Chapter 25
25
BABS
‘What are you doing here? How did you know where I was?’ Babs demanded.
‘Molly told me. I need to talk to you, Babs.’
‘If you’re hoping to persuade me to go back with you and help you get our home – which I don’t want to sell – ready for viewers, you’ve got another think coming!’
‘I’ve come to tell you that someone wants to buy the house.’ He paused, then added to make sure that Babs understood, ‘It’s as good as sold, they’re organising their funds.’
‘So, you’ve come to gloat. I bet you’ll be off as soon as you get your money in the bank!’ She scowled, hand on hips. ‘Well, it won’t be all your money, even though the house is in your name. I’m entitled to half and I’m going to make sure I get it. You’re not leaving me homeless! I’m going to see a solicitor about this!’
Geoff sighed and ran his hands over his beard. ‘I would never leave you homeless, love. I don’t want us to divorce, Babs. I’m sorry about what I said about the house being mine. I didn’t mean it. Of course it’s your home too.’ He shook his head. ‘Solicitor. Divorce. I can’t believe it’s got to this.’
‘What do you expect me to do, when you put our home on the market and make plans without consulting me?’ Babs was struggling to hold back the tears but she was damned if she was going to let him see her cry. Then she saw the tears in his eyes, too, and the bags underneath them, the paleness of his skin and she felt a surge of compassion. He’d come all the way down here to talk to her, she should hear him out. Maybe he was sorry. And he had called her ‘love’. He didn’t look like he’d come for an argument. And Dee was right, they needed to talk.
‘I suppose I’d better put the kettle on,’ she mumbled, going inside.
She flicked on the kettle and took two mugs out of the cupboard. When she turned around Geoff had followed her and was now sitting on the sofa, knees apart, hands clasped together. He looked uneasy, unsure. Maybe she’d given him more of a shock going away than she realised. They’d always done everything together, made every decision together. She wished they’d never sold the perishing shop now, then none of this would have happened. She made the tea strong with a dash of milk, just as he liked it, and spooned a sugar in, then handed it to him and sat down in the chair opposite, her own mug on the table in front of her.
‘I can’t tell you how sorry I am. I shouldn’t have put the house on the market and booked the viewing trips to Spain. Not without you agreeing,’ he said. He swallowed, fiddled with the neck of his shirt then raised his eyes to hers. ‘I love you, Babs. I don’t want us to split up.’
Neither did she, but she wasn’t going to let him sweet talk her into giving in. ‘Then you know what to do. Refuse the buyer’s offer and take the house off the market.’
‘I really want to do this, Babs. I feel like I’m stagnating. That my life’s going nowhere. I don’t want to do the same things every day, I want to do something with my life while I still can. I want to have an adventure.’
‘It not just your life though, is it? We’re a couple and I don’t want to go to Spain.’
Geoff licked his lips and fidgeted in his seat. ‘The thing is, I haven’t been totally honest with you.’
Her breath caught in her throat. He looked serious. What was he going to confess? Surely he hadn’t had an affair?
‘A couple of months ago I found a lump.’
Her hand flew to her mouth. Oh God, no, was he ill? ‘A lump?’ she gasped. ‘Where?’
‘In my— er, you know.’
‘Your testicle?’ Her heart was beating a drum against her chest now. ‘Why didn’t you tell me? You need to go to the doctors right away.’
‘I did go to the doctors, it was a bacterial infection and they gave me medication for it. And I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to worry you.’
‘Oh, Geoff.’ Babs was by his side, hugging him. ‘Are you sure you’re okay?’
‘I’m fine. Honest I am.’ He wrapped his arm around her and they embraced tightly. ‘The thing is, it gave me a fright. It made me realise how vulnerable I was, how I was getting older and hadn’t done what I wanted with my life. That’s when I started thinking about moving to Spain. To have the experience of living in another country. Do something I’ve never done, before I get too old.’
‘Oh, Geoff, why didn’t you talk to me? You could have explained so that I could at least understand why you’ve acted this way.’
‘I know. I’ve been a pig-headed idiot. Molly and Lennon have both read me the riot act. I’ve gone about it all wrong.’
Babs swallowed. ‘So have I,’ she admitted. ‘I should have realised there was a reason behind all this. You’re not a selfish man.’
Geoff kissed her on the cheek. ‘Look, I understand that it’s a big step but would you at least come with me to Spain to view the properties? You never know, you might see something you like.’
‘And what if I don’t? What if I still don’t want to go? What then?’
He sighed. ‘Then we won’t go. I don’t want to lose you, Babs. I know I was a bit heavy-handed. Please come with me, take a look and if you say no then I promise I will drop the idea.’
She hesitated. ‘But then will you resent me for not letting you live your dream?’
He ran his hand over his bald head. ‘No, of course not. I promise you I’ll turn down the buyer’s offer, take the house off the market and forget the idea if you really don’t want to move. Please at least come and take a look.’
Babs hesitated. What if she went on this trip to Spain with him and he kept chipping away at her, trying to persuade her to go along with his plan? She didn’t want her marriage to end, but she didn’t want to be guilt-tripped into living abroad either.
Geoff rested his hand on hers. ‘Look, I’ll cancel the trip if you want, if that’s what it takes to get you back, I’ll do it. You mean the world to me, Babs. You always have.’ His eyes glistened. ‘I’d really like you to give it a chance though. We could look on it as a holiday, spend a bit of time together. It’s been horrible without you this week, I can’t bear to think of spending the rest of my life without you.’
She could see that he meant it. He would call it all off if she wanted. He was prepared to forget his dream. Well, it wouldn’t hurt her to agree to look at the properties in Spain, would it? And she had to admit, a week in the sun would be lovely.