Amazing Grace

Chapter 13

After lunch the following day, Grace was slightly concerned to see the name of Archie’s school showing up on her phone’s caller display. They only ever phoned if there was a problem.

‘Mrs Beam?’

‘Miss Carnegie, actually, but yes, I am who you are after.’

‘Is there any chance you could pop in to see the head teacher for ten minutes just before you pick Archie up today, please? There’s been an incident at school that we’d like to discuss with you.’

‘An incident? Is Archie OK?’

‘He’s fine. We’ll explain when you come in. We don’t like to discuss matters like this over the phone.’

‘Certainly, I’ll be there just before pick-up.’

Wondering what on earth had happened, Grace spoke to her boss and asked if she could leave slightly earlier than normal and said that she would make up her time at home later. They were a really easy-going company, thank heavens, allowing flexible working, so it didn’t really matter when she rearranged things slightly. It was one of the main reasons she’d taken the job in the first place. That and the fact that she loved helping people to find a new home. It was almost like a dating agency, but you just had to match the person with their ideal house instead of another person. Much less trouble.

She arrived in the school reception as agreed and was invited to take a seat in the head teacher’s office. Grace liked Mrs Kelly. She was strict, but fair, and if there were ever any issues, she was always able to sort them out without making the parent feel like a failure.

‘Grace.’ Mrs Kelly greeted her with a handshake. ‘Thanks so much for coming in. I’ll get straight to the point as I know it’s nearly end of school time and Archie is in the library at the moment but will be heading down this way shortly. Archie punched a boy in the face today.’

Grace’s heart hit the floor. This was totally out of character for him. A hundred questions ran through her head in one go, blowing her mind. She didn’t know whether to feel angry with him, worried for him or embarrassed about what he’d done. ‘What? Archie did? My Archie? I can’t believe it. What on earth did he do that for? Who did he hit? Are they OK?’

‘It is totally unacceptable behaviour, and extremely unusual for him, but even so, it cannot be allowed. As it happened at lunch break, I’ve kept him in here with me since, but he won’t tell me what instigated it. I think it best if he takes the day off tomorrow and has a think about his behaviour. If he apologises to the other boy, then I’m prepared to overlook the matter, but it will go down on his records.’

Grace was mortified. Her Archie was not the type of boy to go around punching others. But Grace knew that he was growing up and ten was a difficult age, with testosterone starting to surge around. There had been a couple of occasions recently when he got angry for no major reason, mainly when she asked him to stop playing on his Xbox, but this was totally unacceptable.

Mrs Kelly spoke kindly to her. ‘This is most unusual for Archie and because it is so out of character, I thought it would be prudent to talk to you first. May I suggest that you take him home – the secretary has just gone to fetch his bag and coat and grab him from the library – and not mention anything until you get home and see if he’ll open up to you in his own surroundings. There is obviously something very serious bothering him.’

‘Thank you.’

Archie appeared at the door, his eyes red. He’d clearly been crying. Despite what he had done, Grace’s heart went out to her son; still so very much a child, but wanting to grow up. She held her hand out to him, and for once he took it, but he kept his head down all the way home and didn’t say a word. Grace found it very difficult not to ask him about it but heeded the head teacher’s advice.

When they walked through the front door, he flung himself at Becks and burst into tears.

‘Archie, are you OK?’ she asked tentatively.

‘Yep. Just brilliant,’ he shouted as he stomped off upstairs and into his room, slamming the door behind him.

She thought she’d best give him a little space, but after fifteen minutes she really thought it was time they spoke about what had happened, so she made herself a cup of coffee, poured a glass of milk and put some cookies on a plate. She knocked on the door lightly and asked if she could go in. There was no answer so she opened the door and saw Archie sitting on his bed, staring out of the window. When she walked towards him, she could see that he’d been crying again.

‘Sweetheart, whatever is the matter?’

‘I can’t tell you. Dad said not to.’

‘Oh, darling, you know that you can tell me anything. You mustn’t bottle things up and get angry. Please talk to me. You know that I’ll try to sort out anything that’s upsetting you.’

‘I can’t, Mum.’

‘You also can’t be getting yourself into a state like this, darling. It’s not good for you. Now, please tell me. I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what happened.’

‘I’ll tell you but you have to promise not to tell Dad I told you. Promise?’

‘OK, I promise.’ Grace hated it when Archie made her promise not to tell Mark things. It made life very difficult when he was upset and things needed sorting out, issues that needed a dad and a mum to work through them together.

‘Dad says that someone from school saw you last night with your new boyfriend! The person who told him has a girl in my class and she was singing “Your mum’s got a boyfriend” at me. George joined in and he wouldn’t stop and said that now you’ve got him you won’t love me any more. He was right in my face and wouldn’t stop saying it and I was so angry that I punched him.’

Oh great, she thought. Thanks so much, Mark!

‘Darling, I don’t know why Dad said that to you because it absolutely is not true. Yes, I did go out for a meal with someone last night. It was someone I met recently. He’s a nice man and he’s just a friend at the moment. Surely you don’t want me to sit in on my own when you’re not here and be lonely, do you?’

‘How can you be lonely, Mum? You have Becks.’

‘Yes, but Becks is a dog, darling, and he’s a bit stinky at times, too.’ Grace saw the crack of a smile forming on Archie’s face. ‘I was going to tell you when and if there was something to tell you. I met someone who invited me out for dinner and I went. That’s it, really. I promise you.’

‘Are you going to go out with him again, Mum?’ he asked as he looked up at her with those baby blue eyes that always made Grace’s heart swell.

‘I’d like to. He seems like a very nice man. But I’ll only go with your approval, my darling. You always have been and always will be the first priority in my life. From the moment you were born, you stole my heart. Between you and Becks, there’s only a bit of room – and time – left for anyone else, anyway. It is just nice for me to have some adult company when you’re not here, love. That’s all.’

‘OK, Mum, but I’m not sure I even want you to have a boyfriend.’

‘How come it’s OK for Dad to have a girlfriend but not for me to have a boyfriend, out of interest?’ she said gently to Archie, realising that she would have to tread very carefully.

‘Well, that’s clearly very different, isn’t it?’

Grace raised her eyebrows at her son’s statement.

‘I just wish that you and Daddy were still together and we all lived in the same house. Then I could be like some of the other people at school. But I suppose if that’s not going to happen right now, then I think I’d like to meet this friend of yours as soon as possible as I have a lot of questions that I’d like to ask him. I wrote them down at lunchtime at school today.’

‘Oh, OK, honey, that’s… er, really great.’ She squirmed inside. Who knew what Vinnie would think about being interrogated by someone else’s child? He’d probably run a mile.

‘Now, I know you’re upset about this, but you can’t go round punching people for taunting you. That’s just not on.’

‘This big rage came over me, Mum, and I didn’t know what to do. Before I knew it, I’d hit him. I am sorry, Mum, really, I am.’ He was still crying but getting the words out through his tears.

‘Well, tomorrow we’re going to have a day at home. Mrs Kelly has said that you are not allowed to go back to school until you apologise to George so you must do that the day after. We’ll tell Daddy that you have tummy ache tomorrow. But you have to promise me that you’ll talk to me about anything like this in future. Violence is not acceptable in any way whatsoever. Understand?’

‘OK, Mum.’ He hung his head in shame.

‘Now, give me a great big hug and eat your milk and biscuits.’

‘OK, Mummy. Can it be a big heart hug?’

They’d had lots of rituals over the years, one of them being their heart hugs, but Archie had grown out of them a couple of years ago. Grace had to kneel down so that she was Archie’s height and then they could hug tightly with their hearts right next to each other. They had to hold the hug for at least the count of twenty. Apparently it was a proven fact that a hug lasting for twenty seconds or more releases happy endorphins into your body and lowers stress, blood pressure and heart rate. It was something they’d done since he was old enough to hug her.

He clung on to her like he was never going to see her again, but when they separated, he smiled and said, ‘I don’t ever want you to not love me. That’s why I was so annoyed at the thought that you’d replace me.’

‘Impossible. That, my darling, would never ever happen.’

‘Are you sure?’ he asked. ‘Not even if David Beckham asked you to marry him?’

‘Mmm, now that is a toughie! Let me just take a minute to think about that.’ She rubbed her chin, pretending to think it over.

‘Mummy!’ he warned. ‘Make sure you get the right answer.’

‘OK! Not even if David Beckham asked me to marry him!’ she replied.

‘Yes!’ shouted Archie as he fist-pumped the air. ‘The right answer!’

* * *

Grace stood at the kitchen sink, swilling some crockery around and pondering what had happened. She’d only been on one date with Vinnie and it had already caused a massive issue for Archie, and when all was said and done, Archie was more important to her than anyone. She really liked Vinnie, but was getting involved with someone new worth upsetting Archie for? And what was going on with Mark? He had actually been quite nice to her last night, even complimenting her. Was he jealous, or was it just a case of him not wanting her but not wanting anyone else to have her either? Grace was so mixed up. She knew that in an ideal world, Archie’s family would be complete and they’d all be together. And in fairness, that’s all she had ever wanted, but having that shouldn’t mean putting up with someone who had disrespected their family unit and cheated on her. God! It was so hard being a single mum. All this was making life so complicated.

‘Oh, Mum. I can’t tell you how much I wish you were here to chat through stuff with. I can’t believe it’s been so long and that I still miss you so much.’ A tear rolled down her cheek as she contemplated her life while she finished the washing up.

* * *

My sweet boy. I love you, my darling beautiful Archie. I know I never met you in person, but I’ve watched you since the day you were born, and even before that when I used to lay my hands on your mummy’s tummy when she was pregnant. You know that I am around you all the time. I know you feel it. I see your smiles, and I get all the kisses you blow to me in heaven. And I know you saw me that time when I stood in the lounge doorway and Mummy asked you who you were waving at. I will be your nanna for the rest of your life, even though I’m up here and not physically there with you. I will do everything I can to guide you in the right direction and will always be around. I will make sure that you and your beautiful mummy will be very happy in your lives. Goodnight, my sweet little angel. I love you. Nannaxxx