Page 62 of The Inn on Bluebell Lane
“Jess?”
“Are you all right, Granny?”
“Yes, just tired.” Gwen managed a smile. “What are you up to?”
Jess shrugged, her gaze sliding away. “Oh, nothing.”
“Nothing?” Gwen straightened, wincing at the pain in her joints. Goodness, but she felt old. “What kind of nothing?” she asked lightly, because it was clear, even in her rather befuddled state, that something was going on with her granddaughter. She was twisting a strand of hair around one finger as she nibbled her lip nervously.
“Mom and Dad are talking in the kitchen and I don’t want to disturb them,” she said after a moment, and Gwen smiled sympathetically.
“They’ve got a lot on their plate. I don’t think I’m helping matters very much.”
Jess just shrugged, and Gwen tried again.
“How are things with Chloe?”
For a second, something flickered across Jess’s face; it looked like an odd mix of guilt and excitement. “She’s pretty good,” Jess answered. “We’re messaging again, actually.”
“That’s good.” Gwen smiled. “Friends go through ups and downs, don’t they?”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
A wave of fatigue crashed over Gwen, threatening to pull her under. She leaned her head back against the chair. “Perhaps Chloe can visit here one day,” she suggested. “That would be fun, wouldn’t it? You could show her all the sights.”
Jess gulped. “Yeah… maybe. Or… or I could go see her.”
Gwen’s eyes fluttered closed as Jess darted across the room. When she opened them again, her granddaughter had gone, but Gwen had the unsettling sensation of having missed something important, although she had no idea what it was.
Gwen didn’t know how long it was that she drifted into a doze; at some point, Josh came in to tell her it was time for supper, and Gwen stirred enough to say she wasn’t that hungry, and she’d eat later. She heard the comforting sound of chatter and the clink of dishes from the kitchen, the occasional burst of laughter. The dark cloud that had been hovering over the house seemed to have moved on, or at least she hoped it had. When she woke up, things would be better. She’d remember to ring Sarah…
When she stirred again, it was already dark, the sitting room full of shadows, and someone was sitting across from her. For a disorientating second, Gwen thought it was David; even though he’d been gone for twenty years, she could remember the way he sat, his head braced by his hand and cocked to the right. An incredulous smile started to spread across her face when she heard her son’s voice.
“Mum?” Matthew asked and straightened, dropping his hand. “Are you awake?”
“Goodness, do you know, for a moment I thought you were your father.” Gwen let out a little laugh, and then she laughed again when she saw the alarmed expression on her son’s face. “Don’t worry, Matthew, I’m not losing the plot yet. It was just the way you were sitting, with your head in your hand—just the way your dad used to sit.” Gwen let out a long, sorrowful sigh.
She didn’t indulge in grief too often, but in her vulnerable state, she missed her husband more than ever. If he’d been here, he would have taken her to her chemo treatments, he would have sat with her and done the crossword with her; he would have brought her weak tea with just a splash of milk, the way she liked it. He would have charmed the nurses and told silly jokes and kept her smiling—and when she wanted quiet, he would have known instinctively to keep his mouth shut.
She missed him so much, more now than she had in years.
“Mum, are you okay?” Matthew asked.
“Yes, just feeling a bit sentimental, I suppose.” Self-consciously, Gwen dabbed at her eyes. “It does happen once in a while, you know. Is everything okay? Ellie seemed a bit bothered earlier. I think she has too many demands on her, and I know I’m one of them.”
“You’re not, Mum, and I know Ellie’s busy. We’re sorting things out.”
“Are you?” Gwen asked, unable to keep from sounding skeptical.
Matthew gave her the ghost of a smile. “Yes, actually, we are. We’ve been chatting through the plans for the B&B. She told you about those?”
“Yes, and I thought they sounded wonderful.”
“Well, so do I,” Matthew told her firmly. “It took me a little while to warm to it, but I have and now I’m completely on board.” He paused. “With everything. I know I haven’t made things easy for Ellie lately, and I’m still laid up with this arm, but I am trying now. Properly. Thanks to you.”
“Oh, Matthew…” Gwen smiled at him gratefully, finding herself near tears. Goodness, but cancer, or maybe the chemo, was making her emotional! “I’m so very glad to hear that.”
“I know you are. Thanks, Mum, for helping to sort me out. I needed a talking-to, I know I did.”