Dead and Gone by Sherryl Clark

Author:Sherryl Clark
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Oldcastle Books
Published: 2020-04-20T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

I forced myself to pick up the phone. ‘Hello?’ I croaked.

‘Is that Judi Westerholme?’ The voice wasn’t officious, it was soft and tentative.

‘Yes.’ I cleared my throat. ‘Yes, who’s this?’

‘It’s Geoff Donaldson.’ Pause. ‘Leigh’s father.’

‘Oh.’

‘I’m calling because, well, the mediation meeting is next Monday, and...’

‘Yes?’ I said stiffly. What did he want?

‘I don’t know why I’m calling, to be honest.’ He stopped talking and I could hear a woman in the background, then he said, ‘My wife didn’t want me to.’

‘So why...’

‘I wanted you to know we only want the best for Mia, and we know you’re doing a great job of looking after her.’

‘I am.’ Most of the time.

‘But we’re her grandparents, and now we’ve lost Leigh...’ The woman in the background sounded angry, like a buzzing bee.

‘You want to replace her.’

‘No. Not really. Maybe a little.’ His breathing was heavy. ‘We just don’t want to lose her completely, and if you...’

‘If I what?’ I hated how flat and rude I sounded, but it was like I had no control of the words coming out of my mouth. I tried to loosen my death grip on the phone.

‘If you refuse... never mind. I can see this was a bad idea. Thanks for your time. Goodnight.’

He hung up in my ear, and a second later I slammed the phone down so hard the cat jumped. Bad idea was the bloody understatement of the year. How dare he call me out of nowhere like that? How did he even get my phone number?

On the internet, of course.

My whole body was shaking. What was the matter with me? Maybe it was colder in here than I realised. I poured more wine, wrapped a blanket around myself and sat back on the couch, soothing the cat with a few trembling pats, but it sensed my upset and moved to the other end. I drank some wine, but my heart was still pounding and I couldn’t sit still. I went into Mia’s room and sat in the old story-reading armchair I’d put in there. Her nightlight cast a soft pink and purple glow around the room and I leaned forward, watching as she stirred and threw one arm out from under the duvet.

Her green stuffed frog sat on her pillow, and her old one-eyed teddy bear was tucked up with her. Other stuffed toys leaned against the wall, their beady eyes on me. She had been so unexpected, so instantly precious, and so easily lost by me, the one who was supposed to take care of her. That was in the past now. But she was also proof that my brother had found a way to move on from our childhood and teen years with our dead-hearted parents. Mia had created the cracks in his armour that let out the hate and bitterness and let in love and caring.

I’d been so determined that wouldn’t happen to me, that I’d do my very best to take care of her and honour Andy’s memory, but I’d keep my guard up all the same.

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