a good day yesterday, insanely busy with her work, making a start on the sign for Daniel’s business after he’d been to see her the day before, and the last thing she needed today was this. But apparently Maud had asked to see them both, citing this Christmas as the one likely to be her last. And Lucy couldn’t be angry with her – Maud was too nice for that. It wasn’t her fault her grandson had so many issues that put him firmly on the naughty list as far as Lucy was concerned.
‘I’m sure it won’t be her last Christmas,’ said Lucy when she met Julian in the car park. The woman had survived two heart attacks as well as what Maud fondly told them was a baker’s dozen of minor medical procedures, including having her tonsils taken out, an appendectomy and the extraction of bothersome wisdom teeth.
He pecked her on the cheek, an unnecessary gesture she wished he’d lose. ‘She’s almost ninety-one and you know what her health is like.’ He looked worried, but he always was concerned about his gran’s deteriorating health and memory. She still seemed bright enough to Lucy but she didn’t disagree with him. Perhaps he was right, or maybe he was letting his imagination get the better of him. He was good at doing that.
They went through to the communal room, where Maud was holding court with a couple of women her age – but she shooed them away when Julian and Lucy came in. Julian had a hand in the small of Lucy’s back, another mannerism she wanted to do away with but she couldn’t very well swish him away now, could she?
‘How are you, Maud?’ Lucy leaned in and kissed her on the cheek and, as she usually did, Maud clasped Lucy’s hand in her own. Lucy immediately felt guilt set in at any resentment she’d had over coming here.
They did the usual – talking about the high winds of a few days ago, the tree that had come down in the Cove that the council had taken away quickly, Maud told them the lightning had lit up her bedroom and she’d kept her curtains open to watch. They talked about Christmas, family. Lucy let Maud and Julian talk politics for a while, and after a cup of tea and an obligatory piece of shortbread, they were on their way.
‘That wasn’t so bad, was it?’ Julian asked as they cut through the lobby on their way outside.
‘Of course it isn’t bad, Julian, but we can’t keep up the pretence forever. You know that.’ He didn’t even nod, merely looked at her. ‘We need to tell her, in the new year. I can still come and see her – I’d quite like to on the odd occasion – but what we’re doing is lying. And you know I have no tolerance for that.’
Julian had always had a look about him. An innocent, boyish look with his blond hair and dimpled cheeks. Looking at him now, dressed in a blue-shaded checked shirt and chinos, she saw the semblance of an honest man who rarely put a foot wrong. Maybe it was because he believed he never did. And that had been the problem all along.
He sucked in his lips as though he might be biting down on them as they crossed the car park. ‘I’m not doing anything for the rest of the day, we could head to the pub for Sunday lunch if you like.’ And just like that he dismissed what she was saying.
‘I need to go home.’ She found her keys.
‘Come on, you always liked the roast dinners at the pub.’
She spun around before she could get into her jeep. ‘We agreed to keep up the pretence for Maud, Julian – other than that our lives are separate now. And besides, I’ve got to get back. I’m working.’
‘It’s Sunday.’
‘And I run my own business, I’ve got lots on before Christmas.’
‘Right then.’
‘And, Julian,’ she said as her parting shot, ‘think about what I said. We’ll tell your gran in the new year. We’ve been doing this long enough.’ And she got into her jeep without giving him a chance to reply.
Her flat was a comfort despite its faults and she got home to the welcoming scent of the tree that stood in the window in all its splendour now it was decorated. She’d had soft white fairy lights on standby for months, ornaments hovering in boxes ready for their big reveal