‘Hope you don’t mind me getting on with things. Esme’s starving.’
Esme was sitting on a blanket on the floor, bashing a pan with a wooden spoon. There were toys and kitchen implements strewn on the carpet and a bumper pack of nappies by the bin. Baby bottles and formula powder littered the worktops.
‘Not at all. Can I help?’ Lara asked, still not fully awake and definitely not at ease with the weird situation.
‘You could put some water in a cup. I found a plastic one in your cupboard. Was that OK?’
‘It’s fine.’ Lara had completely forgotten where she’d acquired the pink picnic tumbler and half filled it with tap water.
‘Would you mind setting up the highchair by the worktop?’
‘Um. I’ll do my best,’ Lara said, feeling ham-fisted at taking more than a few seconds to manhandle it into place.
