A Month in Provence by Gillian Harvey

Author:Gillian Harvey [Harvey, Gillian]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Published: 2023-07-10T23:00:00+00:00

18

The following day, when she’d called Amy as usual at nine o’clock, she’d been worried when her daughter didn’t answer. So, an hour later, she was relieved to hear the click on the line followed by a sleepy ‘Hello?’ when she tried again.

‘Are you OK?’ she said. ‘You didn’t pick up earlier.’

‘Yeah, just up to my neck in washing. Then ended up dozing on the sofa with Rose,’ Amy said. ‘Just woke up when the phone rang.’

‘Well, glad you’re OK. You’re not ill or anything?’

‘No! Not at all. Feeling much more capable today. Been talking to some of the girls from the baby classes and have been thoroughly reassured that we all feel like we’re drowning most of the time. So far, so normal. Anyway, today it’s just usual mummy tiredness. I’m told it ends in about… eighteen years,’ her daughter joked.

‘Hopefully sooner,’ Nicky said. ‘But yes, I remember those days well!’

‘Anyway, how are you, Mum?’

‘I’m good! How’s my granddaughter?’

‘Yeah. Same as yesterday. Pretty good. If a little sticky.’

‘Glad to hear it.’ Nicky laughed, imagining Rose’s little face as she’d looked last time she’d dropped in before her flight. The little girl's face had been covered with strawberry juice - her skin stained pink. Nicky longed now to hold her granddaughter’s fat little body in her arms and hoped she wouldn’t have changed too much by the time her French adventure finished. The odd moment when she’d managed to FaceTime Amy, her daughter had tried to hold Rose up to the camera, but she’d wriggled and squirmed. For now, she had to make do with pictures Amy sent her, and already she could see the little girl emerging from the sweet baby, time moving quickly on as it always did.

‘So, did you get everything done yesterday?’ Amy asked. ‘You said you were going around the town to schmooze business owners?’

‘Yes, it went really well, thank you. Oh, and Roussillon is beautiful.’

‘Hang on, you’ve been there for – what – three weeks and you’ve only just noticed?’ Amy laughed. ‘What have you been doing?’

‘I know. I mean I’ve been out and about a bit. But this was my first proper walk around it. It’s all been a bit… hectic really.’

‘I can imagine.’

The conversation took its usual course; they talked about their plans for the day. Nicky listened to her daughter and tried to read between the lines, make sure everything really was OK with her. She missed popping in after work, or coming to help out at the weekend and hoped her absence wasn’t taking its toll on her daughter. But Amy seemed fine; chatting about mums’ groups and the takeaway she’d been treated to the evening before.

‘By the way, have you heard from Chloe?’ Nicky asked as the conversation drew to a close. ‘I’ve sent her a few emails and text messages, but she’s barely responded.’ Nicky’s younger daughter, Chloe, wasn’t the most reliable communicator, but it was unusual for so many missives to go unanswered. It was daft, really, asking Amy.

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