by Anna Jacobs
'Oh well, happy tears are all right by me. When you've enjoyed a good cry, let's go and eat a splendid meal, then you can have an early night. We have to be up at six thirty to get to the clinic for the transfusion. And Maeve will be arriving in the afternoon with Lily. It'll be quite a gathering of the Corrigans.'
Cal drew up at Hilary's house in the early evening. Mitch got off the motorbike and patted it fondly. 'Wicked! I'm going to have one of these myself some day. Come and meet Gran.' But his first question after he'd hugged her was, 'How's Dad?'
'Doing well, but he hates being in hospital and is acting like a naughty child at times, Tiffany says.' She looked ques-tioningly at Cal, so Mitch made the introductions.
'Can we go and see Dad?'
'Not till tomorrow morning. It's a bit late tonight.'
'But he's all right?'
'Yes.'
'Good. Have you got anything to eat?'
'Of course. I know you well enough to have bought in a shedload of provisions.'
He grinned and wandered off to the kitchen, grabbing an apple from a bowl of fruit on the way.
Hilary looked at Cal. 'Do you want to stay until Judith gets here?'
'Would you mind?'
'Not at all. I'd offer to put you up, but with Mitch in one spare bedroom and Tiffany in the other, I'll have to give Judith the studio couch.'
It was out before he'd considered the implications. 'She could come and stay with me.'
Hilary looked at him for a long, thoughtful minute. 'You'll have to ask her that yourself. Now, how about a cup of tea -or do you prefer coffee?'
An hour later Judith made an impressive arrival in the big Mercedes, which had Hilary's neighbours peering out of their windows. She greeted her mother and son, handing a picnic basket to Mitch and teasing him about the food in it being emergency supplies.
Cal waited until she turned to him to ask, 'How's Lily?'
'Enjoying herself. I don't know what there is about Maeve, but the young ones seem to love her company.'
'She's cool for an oldie,' Mitch commented, selecting a piece of cake from the picnic basket as they all sat down.
Hilary watched him fondly as he took a huge bite then turned to her daughter. 'Are you hungry, dear?'
'No, thanks. There was enough in the picnic basket for four people.'
'I hope you don't mind, but I've got Tiffany staying here. In her condition, someone has to look after her. She's due back from the hospital any time. But there's the studio couch. It's very comfortable.'
Judith yawned and stretched. 'I think I'll book into a hotel, Mum. I like my comforts. Did you bring some of my spare clothes, Cal?'
'Yes. Actually, Kerry helped us with that. And - um, you could come and stay with me instead of going to a hotel, if you like?'
There was a pregnant silence in the room and Judith's eyes flew to her son.
He grinned and winked at her. 'Good idea.'
'That's settled then.' Cal looked out of the window. 'Though if you're not willing to ride on the Hog, we'll have to call you a taxi.'
'Why shouldn't I ride it? I'm wearing jeans and I'm sure you're a safe driver and won't go too fast.'
Mitch let out a choke of laughter and clapped one hand to his mouth.
Cal frowned at him and turned back to Judith. 'With you, I'll drive like a sedate old lady.'
Just before they left, Tiffany got back from the hospital, looking exhausted.
Mitch went to take her coat. 'How's Dad?'
'Complaining about his treatment. You'd think he'd be grateful to be alive, but not Des.'
'He's never been in hospital before, wouldn't even go to the doctor if he could help it.' Judith saw the wariness on the other woman's face and held out her hand. 'I'm glad he's got you.'
Looking visibly relieved, Tiffany shook her hand. 'Thanks. I really appreciate you saying that.'
'When are they letting him out?'
'Not 'til next week now. They've found what they call "an anomaly" and they need to do some more tests. I left him sulking about it.'
'Cal and I were just leaving, but I'll probably see you tomorrow at the hospital.'
Tiffany looked across at Hilary. 'Won't you need my bedroom now?'
'No, dear. Judith's staying with Cal.'
'Thanks. I must admit I wouldn't like to be alone just now.'
When her daughter had left, Hilary waited till Mitch went up to check his emails and sat down beside Tiffany. 'What sort of an anomaly?'
She lowered her voice. 'Possibly a rather serious one. They won't know until they've done more tests. I didn't want to worry everyone unduly.'
'Des couldn't be in better hands. St Rita's cardiac unit has an excellent reputation.'
'I know. But I can't help worrying. I know how he'd hate to be left a semi-invalid. He'd never cope with that.'
Hilary looked at her in shock. 'Is it that serious?'
'Yes. They explained it to us and afterwards he got angry, said they were just trying to scare him into living like a bloody monk and he'd be damned if he'd do that. They gave him a calming injection and told him to avoid getting angry.'
'Oh, dear.'
'I expect he'll be all right once they've finished the tests and perhaps things won't be too bad. After all, he can afford the best of care and treatment.'
Cal drove slowly across London, weaving expertly in and out of the traffic, happy to feel the warmth of Judith sitting close behind him.
When they got to his house, he flourished one hand. 'This is my castle. I'll let you in and then garage the bike.'
It was a town house, three storeys high, narrow, and one of ten similar houses in a row. As she wandered through the living area, she smiled to think how scornful Des would be about this place, but it felt cosy to her. At the rear were a kitchen/eating area and a utility room. Everything was tidy but there were no flowers, ornaments or other decorative touches.
Cal came in through the back door. 'Want a cup of coffee?'
'Do you have any herbal tea?'
'Sorry. Just normal tea and coffee - oh, and drinking chocolate for Lily.'
'I'll have the chocolate, if I may.'
'Let's take your things upstairs first. There are two bedrooms on the next floor and I use the top floor as my office.' He pulled her into his arms. 'Judith.'
Just one word, but the way he said it meant she needed no others, told her so much about his feelings for her. She put her arms round his neck, pulled his head down and kissed him soundly.
When they pulled apart, she said, 'Cal,' in the same tone then led him up to the bedroom.
Maeve arrived in London just after noon, not as exhausted as everyone had feared. She was accompanied by Lily, who was already devoted to her aunt. Andy went into the hotel first, then a group of employees swarmed around them, holding the car door open and sweeping them and their luggage up to the luxurious suite and rooms that had been booked.
Maeve saw that Lily looked apprehensive when offered her own room. 'Do you want to stay in my suite instead? There's a spare bedroom with its own bathroom.'
'Would you mind? I keep worrying that Wayne is going to sneak in and force me to go back to my mother.'
And the lawyers would be informed of that fear, Maeve decided. It hurt her to see a child of twelve in such a constant state of anxiety.
Lily took her meagre collection of possessions into her bedroom and then went to stand at the doorway of Maeve's room. 'Do you want me to unpack for you? You're looking tired.'
'Would you mind? I'll lie down and give orders like the Queen of Sheba.'
When everything was put away, Maeve patted the bed beside her. 'You still look worried. Come and sit here. Tell me-what's upsetting you.'
'The thought of seeing my mother - and him.'
'There will be lawyers with you all the time.' She hesitated, then added, 'They think it'd be a good idea to have a child psychologist with us, too. Would you mind?'
'I'm not crazy!'
'No, but you are in a state of great anxiety about your future, very upset at the thought of moving overseas, nervous about even being with your mother. You do need expert help about that. But the main reason is that it'll help your case if someone who's an expert can testify as to how upset you are.'
'Oh.' Lily began to fiddle with the bedspread, then shrugged. 'If it'll help me stay with Dad, I'll do anything.'
'Good. Now, I need a nap. Why don't you ring your father and invite him round to visit? There's a phone in your room and you can order anything you like from room service.'
Lily went out to dial her father's number. When he answered, she could only say his name before she began to cry. 'Dad. Oh, Dad.'
'Darling! Is something wrong?'
'No. I'm just - acting dumb, crying for nothing. I'm in the Xanadu Hotel and Aunt Maeve says you can come round to visit me.'
'I'll be there as soon as it's humanly possible. Do you need anything?'
'Some more clothes.'
'I'll bring everything you've got here and you can sort through them. How about my old laptop, too? Then you can email me and play games.'
'Great. Thanks.'
'I'll be there in about an hour.'
'I love you, Dad.'
With a happy sigh Lily brushed away a tear. Once he was here, she'd feel better, she knew she would.
Cal put the phone down and turned to Judith. 'That was Lily. She was in tears. I have to go to her. She's at the Xanadu with Maeve.'
'Maybe I can come and see her later too. Give her my love.'
'Can I drop you anywhere? I'm taking a taxi, not the Hog.'
'Would St Rita's be too much out of your way?'
'No. Only a very small detour.'
'Good. Have I time to phone Mitch and tell him I'm going to see his father? He'll probably want to meet me there.'
When she put the phone down she walked across to hug and kiss Cal, amazed at how often she wanted to touch him. It seemed a very long time since she'd been on such terms with Des. 'I'm sure things will work out for you and Lily,' she said gently. 'When these Corrigans want something they usually get it and she's utterly determined to stay with you.'
He hugged her, then held her at arm's length. 'Shall you mind having my daughter round the place? Lily isn't always so quiet and she can be as moody as any other almost-teenager.'
'Are you asking me to live with you?'
'I thought we'd already agreed on that.'
'Not exactly. We were both exhausted last night. I don't even remember falling asleep.'
'I watched you in the moonlight. You looked beautiful and peaceful. You will live with me, won't you?'
'Yes.' She had no doubts about it, not if he wanted her, because she loved being with him. He was gentle and yet passionate, intelligent, kind. His voice brought her out of her blissful daydream.
'And it's all right about Lily?'
'I'll enjoy having her around. Besides, Mitch will be with us too part of the time, I hope, though he'll be going to university soon.' She stirred in his arms. 'This isn't really the time to discuss our future. You have to go and see Lily, sort out her problems before you do anything else. And I have to see Des, make sure he's all right.'
Cal grinned and swung her off her feet, turning round in a joyful circle that left her breathless with laughter before he let go. 'What's to discuss apart from where to live? This place won't be big enough for the four of us.'
'Is it going to be that easy?'
'I think so. People complicate life unnecessarily.'
She went upstairs to get ready. It felt really strange to be going from her new lover to see her husband of so many years. She'd have to make sure the divorce went through as quickly as possible because she didn't like the feeling that she was still legally tied to Des when her heart and body were now solidly with Cal.
And with Lily. She smiled. She'd grown fond of his daughter too, even in this short time, and Mitch would enjoy having a little sister around, she was sure.
Twenty-Five
The ten-storey hospital building looms over several acres of striated car parks. A stream of visitors enters, ant-like, quickly subdued by the sterile air, the sternly busy staff and the hushed labyrinths inside.
Judith was directed up to the intensive care unit and when a nurse at the reception station sent her to the waiting room, she found Tiffany there already. The two women nodded a greeting.
'I saw Des for a few minutes,' Tiffany said, 'but he was feeling uncomfortable and they sent me out again.'
Suddenly a siren started wailing and both women rushed to the door to see a doctor and two nurses running down the corridor, followed by another pushing a trolley at a fast clip.
'Oh, no!' Tiffany clutched Judith's arm. 'That's Des's room they've gone into.'
They stared at each other in horror then Judith remembered that her companion was pregnant, so said as calmly as she could, 'We'd only be in the way, so I think we should sit down and . . . wait, let them do whatever it is they have to. At least he's in a hospital already, so he'll get the help he needs quickly.'
Tiffany walked slowly across to lower herself on to a chair like an old woman. 'I'm worried about him. He looked so old and strained this morning.'
'I haven't even seen him yet. I wish I had.' Judith sat next to her and looked at her watch. 'Mitch is supposed to be meeting me here. I hope he doesn't come until this is over.'
A few minutes later a nurse came in and looked at them in an assessing way. 'You'll have seen that there's a problem with Mr Corrigan. I'll keep you informed, but we'd be grateful if you'd stay here. You'd only get in the way if you tried to see him.'
'What's wrong?' Judith asked.
'Doctor will tell you about it when he can get away.' She walked out of the room.
Ten minutes later they were still waiting and when the door opened, they both looked up expectantly. But it was Mitch, not the doctor.
Judith went to hug her son. 'Come and sit down.' She hesitated but there was no way of hiding what had happened from him. 'Your father's had some sort of an incident. It must have been another heart attack because they rushed the emergency team to his room. They've asked us to wait here.'
He stared at her in shock, then asked in a voice cracked with anguish. 'Dad's not going to die, is he?'
How did you answer that? Judith wondered. She tried to find words but couldn't, could only shake her head helplessly. 'I don't know, darling.'
Tiffany covered her eyes with her hands and Judith saw a tear slide down her cheek. It took her a moment to realize that she had wet cheeks too.
'So we just wait?' Mitch demanded in an aggressive tone.
'Yes. Sometimes it's all we can do.'
'That sucks.'
'The whole thing sucks. Des isn't an old man, not even sixty. I don't know why he's having all this trouble.'
It was twenty minutes before a doctor came into the room, looking grave. 'Mrs Corrigan?' He looked at the two women.
'I'm Mrs Corrigan, but Des and I are separated and Ms Roberts is engaged to him. This is his son.'
'I'm very sorry, but it's bad news. We did all we could but I'm afraid we couldn't save him.'
Tiffany began to sob and Mitch was gulping back tears. For all her own grief, Judith found herself with an arm round each of her companions. 'What happened exactly?' she asked.
'A massive heart attack. There was a structural weakness and it's surprising he lasted so long without an incident.'
'He's had chest pains a couple of times that I know of,' Judith said. 'But he always brushed them off as indigestion and he looked normal the next day, so I didn't press the point. Well, you can't - couldn't get Des to do anything if he didn't want to.' She turned to Mitch and hugged him close, but couldn't leave Tiffany weeping alone, so put her other arm back round the younger woman.
'Do you - um - want to see him?'
Mitch looked up and sniffed, wiping his arm across his eyes. He said, 'Yes!' at the same time as Tiffany.
Judith shook her head. 'No. I'm sorry, but I can't do it, not even to be with you, Mitch. I don't want to remember him dead. Will you be all right on your own?'
He looked at Tiffany. 'I won't be alone.'
'Do you mind me being there?' she asked him, sagging in relief as he shook his head.
'Give us a few minutes to tidy up, then you can see him,' the doctor said.
When a nurse came for them, Mitch stopped at the door to look back at his mother. 'I'll be all right, really I will.'
Judith had the strangest feeling that he'd suddenly grown up. 'I'll wait for you here.' She took out her mobile and dialled Cal's number. 'Cal? Oh, Cal, Des has just had a massive heart attack and - and he's dead. Can you come? Please?'
'Of course I'll come. I'm sure Lily will understand.'
Judith sat and waited, feeling very alone and disoriented. Mitch and Tiffany seemed to be taking a long time.
When the door opened and Cal walked in, she ran to fling herself into his arms, able now to let her own grief pour out.
Maeve looked up as Lily came into her room. 'Why did your father rush away?'
'Judith's husband has just died.'
'Des? Des is dead?'
Lily clapped one hand to her mouth. 'Oh, no! I'd forgotten he was your brother. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come out with it like that.'
Maeve took hold of the girl's hand. 'It's all right. At my age one gets used to death. Des and I weren't the best of friends, but still, it's sad when a brother dies, especially one who was only fifty-eight. Dear heaven, it doesn't seem possible.' She closed her eyes for a moment or two, then looked at the anxious young face next to her. 'We're not doing well healthwise, my generation of Corrigans. I hope yours does better. Don't forget, though, that Des was your father.'
'I've never met him, not once. He didn't want to see me, so I don't feel as if he's anything to do with me. I'm sorry if that sounds cruel, but it's how I feel. I'm sorry for Mitch and Judith, though.' She saw that her aunt was pale and looked sad, so squeezed her hand. 'And I'm sorry you're upset. Is there anything I can get you?'
'Yes, pass me the phone and get me my address book out of my handbag. I'd better ring my other brother in Australia and give him the news. This isn't a time for keeping up feuds.' She waited as the phone rang several times and then someone picked it up, a woman who sounded breathless as if she'd been running.
