Tell Me How This Ends by Jo Leevers

Author:Jo Leevers [Leevers, Jo]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Amazon: B0B1MGPDGB
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Published: 2023-04-30T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Two

ANNIE

When Annie walks into the café the next Saturday, she feels light-headed, as if she’s only half there. She has to stop a couple of times and hold on to a handrail to steady herself. She’s been thinking too hard, that’s the problem. Remembering too much.

There’s Henrietta at her usual table, with all her pens and papers lined up in a neat row, and it’s a relief to see her looking so organised and eager. She hopes Henrietta isn’t going to start playing detective again, firing off more bullet-pointed questions. She notices that something odd has happened to Henrietta’s hair – it’s almost doubled in size. Annie narrows her eyes. It needs a bit of taming, but it’s a move in the right direction. It’s got personality.

‘Are you feeling OK to continue, today?’ Henrietta asks. ‘Did you have something in mind to cover? Because if we have time, I thought I might share a memory too.’

‘It’s alright, Henrietta,’ Annie cuts in. ‘I know I look rough today. Bad night. And yes, I know we’re running out of time. But I do have something in mind, as it happens.’

She gives Mia a wave, lovely Mia dressed up all nicely today for Stefan, who was looking ever so smart himself on the minibus. He’s popped upstairs for an appointment with his physiotherapist, but she knows he’ll be back in the café soon enough, so he can see Mia. He doesn’t need reminding that life is short and it’s best to make the most of it, while you can. Unlike Henrietta, who, Annie fears, is letting life pass her by.

‘Henrietta, I need to tell you about Terry’s accident. It was a nasty, messy accident for a nasty man. I’m not sure it’s the sort of thing you usually put in these Life Story books, but it’s part of my story so it needs to be told. It’s up to you what you do with this information. I just want rid of it.’

Henrietta glances at the clock, then gives a quick nod. ‘Of course, Annie. It’s good to get things out.’ She presses her red button and says clearly for the microphone: ‘Annie Doyle, today is the fourth of December and this is session five of your Life Story.’

Annie looks down at her scribbled notes, but most of what she needs to say is in her head. In fact, it’s been in there far too long and today she needs to let go of it.

‘Me and Terry never had many holidays,’ she begins. ‘But a couple of years ago he surprised me, said he’d booked a static caravan for a week in Cornwall. I was so excited. I’d been to Cornwall as a child, you see. I told him the name of the village we’d been to, Porthawan, and asked if this caravan was anywhere near there. He gave a funny smile and said, “Might be, might not be.” I knew better than to ask again, but I was really hoping that it was, because I had happy memories of that place.

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