Bridie took a swipe at him. ‘It’s a wonder I still have a mind at all, married to you!’
Rachel and Anna exchanged smiles as they listened to their parents’ affectionate bickering.
‘I’m so glad we came.’ Rachel settled in against her mother’s ample figure.
Bridie patted her face. ‘And we’re happy to have you, love.’
The pretty one-bedroom apartment was like every other Spanish apartment Jill had stayed in, with the exception of the view. ‘Wow!’ She stood on the balcony drinking in the scene. ‘This is incredible.’ Though the complex was close to the heart of Benalmadena, it was set out on a headland and all you could see for miles was sea and sand.
‘It is nice here, isn’t it?’ Bridie sighed happily. ‘If we were going to settle anywhere I think this might be the place.’
Anna looked at her in surprise. ‘After all the places you’ve been? I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s very nice but isn’t it a bit commercial?’
‘It’s rather like home,’ her father told her, coming out to join them. ‘There are a lot of Irish and English people living out here, it’s cheap, the food is good and look at this weather! Your mother hasn’t complained once of her back since we got here.’
‘Really, Mam?’ Rachel asked.
Bridie nodded. ‘It’s the first time in years that I’ve had some relief from the arthritis.’
‘The swimming helps,’ Shay added.
‘It does,’ Bridie agreed. ‘I swim in the pool every morning without fail.’
‘I would too if I had a pool like that.’ Jill eyed the kidney-shaped pool with the waterfall at one end and hot tub at the other. There was a plentiful supply of sunbeds and brightly coloured parasols, and a white-coated waiter weaved his way between the tourists, bringing drinks, ice-cream and fresh towels.
‘This place must be costing you a fortune,’ Rachel remarked.
Her father grinned. ‘We booked it in a travel agent in France a couple of days before we came out and got it for half-price.’
‘So what would you like to do first?’ Bridie asked as she served up tea, coffee and fresh croissants and cakes. ‘You can have a slice of wholemeal toast,’ she told her husband.
‘I’d be quite happy to just lie by the pool,’ Rachel admitted.
‘I think that’s a good idea,’ Jill agreed. ‘And then when it gets too hot we could go and see the sights.’
‘All the shops will be closed from twelve till about four,’ Shay warned.
‘We can go to Kitty’s for lunch,’ Bridie announced. ‘You’ll love it, girls and you’ll get to meet all the locals. Well, the ex-pat locals anyway. Everyone’s very friendly.’
‘Sounds good,’ Anna said, ‘although I’d like to go into Marbella at some stage.’
‘Do Marbella at night,’ her mother advised. ‘There are wonderful shops, great restaurants and everyone dresses up just to parade up and down looking at each other.’
Anna nodded. ‘I know, Mam, I have been here before, remember?’
‘Oh, that’s right! I’d forgotten. That was your first holiday with Liam, wasn’t it?’
‘Yeah,’ Anna murmured, regretting she’d brought the subject up.
‘How is he, love?’ Shay asked.
‘Oh, he’s okay.’
‘Pity he couldn’t come down with you.’ Bridie had a soft spot for her first son-in-law.
‘He has an interview this week.’
‘Oh, that’s great, love! We’ll go down to the church and light a candle for him. And how’s Gary and young Alex, Rachel?’
‘Fine, though I’m not sure how they’ll survive on their own.’
Shay laughed. ‘Ah, once they’ve a good chipper and video shop near them, they’ll be grand.’
‘Probably,’ Rachel agreed.
‘They’ll be counting the days till your return,’ her mother assured her. ‘There’s a great shoe shop up the road I must take you to, love. They have a wonderful range for kids.’
‘That would be great, Mam. The ones you sent him are already scuffed.’
‘Are there any decent beauty salons around, Bridie?’ Jill asked. ‘I’d love to have a pedicure and a manicure while I’m here.’
‘There’s one here in the complex, they do a lovely facial.’
‘You went for a facial?’ Anna raised an eyebrow at her sister. The most their mother had ever indulged in at home was a shampoo and set.
Bridie reddened. ‘It was Patricia’s idea. I went along for the laugh but I must say it was very relaxing.’
‘I told her she should go back for a massage,’ Shay chipped in. ‘Keep those aches and pains at bay.’
‘We should all go,’ Jill announced. ‘This is supposed to be a holiday. We deserve some pampering.’
‘I don’t think so,’ Rachel looked down at her bump. ‘Even if I managed to climb on to a table, I doubt I’d get back down again.’
‘Maria has a lovely comfortable reclining chair,’ her mother said. ‘That’s what she uses for doing reflexology and pedicures. I’m sure she could do a facial for you in that.’
Rachel brightened immediately. ‘Ooh, reflexology! I’ve always wanted to try that.’
‘I tried that in Powerscourt Springs,’ Jill told her. ‘It was cool.’
‘Well, I’m up for anything,’ Anna said. She couldn’t really afford to be indulging in such pampering but she didn’t give a damn any more and she certainly didn’t have to worry about saving for a baby now. ‘I think I’ll go and unpack.’
‘I’ve cleared out the wardrobes for you,’ Bridie said, following her out to where their cases lined the hallway. ‘Do you think Jill will mind sleeping on the cot-bed in the living room?’ she whispered to her eldest daughter.
‘I’ll take the cot-bed,’ Anna told her. ‘Jill can go in with Rachel.’
‘Whatever you want, love. There’s a small closet behind the door you could use if you don’t want to traipse back and forward to the bedroom.’
‘That’s grand.’
Bridie hugged her. ‘It’s so good to have you here, love.’
Anna held her mother close and breathed in the familiar perfume. ‘It’s good to be here, Mam.’
Rachel lay dozing in the shade of a palm tree while Anna, Jill and Bridie stretched out by the pool and chatted. ‘Where’s Dad gone?’ Anna asked as she rubbed cream into her mother’s shoulders.
‘He’s gone for his daily constitutional and his sneaky beer.’
Jill laughed. ‘Does he know you know?’
‘Thanks, love.’ As Anna finished, Bridie settled down on her tummy. ‘No, he thinks he’s fooling me but sure you’ve got to let them have their little vices.’
‘How is he doing, Mam?’ Anna asked, stretching out on the sunbed between her mother and her cousin.
‘He’s fine. We’ve found a lovely doctor just up the road and he’s keeping an eye on him.’
‘Any more pain?’ Jill asked.
‘No, unless he eats anything fatty, then he pays for it.’
‘He seems fed up with the diet,’ Anna remarked.
‘Not at all, he just enjoys moaning. We get lovely fish out here and he likes that, and he can still have his spuds, as long as they’re boiled. It’s just the fry-ups that he misses. Sometimes I grill him a little bit of bacon,’ Bridie admitted, ‘because, as my mam always said, “a little of what you fancy does you good”.’
‘Well, I think he looks great. You both do,’ Jill said. ‘This Romany life must be agreeing with you.’
‘It’s been wonderful,’ Bridie admitted. ‘We’re closer now than we’ve been in years. You know what we used to be like, Anna. Propped up in front of the telly every night, hardly saying a word to each other. Selling up was the best thing we could have done and has given us a whole new lease of life.’
‘What made you do it?’ Jill asked her aunt curiously. ‘It was very spur of the moment. My mother thought you’d both lost your reason.’
Bridie laug
hed. One night since then, after a couple of sherries, her sister had admitted to her that she had been a little bit envious. ‘It all came about when the car-insurance renewal arrived.’
Anna propped herself up on her elbow and took off her shades. ‘What do you mean?’
‘Well, your father was giving out about all the bills coming in and how were we going to manage on just our pensions. Then the car-insurance renewal came in and he said that maybe we should just sell the car because it wasn’t as if we ever went anywhere.’
‘You came to see me and Rachel and you went on holidays every year.’
‘Malahide, Courtown and Tramore.’ Bridie ticked them off on her fingers. ‘Yes, we lived in the fast lane, didn’t we? So we decided it was high time we made the most of the life we had left together. And after the scare he gave me last week, I’m more convinced than ever that we did the right thing.’
‘I’m glad, Mam, but it was awful getting that phone call from you and knowing that we couldn’t just hop in a car and come and see you both.’
‘Yes, I do realize that.’ Bridie took Anna’s hand. ‘And there are times when I miss you both terribly, but I still think it was the right thing to do. And flights are so cheap now you can come and visit us any time you like. Rachel will be able to send Alex out to us when he gets a bit older. Think of what a wonderful experience that will be for him!’
‘Are you planning to continue to travel?’ Jill asked. ‘Or are you going to settle somewhere?’
Bridie shrugged. ‘Well, we can’t travel for ever.’
‘Would you come home?’ Anna looked at her hopefully.
Bridie met her daughter’s eyes. ‘Honestly, love? No, I don’t think so.’ She gazed out at the twinkling blue water, dotted with swimmers and windsurfers. ‘Why would we?’
Anna sat up, swung her legs off the sunbed and shoved her feet into her sandals. ‘I’m going to get a drink, do you want anything?’
‘No, thanks,’ Jill said.
‘No, thanks, love.’ Bridie sighed as her daughter stalked off. ‘I don’t think I said what she wanted to hear.’
‘Don’t worry about it,’ Jill consoled her aunt. ‘She just got a bit of a fright when Shay got sick – they both did.’
Bridie nodded. ‘So did I. I always thought he’d go on for ever. He’s always been so healthy, so strong. But he won’t. Neither of us will.’
‘Oh, I think there’s plenty of life left in you yet.’
‘There’s a bit, love, and I plan to make the most of it. Is that so wrong?’
Jill patted her hand. ‘No, of course it isn’t.’
Chapter 23
‘Have you bought me any presents, Mum?’ Alex asked when Gary put him on.
‘I’m fine, thanks, Alex, how are you?’
‘Uh, sorry, Mum. Are you having a nice time?’
‘Lovely.’
‘And have you got me anything?’
‘Alex!’
Rachel smiled as she heard Gary’s voice. ‘I might have. Are you being good for Daddy?’
‘Yes. Mum, there’s this new beyblade . . .’
‘Alex!’
‘I’m just telling her about it!’ Alex protested.
‘Say goodbye to Mummy.’
‘Bye, Mummy.’
‘Bye, sweetheart, I miss you.’
‘Materialistic little sod, isn’t he?’ Gary said after Alex had handed over the phone.
‘Nice to know he’s missing me.’
‘He is,’ Gary assured her. ‘He’s quite clingy and it takes a lot longer to get him asleep.’
‘Is he waking during the night at all?’
‘No, he’s slept straight through every night.’
Typical, Rachel thought. ‘That’s good.’
‘How are you? Are you sleeping any better?’
Rachel was warmed by the concern in his voice. ‘Not really, but I’m having a siesta every day which is nice.’
‘Good, I’m glad. How’s your dad doing?’
‘Not a bother on him and he looks great.’
‘Alex is screaming for his dinner, I’d better go.’
‘Make sure that he eats some vegetables.’
‘I will.’
‘And cut any fat or gristle off the meat or he won’t eat it.’
‘Will do.’
‘And—’
‘Rachel!’
‘Okay, okay. Bye.’
‘Bye, sweetheart, take care of yourself.’
‘I will, Gary, I promise.’
Rachel switched off her mobile phone and went back into Kitty’s Café where her family were sitting relaxing after a late lunch.
‘How’s Alex?’ her mother asked, patting the seat next to her.
‘Doing fine.’ Rachel sat down heavily, fanning her face.
‘Are you all right, love?’ Bridie asked with a worried frown.
‘Just finding it a bit warm today.’ She was feeling hot and sweaty, and being around her sister and cousin didn’t help. Anna was looking cool and sexy in a black mini-dress and Jill – sitting up at the bar deep in conversation with Kitty – was looking equally gorgeous in a flamboyant red sarong. In her white, drawstring trousers and multi-coloured top, Rachel felt like an oversized clown. And with her flushed face and swollen ankles she knew that she was looking her worst.
‘Would you like to go back and have a lie-down, love?’ her father asked.
‘Yes, I think I will,’ she agreed.
‘I’ll walk with you.’ He stood up and pulled her to her feet. ‘You girls stay here and have a chat.’
‘Are you sure?’ Bridie looked at Rachel.
‘Yes, really, Mam. You stay here and enjoy yourself. I’ll be fine once I’ve had my siesta.’
‘We’ll pick you up in a couple of hours for your pedicure,’ Anna said, settling back with her glass of wine.
‘Okay, see you later.’
‘Am I going too fast for you, love?’ Shay asked.
‘Dad, I’m pregnant not sick,’ Rachel protested, laughing.
‘Sorry, love, it’s just your feet look so sore.’
Rachel sighed. Her ankles had swollen up even more since they’d got here and she had been reduced to wearing a pair of her mother’s flat sandals. ‘They look worse than they feel. What about you, Dad, how are you?’
‘Ah, sure I’m grand, love.’
‘You gave us an awful fright, you know. I know this diet lark is a bit of a pain but please try and stick to it. Not just because of the ulcer. Carrying all of that extra weight isn’t doing your heart any good either and you’re not getting any younger.’
‘Dear God, are you trying to cheer me up or what?’
‘I’m serious, Dad. You need to take care of yourself and Mam too.’
‘Well, to be honest, love, that’s the main reason I’m going along with this bloody diet. She’s keeping to it as well and with her blood pressure and cholesterol, the doctor says it’s important that she loses weight and cuts down on her fat intake.’
Rachel stopped in her tracks. ‘Mam has problems with her cholesterol and blood pressure? I didn’t know that.’
Shay groaned. ‘Oh, now don’t say that I told you or she’ll murder me.’
‘But how long has she known? Was it before you left Ireland?’
Shay nodded, as he propelled his daughter on towards the apartment complex. ‘Yes, it was. And before you have a go, Dr Mulvany gave us his blessing when we told him we were leaving. He said the Mediterranean weather and diet would do us both the world of good.’
‘That’s all well and good, but who is there here to look after you if you get sick?’
‘That’s what health insurance is for, Rachel. I would never expect you or Anna to look after us, no matter what happened.’
‘Oh Dad, you know that we’d want to!’
‘Well, we’re not going to need looking after so enough of this depressing talk. I’m going to get skinny and fit so that I can bounce this new little lad on my knee.’
Rachel smiled. ‘Who says it’s a boy?’
‘Do you know?’
She shook her head.
‘I suppose every woman wants a little girl.’
‘I don’t care, once it’s healthy, but a boy might be safer. I’ve a feeling Gary would spoil a girl and make Alex green with jealousy.’
‘Gary must be delighted, is he?’
‘Yeah, he’s pretty chuffed.’
‘And what about you?’
Rachel looked up to see her father studying her carefully. ‘What do you mean?’
‘I’m not as green as I’m cabbage-looking, love. You’re not yourself at the moment. Is it just the pregnancy or is there something else?’
‘I’m fine, don’t worry.’
‘I’ll always worry – you’re still my little girl. You can always come to me, you know that?’
‘Yes, Dad, but it’s not that easy with you all the way out here,’ Rachel pointed out.
He stopped and turned her to face him. ‘If you needed me I’d be there in a heartbeat. I swear it.’
Rachel stepped into his hug. ‘I know, Dad, I know.’
Jill’s mobile rang again and she ignored it.
‘Is that work bothering you again?’ Anna asked.
‘Yeah, but they can get lost,’ Jill said, switching it off.
‘You’re quite right, love,’ Bridie said. ‘You’re entitled to your holiday. Those bloody mobile phones are a curse.’
‘Although you’re getting one,’ Anna told her. ‘Think how much easier it would have been if you’d had one last week when Dad got sick.’
‘I didn’t need it at all,’ her mother argued. ‘I called for an ambulance from the phone on the campsite and it came.’
‘But look at the hassle you had, keeping in touch with us.’ Anna shot her cousin a look of total frustration.
‘I’m sorry I called you at all now. There was no need to worry you both. What could you do from Ireland other than worry?’
‘Mam! You can’t keep something like that from us! Promise me now that you’ll always call us if anything happens.’
Bridie rolled her eyes. ‘Oh, for heaven’s sake, Anna, stop fussing. We’re not children. We’re more than capable of looking after ourselves.’
Deciding that mother and daughter needed some time to themselves, Jill stood up. ‘I think I’ll head back to the apartment. I’d like to have a shower before my massage.’
Changing Places Page 19
