Epilogue
One Year Later
After a week of rain, everyone had been ecstatic that the sun had broken through and was now bathing the field in brightness and warmth.
Ordinarily, the playing fields behind Ben’s school were used for nature classes and sports, but today they were festooned with stalls and rides and ice cream vans. Erica, Andrew and Mollie had been here since eight o’clock helping to erect gazebos and tables. The gates opened at ten and Ben had been on a teacup ride, thrown plastic balls at some skittles and managed to eat three ice creams before he’d been in need of some quiet time; she was getting much better at reading the signals.
In a large tent, a little way from the noise of the main event, they’d set up a quiet space for anyone who needed a calm place to be. There were beanbag chairs in the four corners, tables with paper and colouring pens and a TV in the corner playing cartoons at a low volume. Thanks to a couple of mobile air con units, it was cool in here and Ben sat happily at a table, tipping out the pebbles he carried in a small pouch tied to his belt.
They’d come so far in the last year. Ben now stayed overnight on a Tuesday and Wednesday, which gave her three full days where she didn’t have to dash around at both ends of the day. In September, she was going to start back working in a school, taking small groups for literacy support on a Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursdays, she had a long lie-in, and lunch with her husband, before collecting Ben.
Beside her, a woman around her age with a long dark ponytail tilted her head into Erica’s line of vision. ‘Hi, I’m Ellie. My daughter Daisy is at the school. She transferred here a couple of months ago. She has Downs.’
It was almost a reflex, introducing your child, then their diagnosis. Erica understood, but she wished for the day that they didn’t find it necessary. ‘Nice to meet you. I’m Ben’s mum.’
Ellie smiled. ‘I know. I think Daisy has a soft spot for your son. She’s been following him around all morning.’
Looking in the direction of Ellie’s nod, Erica spied a small blonde girl in a purple summer dress with the sweetest smile. She hovered behind Ben, watching as he lined up coloured pebbles, as entranced as if he was a celebrity. Her heart warmed at the scene. Why wouldn’t she? He was such a handsome boy. ‘I hope she likes watching him straightening stones. She might be there a while.’
She turned to grin at Ellie just in time to see the woman’s eyes fill with tears. Before she could offer sympathy, Ellie shook her head, sniffed and screwed up her face. ‘Ignore me. I’m struggling a bit at the moment. Puberty is hitting hard and it’s a struggle, to be honest.’
It seemed as if she wanted to say more, so Erica resisted the urge to fill the silence, just nodded and reached out to pat her arm in solidarity.
For a few moments, they watched the two children in silence. When she spoke again, Ellie’s voice was a whisper. ‘Does it get easier?’
Easier? That was the question often asked in the parent group that Fiona Bixby had cajoled Erica into joining and, now, running. Andrew was avoiding the head teacher today because he was convinced that she had him in her sights for running a group for dads. ‘That woman is impossible to say no to.’
‘No.’ She smiled at the surprise on Ellie’s face. ‘It does not get easier. Ben has autism and it’s always going to make life more difficult for him. The challenges just get different. But you do get stronger. You do become able to deal with it better.’
Ellie wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. ‘I’m not sure whether that gives me hope or not.’
Erica passed her a tissue from the packet in her pocket. ‘I think the hope and sense of failure take it in turns day to day. Believe me, today is a good day and I’m making the most of it. But tomorrow…’
She tilted her head to one side and stuck out her tongue, and was pleased to see Ellie laugh. ‘Thank you. That makes me feel less inept.’
‘Honey, if you want to feel better about yourself, stick around with me.’ She grinned. It felt good to be able to ease someone’s mind. ‘Let me give you my number. One thing you do need is to be around people who understand what it’s like.’
‘Thank you. I’d really appreciate that.’
They’d just exchanged numbers when Mollie came bowling into the tent, her arms full with a pile of bright-yellow leaflets and an overflowing bag of yellow button badges. ‘I’m going to sit at the front gate and give these out to any of the brothers and sisters who come. They might not know about the Young Carers group.’
She was so proud of her daughter and the work she’d done this year to promote the group. It’d been so good for her to be around other young people who knew what it was like to have a sibling with special needs. The glass children.
Looking at her now, she was a different person to that little girl on the beach all those months ago. She loved her new school and had hit the ground running with a social life once the other students recognised her as the teen reporter on the local news. She’d even brought friends home to meet her brother and a couple of them were here with her today. There were still times when she was frustrated that Ben’s needs prevented – or changed – their plans, but she was getting better at telling them how she felt and compromising on a solution.
‘Have you seen your dad?’
Before Mollie could answer, Andrew appeared. ‘This is where you all are.’
She lifted up her face for him to kiss; Mollie mimed throwing up. You’d think she’d be happy to have her parents so clearly back in love, but no one is as appalled by parental displays of affection as a fourteen-year-old child.
‘Ben was feeling a bit overwhelmed so we came in here.’
‘Good idea. I was just thinking about lunch.’
At that word, Ben’s face flipped up in their direction. That boy did not like to miss the opportunity for a meal. Andrew crouched down in front of his table. ‘How are you doing, buddy? Shall we go and get a hot dog?’
Ben didn’t need asking twice. He scooped his stones into the bag and was ready to go without a backwards glance at poor Daisy. Giving Ellie a little wave goodbye, Erica put her arm around her own daughter. ‘Do you fancy a hotdog, too?’
Mollie shook off her arm and wrinkled her face in disgust. ‘I’m a vegetarian .’
To be fair to Erica, she’d only announced this three days ago. ‘Of course. Let’s see what else they’ve got.’
Mollie waved the leaflets. ‘I need to get to the welcome desk. Can you bring me some chips? Please?’
‘Okay, I’ll bring you some chips.’
Mollie’s kiss was so quick, she barely felt it. ‘Thanks, Mum. Why don’t you tell Dad and Ben to come over, too? Ben can help me give out the badges.’
As she watched her daughter scoot off to join her friends, Erica’s mind wandered back to the head teacher’s words. ‘Don’t look at his world through your eyes, look through his eyes.’
Right now, through all of their eyes, life looked pretty good.
***
If The Favourite Child left you with tears in your eyes, you’ll love My Husband’s Daughter – a beautiful, compelling story about a child in need of love and a woman willing to do everything to help her.