The Beforelife of Eliza Valentine by Laura Pearson

Author:Laura Pearson [Pearson, Laura]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Published: 2024-09-20T00:00:00+00:00

16

MAY 2023

She told Anthony the next day. She didn’t leave him hanging, and I admired her for that. Lucy was furious.

‘It’s the most ridiculous decision,’ she said. ‘Why would anyone give up someone who cares about her and treats her well to be with someone like him?’

I said nothing. It was obvious, wasn’t it? It was what Ryan had said, about being Samuel’s dad and about being there. Anthony was going places. Not just the years in Bristol for university. He wasn’t likely to stay in their town and Becca knew it. When she’d made the decision to keep Samuel, Becca had tied herself to a certain kind of life with a certain kind of man. Or at least, she felt she had. And I was inclined to agree.

She met Anthony for a coffee in town, told him she was moving back in with Ryan. He screwed up his face in a way that reminded me so much of Lucy, I almost laughed out loud.

‘Why?’ he asked. ‘I really thought things were going well for us, and Ryan, well, he’s…’

What was he? It was clear that Anthony didn’t know how to finish that sentence, at least in a way that would be polite.

‘He’s Sammy’s dad,’ Becca said. ‘That’s the bottom line.’

Anthony nodded, then. There was no arguing with that. And perhaps he’d been starting to wonder how it was going to work, too. His big plans weren’t going away, and neither was her son. Their lives weren’t compatible.

‘And it’s not just that. We’re living totally different lives, and liking each other isn’t going to be enough, in the end. You should be enjoying your time in Bristol, not coming home to see me every weekend. And I think Sophie has a thing for you.’

Anthony shook his head, started to protest.

‘I’m not saying anything’s been going on, just that it might, in the future. She’s much more your kind of girl.’

Lucy shouted, ‘Tell her she’s your kind of girl!’ But he didn’t. He didn’t say anything else about it. He just drained his coffee cup and stood up, and he left. And a couple of minutes later, Becca pushed the buggy out onto the street, struggling a little to keep both doors open at the same time to allow for the width of it. And it felt like a metaphor for her life.

When Becca told her dad she was moving back in with Ryan, he let out a long sigh.

‘Are you sure?’ he asked her. ‘What’s changed?’

‘He’s going to try,’ Becca said. ‘That’s all anyone can do, really, isn’t it?’

‘You know you’ll always have a home here, if you need it.’

Becca looked as if she was about to speak again, and I thought she was probably going to say that she didn’t need it, wouldn’t. That things were going to work out for them this time. But then she didn’t say anything, so perhaps she wasn’t that sure of herself, after all.

She went upstairs to her room after that conversation, and she cried.

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