Beneath the Shadows

Grace smiled at her sister and tried to rouse her spirits. She went to put her pyjamas on, and when she returned, A

‘So tell me about Ben,’ A

Grace kept her eyes down as she replied. ‘I’m not sure I can. I don’t know much about him other than the fact he knows how to knock a wall down. You got more out of him today than I’ve managed to in a week.’

‘He lives alone in the house at the top of the hill?’

‘Yes, I think so.’ However, as she spoke, Grace remembered the woman she’d seen leaving early one morning. She opened her mouth to tell A

‘Don’t worry, I’ll find out all about him when he takes me out,’ A

‘Well, good luck. He’s painfully difficult to talk to.’

A

‘Let’s just do this one,’ Grace suggested, and moved to a small box in the corner, pulling out what looked like a photo album. She opened it, and her breath caught painfully in her throat.

It was Grace and Adam’s wedding day. She had looked at their official photos many times, but she’d never seen these before. They were simple snapshots. Adam waiting outside the church. Adam with his arms around his grandparents. Then Adam and Grace at the church after they’d been married. She turned the pages – to see Adam and Grace with his grandparents; Adam and Grace with her parents; with A

She had to summon all her willpower to swallow the emotion that began to rise in her throat. She searched their faces for some clue that their love story was destined to end abruptly, that they weren’t as happy as she had imagined – but all she could see was joyful smiles and laughter. That night, as they had gone to sleep in a four-poster bed, Adam had whispered his love in her ear, telling her he’d had the greatest day of his life. And when he’d first held Millie in his arms he’d promised he would do everything possible to protect his family. He’d said it with such gravitas. Too much gravitas? How would she ever know? Could she really live the rest of her life with all this doubt? But what choice had he left her?

She had forgotten about A

‘Enough,’ A

‘Remind me, how will this help?’ Grace asked, before she put the full glass to her lips.

‘Medicinal purposes,’ A

By the time they went to bed they had both drunk far too much. For Grace this normally meant that she would sleep solidly until morning, but tonight her rest was fitful, with blurry visions ru

‘I’ve got a surprise for you!’ A

‘And what would that be?’ Grace asked, helping Millie with her drink.

‘I’ve just seen Emma next door, and she says she’ll be happy to babysit on Christmas Eve – so we can go to the ball Meredith was on about!’

Grace swung to face A

A

But Grace wasn’t going to be talked down. ‘No, A

She picked up Millie and went outside, stomping down the garden path before heading up next door’s. She rapped hard on the door and waited.

Moments later, a teenage boy answered. His face was so white that if Grace hadn’t heard Emma and Carl mention a son, she would have suspected that this was the resident ghost of next-door’s cottage. His blue eyes and ruby mouth looked strangely artificial against the rest of his flesh, like they had been coloured in – and she was sure his eyes were rimmed with black eyeliner.

‘Is your mum in?’ she asked politely.

He left the door open and skulked off, his shoulders hunched.

Emma came to the door a moment later, tea towel in hand. ‘Grace! Come in!’ she said cheerily. ‘Don’t worry about Jake – he’s going through his Goth phase! And hello little lass.’ She reached out and took Millie from Grace. ‘Now, you,’ she said to Millie, ‘are just in time to sample some of Auntie Emma’s cupcakes – they’re still warm!’ And she carried Millie down the hallway.

Grace followed her through to the kitchen and launched straight into her apology. ‘I gather A

‘Oh, don’t be daft,’ Emma said. ‘I’m happy to, I told you at the pub. We’re staying home this year so I’ll get everything sorted in the afternoon. Then Carl can stay in with our bairn and I’ll come round a little early so you can tell me where everything is. I’ll be glad to leave this place for a while; truth be told, it’s all moody silences from the lad and bursts of irritation from Carl at the moment. If it’s just me and the baby it’s like a little holiday, so I won’t know what to do with a few hours to myself! I’m quite excited about it!’ She stroked Millie’s hair, and as Millie put her fingers towards Emma’s mouth, she pretended to bite them. Millie let out a joyous squeal, making both women laugh.

Emma went across to a tray of cakes, then looked back at Grace. ‘Is she allowed?’

‘Yes, that’s fine.’

Millie took one eagerly, then Emma turned the kettle on and came and sat down with the little girl on her lap. Millie looked at her treat happily, before biting into it with satisfaction.