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“Football is a simple game made complicated
by people who should know better.”
Bill Shankly, former Liverpool manager and Scottish national player
A storm broke over Abby’s house at eight thirty the following morning. It seemed fitting that the day brought thunder and rain. The heavy clouds over the hills were just one more ominous sign things were going to get bad. The rain fell heavily all morning, weighing her down with each drop.
At lunchtime, Victoria and Lawrence arrived and Abby was prepared to hear the worst.
“I won’t make you wait,” Victoria said as soon as she entered the house. “I spoke with Mother and told her not to file for custody.”
The air went out of Abby in one great whoosh. She had to place her hand on the wall beside her to stay upright. Lawrence smiled at her and squeezed her shoulder as he passed on his way to the kitchen, leaving the sisters alone in the hall.
“Thank you.” Abby felt tears prick at her eyes.
Victoria’s lips pinched, but her cheeks were flushed and her eyes seemed glassy with emotion.
“I won’t lie,” Victoria said. “Mother is beyond furious. She won’t let this matter drop. Lawrence and his firm have cut ties with her, but I expect she will hire another solicitor and carry on with her plans.”
Abby’s stomach lurched. “So, it isn’t over.”
“No.” Victoria hesitated. Her hand twitched towards Abby, as though she wanted to touch her, but didn’t quite know how. She cleared her throat and stood straighter. “Lawrence and I have agreed to support you. We will stand in your corner on this issue.”
She couldn’t stop it. A tear escaped and slid down Abby’s cheek.
“You won’t be able to go back if you do.” Abby, more than anyone, knew disobeying Mother meant cutting all ties with her.
“I know.” There was no emotion in Victoria’s answer, but Abby spotted the small tremor in her hands. Victoria’s eyes flicked back up to Abby’s, and she swallowed hard, as though steeling herself for something. “I have to speak with you about another matter.”
“Okay.” Abby drew out the word. From the look on her sister’s face, the other matter wouldn’t be good.
“After lunch, perhaps?” Victoria said. “We could take a moment in private to talk.”
“We can talk now.”
Her sister couldn’t meet her eyes. “No, later is fine.”
Abby desperately wanted to demand to know now. If the blade was going to fall on her neck, she didn’t want to wait to find out how. But the anxiety radiating from Victoria made her hesitate. What difference would another few minutes make? It was the least she could do, considering everything Victoria had sacrificed to help her.
“Okay,” Abby said. “Let’s go get some tea.”
Her sister was visibly relieved by the reprieve. “Tea would be lovely.”
They walked side by side into the kitchen only to find Lawrence, Flynn and Katy discussing football around the dining table.
“Everything okay?” Flynn said when he saw her.
“Yes. It’s all good.”
He gave her the sort of private smile that made her heart clench hard. Victoria sat at Lawrence’s side. Lawrence shocked Abby further by taking her sister’s hand. The way he smiled at Victoria made Abby ache with hope. He was a good man. And after a life living for their mother, Victoria deserved a good man to help her heal.
Abby served tomato soup with crusty bread, and the conversation flowed easily while they ate. As Abby cleared the table, the doorbell rang. As though he lived there, Flynn went to answer it, and Abby didn’t think twice about it. It felt like he belonged there.
Katy gestured widely while explaining why David Beckham was a great footballer to Lawrence, and her drink went flying. As Abby mopped up the mess with a cloth, Flynn came into the room. She stilled at the look on his face. It was a combination of anger, resolve and trepidation.
“Abby,” he said. “Your mother and brother are in the living room.”
It was Victoria’s turn to spill her drink.
“Calm down, Vicki.” Lawrence placed his hand on her shoulder. “It’s going to be okay.”
Abby didn’t move. “Mother?” It’d been eight years since she’d seen her last. “Charles?”
She couldn’t quite get her head around them actually being there.
“They have a new lawyer with them.” Flynn looked at Lawrence. “Merser and Bannister?”
Lawrence nodded sombrely. “They’re a good firm.”
“Mother is here?” Abby said.
She looked over to Victoria, whose face had drained of all colour. Their eyes met in a moment of brutal understanding.
“I thought she’d just call,” Victoria whispered.
“Yes,” Abby whispered back.
“She wants to talk to both of you.” Flynn’s lips thinned as though he were readying for an argument. “There’s no way you’re going in there without me.”
“Nor me.” Lawrence looked equally determined.
Abby’s eyes hit her daughter, who was sitting wide-eyed, soaking in every word. What about Katy? She couldn’t be anywhere near the toxic air her mother generated. Before she could formulate a plan, Flynn was talking into his phone. The call ended quickly.
“Matt and Jena will be here in a couple of minutes,” he said. “They’re going to take Katy to their house to play.”
“Can Jonathan come too?” Katy’s enthusiasm was at odds with the strain in the air.
“I’ll tell Matt to make sure he picks up Jonathan.” Flynn’s face softened as he spoke to Katy.
“Can I show him my new football book?”
“Course you can, monster. He might learn something. Go get it and I’ll keep an eye out for Jena. Hurry up; they’ll be here soon.”
Abby was happy to let Flynn talk. All of her words seemed to have dried up.
Katy whooped and ran at Flynn, her arms up wide. Without pausing, he lifted her to his chest. Katy put her arms around his neck and hugged him tight.
“You’re the best, Flynn,” she said.
“I know. Now don’t forget to tell everybody.” And to Abby’s shock, he kissed Katy on the cheek before putting her on the floor. “Get moving. Time’s running out if you want to take the book with you.”
“And the DVD too,” Katy shouted as she ran full speed from the room.
Without a word, Abby walked to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She pressed her cheek to his chest and counted his heartbeats as she waited for her mind to restart. Flynn held her without comment, gently stroking his hand down her back. There was no censure. He didn’t try to take over. He was just offering his strength. And she was eager to take it.
“I’m here.” Flynn pressed a kiss to her head.
Abby was pretty sure those words wouldn’t be reassuring to most people. For most people, Flynn’s presence was the harbinger of disaster. For her, he embodied security.
The back door opened and Jena walked into the kitchen, followed closely by Matt. The cousins shared a grim look.
“Take as long as you need.” Jena pulled Abby from Flynn to give her friend a hug. “Katy can always have a sleepover at our place if she needs to. Don’t worry about her. We’ll be fine. Just concentrate on sorting this out.”
“Thanks.” Abby squeezed her tight as Katy came running back into the room.
“Can we watch this?” She held out a DVD to Matt.
Matt grinned at her. “Highlights from the last World Cup? Sure you wouldn’t rather watch Winnie the Pooh?”
“No.” Katy shook her head. “I need to study up so I won’t embarrass Flynn when we watch the next World Cup.”
“Flynn told you you’d embarrass him?” Matt glared at Flynn.
Katy nodded. “He said I don’t know anything about football and he doesn’t want me making a fool of myself when we talk about the World Cup.”
“You’re five.” Matt glared at Flynn. “She’s five.”
“Age is no excuse for ignorance,” Flynn said, but his eyes sparkled with mischief while he did it.
“Don’t worry, Uncle Mattie,” Katy said. “Flynn doesn’t know anything about Barbies. So we’re going to watch all the Barbie movies together so he won’t embarrass me with my friends.”
“Hey, I didn’t agree to that.” Flynn glared at her.
“Suck it up,” Katy said.
“Katy!” Abby snapped. “Where did you hear that?”
Katy pointed at Flynn with an angelic smile on her face.
“Tattletale,” Flynn grumbled at her.
With a giggle, Katy took Jena’s hand and pulled her from the house, babbling on about how they needed to pick up Jonathan. Jena gave Abby a reassuring smile.
“It’ll be okay,” Matt said. “Just be yourself.” He pulled Abby into a hug, which Flynn broke with a growl.
“Mine,” he told his cousin.
“Yours?” Matt cocked an eyebrow at him.
Flynn pointed in the direction of the back door. “Don’t you have more important things to deal with?”
With a laugh, Matt headed after his wife.
Abby looked at Victoria. “This is it,” she said.
“This is it.” Victoria seemed to steel herself.
“Let’s do this.” Flynn took Abby’s hand in his.
Holding him tight, she went to have a reunion with her mother.