Perfect Daughter (33 page)

‘They’re not ducks, they’re geese.’

Pete nodded, looking again at the cluster of birds. ‘Yes, of course they are. Silly me!’

Martha stared at her dad. ‘You can tell the difference because ducks have pretty babies and geese have ugly babies.’

‘Ah, yes, you’re right. Now you come to mention it, there’s a very famous story about an ugly duckling who is in fact no such thing. He grows up to discover he is actually a beautiful swan. D’you know that one?’

‘No.’ Martha screwed up her nose.

‘Was I an ugly baby or a pretty baby?’ she asked.

‘Oh, you were the most beautiful baby in the whole wide world! The most amazing baby Weston General has ever seen! In fact they are going to put a little blue plaque on the wall saying, Martha Davies was born here!’ Pete answered truthfully.

‘Are they really?’ Martha took this quite literally.

‘Absolutely.’ Pete nodded.

‘Don’t you fib to me, Daddy!’ Martha waggled her finger at him, learning this action from when she had been similarly reprimanded.

‘I never would. Would you like me to tell you the story about the ugly duckling?’ he asked, bending down towards his daughter.

Martha considered his offer. ‘No,’ she replied and she ran back to the path for another lap around the pond.

Jacks roared with laughter. ‘Well, that told you, Dad!’

Pete placed his wife’s arm through his. ‘Must be losing my touch.’

‘Doubt that, you old charmer.’ She sighed.

‘Do you remember when we used to come here courting? We’d park the bikes and lie on the grass, looking up at the sky?’

Jacks smiled. ‘I do. And you used to give me a load of old baloney about how you nearly got the big call from the premier league! You could charm the birds out of the trees.’

‘I only wanted to charm you.’ He came to a standstill.

‘Well, it worked. You got me.’ She looked up, watching Martha on the path.

‘Yep, I was punching above my weight on that day.’ Pete bent forward and kissed his wife.

Jacks leant back and let herself be kissed. She felt her spirits lift; he still had the power to make that happen.

‘I love you, Jacks.’

She nodded. ‘And I love you too. And that’s enough, isn’t it? You don’t need no fancy football lifestyle?’

‘It’s enough today.’ He smiled. ‘It really is.’

‘She’s right, though, Pete…’ Jacks let this trail.

‘Who is?’

‘Martha. We shouldn’t lie to her, ever. We need to be straight about everything.’ She looked at the floor, avoiding his gaze. Pete sighed loudly. ‘I know, but the idea of it. It kills me.’ He spoke through gritted teeth.

Jacks heard the catch in his throat and nestled against his chest. ‘I think we should tell her when she’s older. Old enough to make sense of it all.’

‘When will she be old enough, Jacks?’ he said, his perplexed tone genuine.

‘I don’t know. Maybe when she becomes a mum?’ she suggested.

It was a few seconds before Pete answered, as the two stood watching their little girl, jumping on the water’s edge, chatting to the ducks as she dropped bread and Twiglets into their greedy beaks. ‘Okay. We’ll tell her when she becomes a mum, that’s only fair, isn’t it?’

Jacks hugged him tight. ‘It is, my love.’

33

The summer had come and gone, but it still felt strange to Jacks to be able to walk at her leisure along the Marine Parade without a wheelchair to push. Weston-super-Mare had as ever put on one hell of a show for the holidaymakers, but now September had arrived the place felt like a hall the day after a party. Everyone was taking stock, cleaning up and preparing for things to get back to normal after all the excitement. Jacks looked out over the pier and smiled; her hometown had never looked lovelier.

She breathed in the sea air and thought about how much had changed in the couple of months since Ida’s passing. The day of the funeral had been a day of revelations and new beginnings. She remembered how, after finding her mum’s ‘treasure’ that evening, she’d desperately tried to make things normal. While Pete had tucked Jonty into bed, she’d filled the kettle and made four cups of tea. She chortled to herself, recalling how, when she’d pushed open the lounge door with her foot, bringing in the tea, Martha had quickly pulled her legs off Gideon’s lap at the sight of her and sat up straight, and Gideon had smoothed his hair, reminding her that they were both still kids.

Jacks handed out the mugs and took a seat in one of the empty chairs. ‘Your dad’ll be down in a minute. We need to have a family chat.’

Gideon stood up and hovered awkwardly. ‘I’ll leave you to it, then, Mrs Davies. I hope you’re feeling okay. I thought today went well – I mean, funerals are never nice, but it was the best it could be.’

‘Sit down, Gideon, you’re family now. And for God’s sake, call me Jacks.’

Gideon sat. Martha gave him a quizzical look; she was as much in the dark as he was.

Pete came in and grabbed his tea from the tray. ‘So…’ He took a sip of his drink. ‘It’s been quite a day.’ He smiled at his wife. ‘Jacks and I have been talking and we want to get things straight. Don’t we?’

Jacks nodded.
I really do. Life is too short – I’ve learnt that. I wasn’t the perfect daughter, but I can be a great mum and a bloody brilliant grandma.

‘Thing is, Gideon, this is not what we planned for our daughter.’

‘I know, I know, but—’

‘Let me finish.’ Pete cut him off mid sentence. ‘But you’re a decent lad.’

‘He really is, Dad.’ Martha grabbed Gideon’s spare hand and held it tight.

‘We are trusting you with the most precious thing we have. I have loved that girl since she took her first breath and I shall love her until my last.’ Pete was visibly choked.

Jacks swallowed the tears that gathered at the back of her throat.
You are her dad, Pete, and you always will be.

‘I won’t let you down.’ Gideon sat straight-backed and spoke sincerely.

Pete looked at his wife, who gave an almost imperceptible nod. ‘A little bird tells me you have plans to open your own garage, doing modifications and stuff.’

‘Yes!’ Gideon’s face lit up with equal measures of surprise and enthusiasm. ‘I know I can make a go of it. I’ve done the business plan, it’s flawless.’

‘We even found a premises.’ Martha looked at her parents. ‘Gideon went to the bank and everything. We can’t do it now, but we will do it one day, won’t we?’ She looked at her man.

He nodded. ‘We will.’

‘Why can’t you do it now?’ Pete asked.

Gideon shrugged. ‘We need a big deposit – silly money, really. So I have to earn more first and then see where we are.’

‘There’s a way we can get you started, Gideon.’ Jacks spoke directly to him.

‘What?’ He looked from Jacks to Martha and back again.

‘Pete and I are going to give you some money to get your new business off the ground, to give you and Martha the right start.’

Gideon stared at her, dumbstruck.

‘We want you to show Pete your business plan, let him get it checked over, and if it’s as sound as you think it is, he’ll go back to the bank with you. There’s equity in this house and we have some money. And if it all works out, who knows…?’ She smiled.

‘But… but… How? Mum? I… I don’t…’ Martha couldn’t speak through the tears that stopped the words in her throat.

Gideon stood and walked over to Pete. He reached out and shook his hand. ‘I don’t know how I can ever thank you. I don’t. No one has ever helped me out, never. And you’re doing this?’

‘You don’t have to thank us, just look after our little girl.’ Pete held his eye.

‘I will. I promise. I love her.’ Gideon beamed.

Jacks stood and walked over to the sofa, sitting down in the spot vacated by Gideon. Martha threw her arms around her mum’s neck. ‘Thank you, Mum. I don’t understand how, but thank you! I love you. I really do.’

‘I love you too, always have and always will, no matter what.’ Jacks kissed her girl. ‘God, it’s been some day today. I am exhausted.’

‘Me too!’ Martha stretched.

‘Angela dropped off some bits and bobs for the baby the other day, did you see?’

‘No!’ Martha sat up, excited, free at last to mention the child that was growing inside her.

Jacks jumped up and came back with the Moses basket and the vests and clothes donated from next door. Martha held up a little vest and placed it on her chest. ‘It’s tiny!’

None of them heard Jonty enter the room; he couldn’t get off to sleep with the loud voices and what sounded like celebrations coming from below. He looked over at his big sister. ‘I don’t think that’s going to fit you.’

‘It’s not for me, you doughnut!’ Martha yelled.

‘Don’t call your brother a doughnut!’ Pete and Jacks chorused in unison.

Jacks smiled as she replayed the happy scene in her mind and crossed the road to the supermarket. She wandered the aisles, muttering to herself, trying to think what to make for tea. ‘Chicken? No, we had that last night. Pork chops? No, Jonty won’t eat them. I could make a fish pie. Does Gideon like prawns? I don’t bloody know…’

‘Jacks?’ a voice called from behind.

‘Lynne! Ah, lovely to see you. How are you?’ She beamed.

‘I’m great! Ashley’s home for a week or two. I love having her here, hearing all about her adventures and it’s good for her to spend time with Molly, Caitlin-Marie’s little girl.’

‘Ah, Molly, that’s a lovely name. How’s she doing, she must be getting big?’

‘Yes, she’s cute. Nearly seven months old now, if you can believe it! Goes so quickly. And how’s Martha doing?’

‘Oh, due any day now. She’s got her bag packed by the front door and her dad’s sitting with the car keys in his hand day and night, just in case! Gideon’s mum works at Weston General and is already giving firm instructions about how this baby’ll be born!’

She and Allison had silently reached an understanding that they both only wanted what was best for their kids and that they were powerless to change things anyway. Jacks had decided she rather liked Allison’s forthright nature and thought it highly possible that they might become friends.

‘You seem quite calm, considering,’ Lynne noted.

‘Do you know, I am. It’s funny, Lynne, but when I was looking after my mum, I didn’t have time to think. I was on autopilot, but for the last few months I’ve had time back and it’s helped me take stock. I’ve kind of slowed down and it’s good, like I can see things a lot more clearly.’
Poor Mum.
She pictured pushing her mum around with the basket on her lap. ‘I miss her, though, really do.’

Lynne rubbed her friend’s arm. ‘Course you do and I was very sorry to hear she’d passed on. But you were wonderful to look after her for as long as you did. She was always beautifully turned out and I always thought she looked very happy, just to be with you.’

‘Thank you, Lynne.’ Jacks felt a little overcome by the compliment. ‘Right, suppose I better get on and get home.’

‘Good luck!’ Lynne shouted as the two headed off in different directions. ‘Ooh,’ she called over her shoulder, ‘forgot to ask, how did Martha get on in her exams?’

Jacks stopped and turned. ‘Her exams?’

‘Yeah.’ Lynne nodded.

‘Oh, she got three As!’

‘Bloody hell!’ Lynne laughed.

Jacks smiled as she reached for a tin of pears, which she would serve with custard.
Yep, you said it. Bloody hell!

Two days later, Jacks was making tea for the builders, workmates of Pete’s who were doing their new loft conversion – or ‘Jonty’s floor’, as it was now known. She walked past Ida’s old room, unrecognisable since Martha and Gideon had moved into it. With all the clutter removed, it was quite spacious and it was amazing what a lick of paint and some new carpet had done. The cot was assembled in the corner and a nursing chair sat under the window in preparation, with Ida’s favourite soft blanket folded over the arm.

‘Mum?’

‘Yes, love?’ Jacks popped her head inside the door.

‘Can you call Gideon for me?’ Martha asked.

‘Sure, where is he?’

‘He’s at the garage, the new tenants are moving in upstairs.’

Gideon had decided, much to Jacks and Pete’s relief, that the sensible thing would be to rent out the flat above his business premises. The income it would bring would be far more beneficial than the privacy it would give them. And he figured that when the baby came along, Martha would need her mum on hand.

‘Are you all right, love?’ Jacks looked at her daughter, who was sitting on top of her duvet with her arms braced behind her and her bump filling her pyjama top.

‘I think something might be happening, Mum!’

‘Really?’

Martha nodded, smiling and calm.

‘Oh God, right! I’ll go call him. You stay there!’ Jacks pointed at the bed.

Martha laughed. ‘Where do you think I’m going to go in this state?’

She ran to the kitchen and grabbed her phone. ‘Goodeon? Gid, I mean Gideon, good, you need to come home. Martha thinks something’s happening!’ she shouted.

‘Oh, okay, Jacks, I’ll just finish up here and come back.’

‘No! Don’t just finish up there, come straight back now!’ she yelled. ‘I don’t understand how you two are so calm!’ she shrieked.

‘All right.’ He laughed. ‘I’m on my way. Do you want anything picking up from the shop?’

‘The shop?’ she squealed, almost breathless. ‘Don’t stop at the shop! Come back now! Come straight home!’

Gideon snorted down the line. ‘Only kidding. I’m not going to stop anywhere. I’ll be back soon.’

‘And drive carefully!’ she managed before ending the call and immediately dialling Pete’s number.

‘Mum?’ Martha called loudly.

‘Hang on, Pete!’ Jacks shouted, covering the mouthpiece and running to the bottom of the stairs. ‘What is it, love? Are you okay? I’m just updating Dad and then I’ll be up!’

‘Yeah, I’m fine. I was just wondering, have I got a clean shirt?’

Jacks leant on the banister and laughed. ‘Yes, in the bloody airing cupboard!’

Jacks fidgeted in her uncomfortable vinyl chair in the waiting room while Pete and Jonty crowded round Pete’s phone screen, watching a cartoon.

‘I hope it’s a boy!’ Jonty looked up.