Practice Makes Perfect

by Penny Parkes

  ‘On the other hand,’ Julia said with a genuine smile, ‘he may have a point. You are looking particularly lovely today, Grace. It can’t just be all the yoga, can it?’

  Grace beamed, a compliment from Julia meaning so much more, for being such a rare beast. ‘A little bit yoga, a little bit freedom, a little bit shopping.’ She tugged at her lengthy plait, which hung neatly over her shoulder. ‘I’m thinking that this might have to go, though – it’s really getting in the way of my headstands.’

  Julia blinked – the very idea of planning one’s hairstyle around such practical considerations being virtually alien to her. ‘You wouldn’t cut off all your beautiful hair just for that?’ she clarified.

  Grace twiddled the offending plait around her fingers. ‘If I hate it short, it’ll grow back,’ she said calmly. ‘And it’s not like I need to please anyone else these days. It’s actually rather liberating,’ she confided. ‘With Roy gone and the boys finally off at college, I only have to think about me, myself and I – and it turns out we’re all remarkably easy-going. Nobody telling me not to wear jeans, nobody needing a three-course meal every evening, or insisting I’ll look like a boy with short hair . . .’

  Julia watched the animation on her face as she spelled out all the little ways in which her marriage had limited her true self, rather than supported and encouraged her. It was the best advert that Julia had heard in a long time for staying single.

  ‘Of course, it’s not like that for you, is it?’ Grace carried on. ‘I can’t imagine Dan ever trying to clip your wings. Or bemoaning having breakfast cereal for supper.’

  Julia said nothing. She had no idea what to say. Watching the enthusiasm on Grace’s face as she talked about rediscovering all her old passions and interests left her feeling lost. Before Dan, there had been work. And her mother. And anxiety. And work.

  Being with Dan had given Julia all the liberation she needed. She just couldn’t work out why that still didn’t seem to be enough.

  Sitting side by side with Grace, she let her chatter on about how the nomination was going to affect them all. Only half of her was listening, though; the other half was tentatively exploring the idea of a fresh start in London and her own primetime TV show. It was only when she realised that Dan starred in both scenarios that she realised that, in this case, fantasy and reality were unlikely to overlap and some incredibly difficult choices lay ahead.

  Grace slid down off the wall and waited for Julia. ‘Come on then, Dr Channing. Let’s go back inside and crack on. Your patients will be starting a mutiny in a minute and I’ve an essay due on the parameters and opportunities for social media in a public healthcare setting.’ She pulled a face. ‘Of course, it’s a load of pretentious twaddle, but if I want my shiny certificate . . .’

  Julia held back for a moment, unsure whether to ruin the moment by confessing that she had no idea what Grace was going on about. All this talk of coursework and essays had been billowing around The Practice for weeks. It was somewhat galling to Julia to realise that she had never once bothered to ask what it was actually all about.

  She looked up to find that Grace was standing in the doorway waiting. ‘Not long ’til home time,’ she said reassuringly. ‘And if you change your mind, we’ll be on the river bank from eight. Just wear something comfortable and I’ll bring a spare yoga mat just in case.’

  ‘Thank you,’ said Julia, not knowing what else to say. Somehow she didn’t think sticking her bum in the air al fresco was going to offer any solutions to her problems, no matter how much good it was obviously doing for Grace.

  Chapter 8

  Early the next morning, Holly blew furiously on the whistle and prayed that, on this occasion, Eric might surrender his squirrel obsession and come back to heel. What had started out as a family joke had now escalated to the point where Eric could not catch even a glimpse of a squirrel without throwing caution to the winds and giving chase. The twins would now scream ‘Squizzel!’ at the top of their voices upon the merest hint of a bushy tail, for fear of being pulled along at the end of Eric’s lead. Again.

  Holly sighed and pushed her hands deeper into her pockets. It may technically have been summer, but at this hour of the morning all the dog-walkers in Larkford Park were bundled up against the fresh, crisp chill. It was such a shame that Lizzie had bailed on their plans to walk together; it was probably the only time in the day when they could have an uninterrupted conversation. She blew on the whistle again and briefly considered giving chase, only the thought of making a complete prat of herself in front of everybody else in the park giving her pause. Somehow Lizzie managed to laugh off his appalling behaviour when she was in charge, but Holly found it harder to excuse. She was a play-it-by-the-rules girl at heart and found it excruciating whenever the twins or the dog went rogue, as was increasingly the case.

  She checked her watch and waved hello to the lovely couple from the fishmonger’s, with their beautiful Lhasa Apso trotting obediently at their heels. There was nothing for it – she was going to have to brave the shrubbery and pull the little tyke out.

  ‘Dr Graham? Holly?’ called a voice from behind her. ‘Are you looking for this young man?’

  Holly turned to see Alice Walker waving at her, her cheeks flushed pink and her hair tucked neatly behind her ears. She looked like a china doll, assuming you ignored the Doc Marten boots and super-skinny jeans, and indeed the rather tatty, oversized Aran jumper.

  She carried a ball thrower and Coco’s little on-duty jacket was looped over her shoulder. Coco herself was frolicking in an almost puppy-like manner with a very big, very dirty Labradoodle. A Labradoodle that was following her every move with his enormous brown eyes and occasionally bouncing on the spot like Tigger when she got too close. A Labradoodle that looked an awful lot like Eric.

  ‘Alice – you’re a life saver,’ said Holly with feeling as she jogged over towards her. ‘I was just weighing up whether to disown him completely or take to the shrubbery to flush him out.’ She smiled. ‘His passion for squirrels has taken a turn for the obsessive, I’m afraid,’ she said, by way of explanation.

  To her utter amazement, as she spoke, a large grey squirrel scampered past the two dogs and straight up an ancient horse chestnut tree, within yards of Eric’s quivering nose.

  Nothing. Niente.

  No reaction.

  Holly gaped attractively, before realising that she was looking a bit bonkers in front of her new colleague and slowly closed her mouth. ‘That,’ she said categorically, ‘has never happened before.’

  Taking a moment to watch the two dogs mucking about with Alice’s tennis ball, it was easy to see why. Apparently for dogs, tail beat, well, tail every time. Eric’s attention was utterly focused on the little chocolate spaniel and when Alice finally blew on the whistle to recall Coco, Eric meekly trotted along beside her, his nose inches from her ears at all times. When Coco sat, so did Eric. When Coco lay down, so did Eric.

  Alice turned to Holly in amazement. ‘I thought you said he wasn’t very well trained?’ She clicked her tongue and both dogs were immediately on their feet beside her.

  ‘He isn’t,’ said Holly. ‘He’s basically been a stroppy, hormonal teenager since he turned two.’

  Alice grinned. ‘Maybe he just needs to find a sense of purpose, like Coco? Maybe squirrel hunting wasn’t terribly fulfilling?’

  ‘Or,’ countered Holly, ‘maybe he just has a huge crush on Miss Coco?’

  They turned to look as Eric nudged his nose against her ears and Coco deliberately turned her back. The expression on his face was nothing short of plaintive, like when Taffy ate the crusts off the twins’ plates that had previously been destined for Eric’s enjoyment.

  ‘Oh dear – unrequited love at this time in the morning,’ sighed Alice. ‘I’m so sorry.’

  ‘Don’t apologise,’ said Holly. ‘It’s actually rather good for him to realise that he can’t get everything he wants. To be honest, I think we might all be spoiling him a bit – go
ing back and forth between mine and Lizzie’s, he has permanent novelty value.’

  Alice nodded. ‘It’s a bit like a weekend relationship for him. You know, when you never get to the boring, mundane stuff like who unloads the dishwasher or replaces the loo roll.’

  Holly raised an eyebrow but said nothing. There was a stillness and confidence in Alice Walker that gave her maturity and gravitas way beyond her years. It was impressive, to be sure, but it was also a little galling to realise that somebody significantly younger than you, might actually have more of their ducks in a row. This one innocent comment allowed Holly to breathe easier; this calm certainty that Alice carried around her, had actually been the one question mark in Holly’s mind. It was a delicate balancing act being a GP after all: self-assured enough to inspire confidence, but open enough to invite sharing and take on advice.

  There were enough strong personalities at The Practice already that Holly had been wary of inviting another one into their midst, whilst also acknowledging that anybody shy or self-effacing might simply sink without trace.

  They fell into step beside one another, heading back towards the centre of town, conversation flowing freely. It was both a blessing and a curse of the dog-walking community in Larkford that it was all too easy to over-share – bundled up in coats and scarves and walking alongside one another. This morning Holly had to keep reminding herself, that however chatty and lovely Alice was, in a little over an hour, Holly would essentially become her boss.

  Alice stopped suddenly. ‘Holly? Do you mind if I ask you a question – off the record, I mean?’ Both dogs sat neatly beside her and Holly began to wonder whether that ship had already sailed.

  ‘You’ve all been really open about this Model Surgery business and I can understand that it’s exciting to get recognition for doing your jobs so well, but . . .’ She frowned. ‘I guess what I’m trying to ask is why? Why add to your workload with all the extra admin and the extra scrutiny? What could you possibly gain from being under the spotlight, except loads of stress and a three-line press release in the Larkford Gazette?’

  Holly smiled, a tiny bit relieved that the question hadn’t been something more personal. She knew that the coupled-up nature of the partnership would be giving her reason to pause, if she were in Alice’s shoes. ‘Off the record? You’re right. It’s a blessing and a curse. We do, as you rightly say, have to jump through some administrative hoops. But on the other hand, there are quite a few perks that we believe will benefit our patients.’ Holly was trying to be tactful, but then she hadn’t picked the brightest candidate without realising that it would come with its own challenges.

  And Alice wasn’t prepared to let this one go. She shrugged. ‘I don’t see it.’

  Holly nodded, making the decision that Alice would probably find this out sooner rather than later anyway. ‘You, Alice. We get you. And we get funding for an extra three nursing clinics a week. So, in our minds, the trade-off is worth it.’

  Alice was silent for a moment, as though her counterargument had been swept away in the breeze. ‘Crikey,’ she said quietly after a moment. ‘No pressure, then.’

  Holly stepped a little closer, careful to maintain a certain professional distance. ‘We’re excited to have someone young, dynamic and switched-on joining our team. We think our patients will love you and quite frankly, we could do with the occasional day off.’ She aimed for a light, jokey tone, but could tell that Alice had taken news of this extra responsibility seriously.

  ‘I really hope I can deliver for you, Dr Graham. I’m so excited about this opportunity and I didn’t mean to sound like a nay-sayer before – I just wanted to get a clearer idea of the team’s motivations.’

  Holly grinned. ‘You mean, you wanted to know if we were all out for maximum media exposure and glory? I don’t blame you. And Alice – you haven’t expressed any doubts just now that I haven’t already thought a hundred times over.’

  ‘Sorry,’ Alice said.

  ‘Don’t be. I quite like that you’re already getting the lay of the land around here. Patients first, plaudits second. And somewhere in there, a social life if you have the time, the energy or the inclination.’

  By the time they reached the Market Place, Holly was more convinced than ever that she had made the right decision, which was just as well really. The alternative didn’t bear thinking about, since all the red tape had been neatly marshalled, and in record time, by the wonderful Grace. Talk about fast-tracking an application!

  ‘Good morning, good morning,’ called out Marion Waverly, bustling over to say hello. ‘I was just about to open up the shop and saw you both chattering away there. You looked like you were having a lovely gossip. I’m Marion. Are you a friend of Holly’s?’ The woman was an unstoppable barrage of words and Holly could see Alice struggling to keep up.

  ‘Marion, I’d like you to meet Dr Walker. Alice. She’s going to be joining us at The Practice, along with the lovely Coco, of course.’

  She noticed Marion’s eyes flicker down to Coco, who was now re-suited and booted in her assistance jacket. Holly knew that there was no better way of gently disseminating the presence of Coco at The Practice than by telling Marion – the Larkford Oracle. Nevertheless, she was intrigued to see that the wonderfully calm and capable Alice immediately tensed beside her, as though awaiting judgement.

  Marion smiled warmly. ‘Well, I won’t say hello to Coco just now, as I can see the little mite’s on duty, but I’ll gladly welcome you to the town.’ She reached out and shook Alice’s hand. ‘I’m sure the other doctors will just have to get over the fact that we’ll all come and see you now instead, just to visit with your gorgeous little spaniel there.’

  Alice’s eyes widened, as though this gushing welcome was so very far from what she’d been expecting that she was almost disbelieving. ‘We do love Julia Channing, obviously,’ blustered Marion, trying belatedly to involve a little tact, ‘but she’s not really a dog person is she? Shame that. But then with you and Holly here . . . well, two out of three ain’t bad.’

  ‘Meatloaf?’ Holly smiled, trying to place the lyrics out of context.

  Marion gave her a strange look. ‘Not at this time in the morning, Holly love. I’d rather have one of those croissants the Major likes.’ She gave a little shudder. ‘Meatloaf? For breakfast? Whatever next?’ With a waggle of her fingers, she was on her way, leaving Holly feeling a bit daft.

  ‘Don’t worry, Dr Graham. I got the reference,’ reassured Alice kindly. ‘And how lovely was she about Coco?’

  Holly smiled. ‘Do you know, Alice, I think you’re going to fit in here rather well.’

  ‘I just can’t see how she’s going to fit in here, that’s all,’ Julia was saying stubbornly, as Holly walked in to Dan’s office before morning surgery.

  ‘Well, it’s a bit late now,’ Dan responded tiredly. ‘All the paperwork’s been done and her references are spectacular. Stop worrying. We’d have been fools to miss out on having her here.’

  Julia sighed heavily as she noted Holly’s arrival. Despite having been consulted every step of the way throughout the accelerated interview and hiring process, Julia was clearly rattled and having buyer’s remorse. ‘How old did you say she was?’

  Holly smiled, knowing exactly the train of thought that Julia was following. ‘She does look awfully together for twenty-eight, doesn’t she?’

  ‘Christ! Is that what twenty-eight looks like these days? I rather wish you’d chosen someone a little more . . . well, that’s to say a little less . . .’ Her words petered out, as though the effort to find the next one was just too much.

  ‘You’re going to have to finish that question you know, if you actually want me to answer it,’ Holly teased her.

  ‘Well,’ Julia shrugged. ‘She makes me tired just listening to her. She’s been in the office with Grace since eight o’clock and she’s so bloody peppy – I mean, seriously, worse than you were with your bouncy little ponytail when you first arrived. And does she have to
sound so completely certain about everything? There’s no prevarication, no hesitation – she’s just straight in there with a well-considered opinion. Where’s her endearing sense of self-doubt?’

  ‘Wearing, that, isn’t it?’ interrupted Taffy, wandering into the office behind Holly. He grinned as his gentle jibe sailed straight over Julia’s head. ‘Seems like a winning combination to me actually – all of your conviction, Julia, but tempered with Holly’s enthusiasm and general gusto.’

  He ducked as Holly swatted him. ‘What?’

  Julia looked mutinous. ‘Well, I think you’ve all had your heads turned by that little dog. It’s well documented you know – lame duck syndrome – you lot are such softies that you just can’t resist wanting to help.’

  Holly shook her head at Julia’s inconsistency – she was clearly just looking to pick a fight this morning. ‘Well, I’ve spent more time with her than any of you and I think she’s a find. Trust me – lame duck or no – with the right guidance she’ll be a swan in no time.’

  ‘Unless it’s another peacock you’re after, Jules. There seemed to be plenty of those on the short list – all style no substance.’ There was an undertone to Dan’s words that made Holly glance at him sharply, but his face was neutral.

  ‘Look, Julia?’ Holly interrupted. ‘You don’t need to worry – she’s entirely human. And you’re right, she has had a tricky time and, okay, so if she needs to act super-confident when starting a new job – well, hats off to her. Just hold off on the judgement and let her find her feet, okay? Don’t go looking for trouble.’

  Without waiting for an answer and unwilling to get pulled in to whatever argument Dan and Julia were clearly having, Holly walked back through to her office, to find Alice waiting for her. She lingered in the doorway for a moment and watched, as Alice made sure that her canine companion was looking her best. To a casual observer, it would be easy to mistake the little chocolate spaniel as a well-loved pet. She sat directly beside Alice, one paw resting lightly on her thigh, happily submitting to having her ears smoothed down and nuzzling in to accept the proffered kiss. A closer look, however, would reveal the neat little red jacket that the dog wore, announcing her role as a diabetic assistance dog to all of Alice’s patients.