Chapter 5
5
BABS
They’d been travelling for about an hour when Babs also had a call from her daughter. ‘Are you home tomorrow? I’ve got a stay-over and thought I’d pop in to see you.’
‘No, I’m not in. I’m on my way to Cornwall with Dee for her sixtieth birthday. Your father is in though. Why don’t you go and see him?’
‘You’re going away without Dad?’ Molly sounded surprised.
‘I bloody well am and I might not come back. Your dad has decided he’s selling the house and going to live in Spain, whether I agree or not.’
‘What? You’re kidding, Mum!’
‘I wish I was!’
‘I’ll talk to him, Mum. He’s being ridiculous!’
‘Good luck with that one!’
‘I’ll get back to you later, Mum. Don’t worry, I’m sure we can sort this out,’ Molly told her. ‘And tell Dee Happy Birthday from me. I hope you both have a good time.’
Babs guessed that Molly would be straight on the phone to her father. Well, he’ll be shocked when Molly tells him that Babs had actually gone away. That would give him something to think about.
She looked out of the window. They were still on the M5. Her head was aching and she fidgeted in her seat. Dee seemed fine, her gaze fixed on the road ahead. Dee was like that though, calm and unflappable. Babs would be raging if Geoff had gone away with his mates on her birthday, especially a big one like sixty. ‘How much longer before we get there?’
‘About an hour and half. Shall we stop for a break?’ Dee suggested.
Babs nodded. ‘I could do with a coffee and a trip to the loo.’
Dee pulled in at the next service station and Babs went to the loo while Dee ordered the coffees. When Babs returned Dee was seated at a red plastic table for two, with two milky coffees in front of her, looking wistfully at her phone.
‘What’s up?’ Babs pulled out the plastic chair opposite her friend.
Dee raised her eyes, she looked a bit troubled. ‘I’ve had another message from Nigel. It’s quite a lovely message, really. He’s about to go on the golf course but said he’s sorry again he forgot my birthday and he’ll book us both a holiday together when he comes home to make up for it.’ She chewed the inside of her lip. ‘Perhaps he did genuinely forget.’
‘That’s not the point, Dee. He shouldn’t forget. Sixty is a big birthday. He should have planned something special for you. And it’s not the first time he’s forgotten your birthday, is it?’
‘He’s busy?—’
‘And you’re his wife.’ Babs stirred sugar into her drink. ‘Look, if Nigel can swan off to Portugal without you for a week, then what’s wrong with you going on holiday too?’
‘Nothing. You’re right. Nigel should have remembered and this might make sure he does in future,’ Dee said, sounding stronger.
Babs bit back a sigh. She loved Dee to bits, but truth be told, she couldn’t stand Nigel. He was selfish, pompous and Dee was far too good for him, even though she couldn’t see it. Babs had, in fact, felt a little sorry for Dee over the years, thinking that she and Geoff had the stronger marriage. Nigel had behaved badly in the past and Dee had forgiven him, not wanting to disrupt the children’s lives by having to take them out of their private schools and moving from their gorgeous home. But Babs had never forgotten.
Meanwhile, Geoff, for all his faults, had never treated Babs badly – and they’d always worked as a team. Until now. He could be single-minded, yes, but he’d never made a major decision like this before without consulting her. Ever since he’d retired though, he’d been restless. She knew he was bored, and could understand that he wanted a change but why was he so obsessed with moving to Spain? And how dare he think that she should have to go along with what he decided? Like hell she would!
She pulled herself out of her thoughts and looked over at Dee who was calmly sipping her coffee.
‘We’re going to make this birthday really special,’ Babs said. ‘Did you say you’d been to Port Telwyn before?’ Dee had mentioned it when they were looking for holiday cottages to let last night; they’d been lucky to get something last minute.
‘Yes, we went on day trips there a couple of times when we were holidaying in Cornwall with the kids when they were young. Beautiful place, although it could well have changed now.’ She took another sip of her drink. ‘Don’t think you have to make a special effort, Babs, I’m fine about my birthday and looking forward to staying in the cottage for a week. Don’t feel you have to stay there for the whole week either. If you want to go home anytime, then please do it.’
‘Oi! Don’t you want me with you? Well tough, cos I’m staying and that’s that. I’m not leaving you by yourself!’ Babs told her.
‘I’m used to being by myself, and quite happy just to have a change of scenery.’ Dee leaned over and patted Babs’ hand. ‘It’s great to have your company, but you are not responsible for making sure I have a wonderful birthday. And you have things to sort out with Geoff. That must come first.’
‘Huh! Well Geoff isn’t exactly putting me first, is he?’ Babs scoffed. ‘Let’s forget about the men and concentrate on having a good time. It’s been years since we went away together.’ She tittered as a memory crossed her mind. ‘Do you remember that week in Kos when we were only eighteen and we hooked up with that stag party who were staying at our hotel?’
‘Oh God, yes! We had some great nights clubbing with them.’
Babs chuckled. ‘What about that evening they all went out dressed in tutus and left their keys in their rooms? We had to sneak them all into our room and let them sleep on the floor until the next morning when the cleaners came around and opened the door of their rooms. The cleaners’ faces were a picture when these hulking guys dressed in pretty tutus strutted in.’
‘As if I could forget? They were a bit wild, weren’t they?’ Dee laughed. ‘It was such a fantastic week.’
They’d had some good times, her and Dee, Babs thought. They both went back a long way, friends since they were twelve and Dee had moved to the local high school that Babs attended. She was a bit shy but Babs had taken her under her wing and they’d been friends ever since, often going on holiday together in their late teens and early twenties. Babs and Geoff had been the first to get married. Dee had been focused on her teaching career until she was swept off her feet by smooth-talking Nigel as soon as she met him. ‘I can’t believe he’s interested in me, he could have any girl he wanted,’ she’d told Babs. That was the trouble with Dee, she didn’t know her worth.
Dee never liked to argue, or cause any kind of conflict. Whereas, Babs always stood her ground, fought her corner; she wasn’t going to be a pushover for anyone. She and Geoff had had their arguments over the years, but they’d always had each other’s back. Once Geoff realised that Babs was serious about not moving to Spain, surely he’d drop the idea. Meanwhile, she might as well have herself a holiday with her best friend.