The Perfect Village by J.M. Hewitt

Author:J.M. Hewitt [Hewitt, J.M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-04-15T00:00:00+00:00

22

VIVACIA – BEFORE

The summer stretched on and on, day after day of endless blue skies. Alex and Elizabeth thrived in Vivacia’s care. Cally was still gone; Jackie had turned from worried to sullen, staying inside her house but always standing by the window, her head turned down the lane. Vivacia imagined the scene: Cally staggering along the road, hair in disarray, cigarette clamped between her lips, worse for wear but nothing that a good post-bender sleep wouldn’t fix. Jackie would be angry, but underneath it, the maternal relief would be palpable.

Vivacia took to watching too, mirroring Jackie’s stance at the front window, while the babies slept behind her. When she kept this strange sentry duty, she felt Jackie’s eyes on her.

The developers came and went, even though there were still people who refused to sign, the meetings went on, the minutes emailed out. Vivacia ignored her inbox. She didn’t care what they did with her front garden. All she cared about were the babies.

‘I heard she’s in Italy,’ said Serafina Bastille one day, in a hushed whisper.

Serafina no longer wore her headscarf. Her hair had grown back. She kept it short. My little pixie, said Mr Bastille, while Serafina blushed and smiled.

Mr Bastille was up earlier and earlier every day. He had stopped spending all night on his porch, surrounded by empty whisky bottles and beer cans.

They’d mended, Vivacia realised. Serafina’s cancer was gone for now. They had a second chance, and they were grateful. It was evident in Serafina’s smile, and Mr Bastille’s new kind and gentle personality.

‘Who is in Italy?’ asked Vivacia.

‘Cally,’ Serafina replied. ‘That’s what your Charles heard, anyway.’

If that was the case, why were Kay and Stephanie still heading out every day in Kay’s old car? She watched them drive, knowing that it wasn’t really a search for the girl who had moved away, but rather a small adventure to fill their days. Thelma and Louise, Kay had said, elbowing Stephanie in her side.

They giggled like schoolgirls while Vivacia watched on. Sometimes, Vivacia felt like the only responsible one in her family.

They asked her to come along on their drives, sweetening the deal with promises of pub lunches in the countryside. Vivacia declined – there was no way she was putting Alex and Elizabeth in that vintage old car with Kay behind the wheel.

There had been no more boozy afternoons at Vivacia’s, not after the last one. Vivacia was summoned over to their home now, and Charles was never mentioned in these invitations.

Privately, Vivacia wondered if Stephanie was steering Kay clear of Charles.

She smiled ruefully. Maybe Stephanie wasn’t as irresponsible as she thought.

‘Are you selling up your land?’ Serafina changed the subject with a shrug.

Vivacia, lost in Elizabeth who had just started smiling, looked up at the older woman. ‘I don’t know.’ She offered a shrug of her own. ‘I don’t think I mind, either way.’

Serafina’s face broke into a smile. ‘You’ve got more important things to think about.’ She took baby Alex’s hand and grinned even wider as his fingers wrapped around hers.

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