‘Is that all you’ve got to say?’ I asked Erin, a little surprised.
‘My question exactly!’ Brad snapped. ‘That’s not very nice, Erin.’
I looked at him with utter contempt. ‘Shut up, you bloody fool.’
‘Are you all right?’ I whispered to Erin, who seemed fairly calm.
‘I’m fine.’ She shrugged. ‘I just wish these two would sod off so we could get back to doing what we came here to do.’
‘You heard her,’ I said, turning to Cara and Brad who looked as if they had no intention of leaving. ‘I think you’ve said enough; now bugger off and leave her alone, once and for all!’
Brad ignored me and glared at Erin. ‘I can understand why you may not want to congratulate me, but Erin, Cara has been your best friend since childhood.’
‘And it’s for that reason alone I haven’t slapped her, Brad,’ Erin said coldly. ‘That and the fact I’m busy today and don’t have time to wipe slut off my hand.’
‘Now that’s enough,’ Brad snarled, leaning forward menacingly over our stall.
‘You’re damn right it’s enough,’ I said. ‘What were you expecting from Erin? For her to lay out the bunting and throw you a party? It’s a bloody wonder she hasn’t flung something at you – if it were me you wouldn’t have been so lucky. Now go before I call the police and have you arrested for harassment.’
Cara tugged at Brad’s sleeve. ‘They’re right,’ she said, her tone calm, much to my surprise. ‘Come on, we’ve said what needed to be said, let’s go now.’
It was clearly not the answer Brad wanted to hear as he opened his mouth to protest. ‘But—’
‘But nothing,’ Cara said firmly as she led him away.
I watched in astonishment as he followed after her like an obedient dog, while Cara turned to Erin and mouthed what appeared to be a genuine sorry.
I had to admit the action surprised me. From everything I knew about Cara and had witnessed so far, I thought she was a selfish little madam with only her own interests at heart. Watching her now, head bent low as she soaked up Brad’s anger, I wondered if there was a bit more to her than I had first thought. Glancing back at Erin, I was pleased to see she still seemed calm.
‘Wherever did you pick up all those one-liners?’ I asked in astonishment. ‘I’ve never heard such sauce come out of your mouth!’
Erin smiled weakly, the courage she had shown just moments earlier having seemingly evaporated. ‘Sorry.’
I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her towards me. ‘Nothing to be sorry for, my darling. Frankly they’re lucky I didn’t join in. To accost you here, at your place of work, with news like that is nothing sort of disgusting.’
‘I feel sick,’ Erin moaned.
I ignored the curious stares of passers-by and continued to hold her to me. ‘Do not let this derail you, dear. You have worked so hard to get over their betrayal, do not let them set you back. You are worth so much more than they ever will be.’
My shoulder was now wet with tears and my heart went out to Erin. She didn’t deserve any of this.
‘I know, you’re right,’ Erin said through her sobs. ‘This was just the last thing I expected. I feel as though I’ve been kicked in the stomach.’
‘Do you want to go home?’ I asked kindly.
She pulled away from me and fixed me with a determined gaze. ‘Not a chance. That pair have already destroyed enough of my life, they’re not taking this day away from me as well.’
A flash of pride surged through me. Erin was made of tough stuff. ‘If you’re sure?’
‘I’m sure.’ She nodded. ‘Now how about I go and get a fresh round of tea? I don’t know about you but I think mine’s cold now.’
I smiled. ‘That would be lovely dear, thank you.’
Watching her retreating back, I picked up my phone once more and clicked onto my emails. Scrolling through the endless spam offering me discounts and deals for one day only, I soon found Rosie’s message and opened it.
Dear Lydia,
I just wanted to drop you a line to check you had received my last message about meeting up. I don’t wish to put pressure on you, but I’m very keen to discuss my daughter and our relationship with you.
I know I don’t need to tell you how much I’ve missed my daughter, Lydia. You’re a mother yourself, you know how you think of your children every day, how they fast become your world. Life without Erin has been harder than either Tom or I could have imagined. I would give anything to change the last few years but what’s done is done, there’s no point crying over the past. We have to move forwards.
There is something that you should know, that I haven’t told you before, but Erin’s father has recently had a triple heart bypass. It has been an immensely difficult time and because I don’t want to upset him further, I haven’t told him you and I have been in contact. If we are ever going to reconcile with Erin, this must be done with great caution. That said, I would very much like to meet with you soon if possible.
Yours gratefully,
Rosie
As I finished reading Rosie’s message, I felt a flash of sympathy for the woman. Knowing her husband had faced a life-threatening operation would put anything into perspective, and I could well understand her desire to reconnect with her daughter. The question was, what effect would this have on Erin? She had endured enough shocks of late, and I hated to think of the impact this morning’s little revelation would have had on her mental health. Hearing her father had been through such extensive surgery and she hadn’t been told could possibly widen the gulf between them and that was the last thing I wanted. Quickly, I tapped out a reply. Nobody knew Erin better than her mother and it would be Rosie that would know the best way of reaching her daughter.
Dear Rosie,
Sincere apologies for the delayed response to your message. If I’m honest with you, I had been feeling guilty about getting in touch with you behind Erin’s back. She is, after all, a grown woman capable of making her own decisions and the last thing she perhaps needs is a meddling old woman like me getting in her way. However, Erin has endured ever such a lot of late, and now, this news of her father, will I’m sure come as something of a shock. However, I also know how much she longs to make things right with you both. Should we perhaps meet in Bristol next week? I could possibly come over to you one lunchtime on the train? Then we could consider the best way to work things out.
Yours sincerely,
Lydia
Quickly I reread the message and once I was happy with it I pressed send, before I could change my mind. Stuffing my phone back into my pocket, I was alarmed to find Erin standing straight in front of me holding out a cup of tea.
‘How long have you been standing there?’ I snapped guiltily.
‘Just a second or two.’ Erin frowned. ‘I did try and wave at you from the tea stand to ask if you wanted a Bath bun instead of a teacake, but you didn’t seem to see me.’
‘Sorry,’ I replied, taking the tea from her hands. ‘I was just trying to type out a message and you know how hard I have to concentrate on the screen. It’s all still a whole new world.’
Erin smiled kindly. ‘I know, and you’re doing so well. My mum and dad are still in the dark ages, refusing to get a mobile phone.’ Her smile slipped then as she caught herself. ‘Or at least, they were. I don’t know if that’s true any more. They may have mobiles, iPads and even smartwatches by now.’
Seeing the look of sadness that passed across her face, I felt even more bolstered by my decision to meet Erin’s mother.
‘Listen, how about we stay here for a couple of hours, then go and get some lunch? My treat?’ I suggested, changing the subject.
Erin visibly brightened. ‘Oh, that’s a lovely idea. But I think if anyone pays for it, it should be me. Honestly, I feel terrible I spoke like that in front of you, Lydia.’
I waved her offer away. ‘Don’t be silly. I’ve already told you once you have nothing to apologise for. It was worth it just to wipe that smug smirk off that snivelling little bastard’s face.’
Erin giggled, clearly reliving the moment. ‘He was smug, wasn’t he?’
‘And so was she,’ I said tightly. ‘I meant what I said earlier by the way. I know it’s not easy, but I want you to forget this happened today. Those two are nothing to you any more, it doesn’t matter what they’re doing with their sorry little lives.’
‘But a baby?’ Erin moaned, as she stuffed her hands in her pockets. ‘Brad and I used to talk about how many babies we were going to have and how Cara would be godmother to all of them.’
I reached out a hand to gently steady her. ‘That was in the past. I know that’s not easy to hear, but you have to move forwards Erin. And one day, when you find the right man who will be the father of your children, trust me, all this will seem like a distant and dreadful memory. Your happy ending is out there Erin, it just wasn’t with Brad.’
‘You think so?’ Erin asked, the hope evident in her eyes.
‘I know so. And do you know how you’ll know whether or not he’s the right man?’
She shook her head.
‘Because he won’t cost you your family Erin. That’s how you’ll know.’
At that, Erin fell silent. It was as if I’d suddenly offered her some piece of wisdom she had never thought of before.
‘You’re right,’ she breathed, her expression softening. ‘I’m not going to let those two stop me from living my life. In fact, I’m not letting them stop me do anything.’
‘That’s my girl.’
‘Actually, I had a thought while I was queuing for the drinks.’
I raised an eyebrow. ‘Sounds dangerous.’
She laughed. ‘It’s not, but I thought that perhaps there might be a reason you’re struggling to write that letter to Jack.’
‘Go on,’ I encouraged.
‘Well, maybe you’re not meant to write to him?’ she said.
‘Erin, we’ve been through this,’ I began, my tone firm. ‘I have to lay this to rest.’
‘And I’m not saying you shouldn’t,’ she said hurriedly. ‘I’m just saying a letter isn’t perhaps the best way to get in touch. Something like this, well, it’s so big, I think you should do it in person. I think you should go to Paris.’