Chapter 41
41
BABS
Wednesday
Babs tossed and turned all night, her mind in turmoil as she went over her last conversation with Geoff. She knew she was right to call it a day. What was the point of them staying together to both be miserable? Geoff wanted to be in Spain and she didn’t. It was heartbreaking, after all these years of marriage. She would miss him terribly. A lump formed in her throat and tears filled her eyes, as she thought of a life without Geoff.
He had taken the house off the market as soon as they’d come back, as he’d promised, but he had gone about with such a long face, hardly talking to her. She didn’t want that. She’d prefer to end it now while they were still friends, than hang on until they both hated each other. So she’d told him to sell to the people who’d made an offer and they’d split the proceeds. There was enough for Geoff to buy himself a finca in the middle of nowhere, and for her to get a little flat. Hopefully.
Now, at sixty years old, she had to make a new life for herself. Thankfully she could stay with Dee until she sorted herself out. But, much as she loved it down here in Port Telwyn, for her it didn’t feel like home. It was okay while she was looking on it as a holiday, but now she knew that this was it, her new life, she felt like someone had spun her round and placed her in a strange country. She had no idea what to do with herself. Dee seemed happy here and she’d got involved with the Artists’ Studios and had made a nice network of friends. She intended to make her life down here, but Babs didn’t want to. She wanted the life she had. The life with Geoff.
Stop hankering after what you can’t have, she told herself sharply. Geoff wants different things now. So you either go along with that or make a break. That’s the only choice you’ve got.
She must have dropped back off to sleep because the sound of the front door closing woke her up. She glanced at the clock. Eight thirty. Dee must have gone to work without waking her. She quickly showered, dressed and went downstairs. Snowy was asleep in his basket in the kitchen. He miaowed when he saw her, stretched, got out of the basket and went to the back door. Babs opened it and the cat shot out into the back garden; she followed him. She could smell the sea air and hear the seagulls squawking as they pattered across the cottage roof. There were worse places to live. Perhaps she’d get used to it eventually. She just needed to keep busy until she adjusted. When Geoff had sold the house, she would have some money to buy herself a little flat. Or maybe she and Dee could buy a place together. Would that work? They’d been friends for a long time, but were completely different personalities.
Could she even find a way to settle down here as Dee had done? Dee already had a job in the café – albeit temporary – and had filed for divorce and seemed happier than Babs had ever seen her. But then she and Nigel had lived almost separate lives for years. They always seemed more to exist alongside each other, rather than with each other. Whereas, Babs and Geoff…
She shook the kettle to check there was enough water for a cup of tea then switched it on. She’d just made herself a mug of tea when the doorbell rang. Persistently. As if someone had their finger on it.
‘Okay, okay, I’m coming!’ she walked into the hall and opened the door, stepping back in surprise when she saw Molly and Lennon standing on the doorstep together. ‘What are you both doing here? And so early too! You must have left at the crack of dawn.’
‘Hello to you, too, Mum,’ Lennon said. ‘Are you going to let us in?’
‘Yes of course.’ She stepped aside ‘It’s lovely to see you both but, Molly, aren’t you supposed to be in Thailand?’
‘I’ve been given forty-eight hours compassionate leave,’ Molly said as they followed Babs into the kitchen.
‘Compassionate leave?’ Babs spun around, her hand going to her mouth. ‘Why? What’s happened?’
‘My parents are splitting up after thirty-seven years of marriage, because they’re too pig-headed to come to a compromise, that’s what,’ Molly said, pulling out a chair and sitting down on it.
‘So we thought we’d better get together and try to talk some sense into both of you.’ Lennon pulled out another chair and perched on it.
‘Well, much as I appreciate you both caring, and coming all this way to check on me, I’m afraid there’s nothing you can do. Your father and I have made the decision to split and that’s it.’
‘You know that Dad’s got someone interested in buying the house?’ Lennon asked her.
‘Of course I do. That’s what brought things to a head. He’ll give me half of the money and I’ll get myself a little flat.’
‘Where?’ Molly asked.
‘Coffee?’ Babs asked them, stalling for time.
They both nodded. ‘Well, where are you going to live?’ Lennon repeated Molly’s question.
‘I haven’t decided yet.’ She spooned coffee into the cups and added milk.
‘Neither has Dad. You have a buyer for the house but neither you nor Dad have anywhere else to live. You’re both intent on splitting up, yet have no idea what you’re going to do next.’
‘Your dad is going to Spain.’ Babs poured hot water into each cup, gave it a stir and handed one to Molly and one to Lennon. ‘And Dee’s said I can stay with her until I sort myself out.’
‘Dad’s not going to Spain.’
Babs almost dropped her mug. ‘What? Where’s he going then?’
‘He doesn’t know. We went to see him last night. He’s in a right state. He said he’s got to sell the house so he can give you your half of the money and he doesn’t know where he’s going to live.’
‘What do you mean?’ she looked incredulously from one to the other of them. ‘All this is because your dad wants to go and live in Spain and I don’t want to.’
Lennon sighed. ‘That’s just it, Mum. He doesn’t want to live in Spain without you. He actually said… he can’t bear to think of life without you.’
Babs felt anger roaring through her. ‘This is emotional blackmail! He’s only saying that because he’s hoping I’ll feel guilty and agree to go. Well, I won’t!’
Molly looked at Lennon. ‘What if you bought a holiday home there? And a little place over here? Then you both get what you want.’
‘Dee suggested that but it wouldn’t work. Your dad wants to live there permanently and I don’t.’
‘Mum, Dad still loves you. Do you still love him?’
‘Of course I do but that’s got nothing to do with it. We both want different things out of life now. It’s time to go our separate ways.’
‘If we were married and this was one of us, you would tell us to sit down and sort things out,’ Molly told her.
‘We’ve tried that, but there’s no solution to this.’
‘You’d ask us if we’d considered every option,’ Lennon pointed out.
‘What other options are there?’ Babs asked confused.
‘You don’t know unless you talk to him about it,’ Lennon told her.
Babs had no idea what to say. Her kids seemed convinced that there was a way around this but she couldn’t see one. ‘Maybe I’ll phone your dad later.’
‘Better still, talk to him now… He’s in the car. He wanted to come down with us.’
Babs was dumbfounded. This was a turn of events she hadn’t expected.
‘Mum?’ Molly looked at her beseechingly. ‘Please at least try. You’re both unhappy so what have you got to lose?’
She looked at her son and daughter. Molly had taken leave to come to see her, Lennon was a workaholic, but had clearly taken time off to pick up Molly and Geoff then drive down to talk to her. She nodded slowly. ‘Okay, but I’m not promising anything.’
* * *
Geoff came in and Molly and Lennon made an excuse about wanting to explore the village, and headed out.
‘Hello, Babs,’ Geoff said quietly.
‘Geoff.’ She was at a loss what to say but Geoff continued.
‘We need to talk, Babs, you’ve got it all wrong. I don’t want to live in Spain without you. I don’t want to live anywhere without you.’ He pulled out a chair and sat down, resting his head on his hands. ‘I’ve been a fool. I told you that lump gave me a scare. It knocked me sideways. I felt like I hadn’t done enough with my life. I wanted a new adventure before I got too old, but all I’ve done is wrecked the happy life we had together.’ He lifted his head and the love shone from his eyes. ‘I don’t want a place in the sun, Babs. I want to live my life to the fullest with you, the woman I adore. Please come back home.’
Babs went to him immediately and wrapped her arms around him. ‘Oh, Geoff, I don’t want to live without you either.’ They hugged each other tight and it felt so good to have Geoff’s arms around her.
‘I’m sorry, love, causing all this stress,’ Geoff mumbled.
Babs took a breath. ‘The kids and Dee both suggested we buy a holiday home in Spain…’ It wasn’t what she wanted, but she didn’t want to lose Geoff either.
Geoff shook his head. ‘The truth is, Babs,’ he paused, ‘when we went to Spain to look at the houses, I realised that I didn’t want to live there, but I felt so foolish after all the trouble I’d caused that I didn’t like to admit it. I pretended to be enthusiastic because I didn’t want to back down after causing all that fuss. I guess I just wanted to do more with my life and I seized on that as the answer, but it isn’t.’
‘Then let’s do more. Let’s plan some weekends away, there’s lots of the UK we haven’t seen. Or go on more holidays, a cruise even.’
Geoff nodded. ‘It’s worth a try. Anything’s worth a try for us to be together.’ He touched her cheek with his hand. ‘I’m sorry, I’ve been pig-headed. I should have talked about this with you. And I’ll never forgive myself for saying it wasn’t your house. I don’t know what came over me.’
‘I think we’re both as stubborn as each other. We dig our heels in and that’s it,’ Babs said.
He wrapped his arms around her waist. ‘All this has made me realise just how much you mean to me. Can we put it all behind us and start again, do you think? Will you come back home?’
‘It’s made me realise how much I love you too. And yes, I’d love to come back home.’ They hugged and kissed again.
‘Let’s promise each other that we won’t be so stubborn again. We almost lost each other and I couldn’t bear that,’ Geoff said, a choke in his voice.
‘Neither could I.’ Babs squeezed his hand tight. ‘Now, let’s message and tell the kids the good news, then I’ll tell Dee too. She’s working in the café today. She’ll be so happy for us.’
Molly and Lennon messaged back to say they were having breakfast in a café the other side of town and would be back in a couple of hours.
‘Is that where Dee works?’ Geoff asked.
‘No, she works in the café by the harbour. I think the kids are giving us a bit of space.’ Babs picked up her handbag. ‘Maybe we can have some breakfast too.’
They walked down the hill towards Moira’s Café, arm in arm.
‘Dee’s definitely divorcing Nigel then, after his shenanigans?’
‘There’s no way she’ll forgive him this time. She’s not been happy with him for a long time and this was the last straw. She’s going to buy a cottage and live down here.’
‘A fresh start then,’ Geoff said. ‘Very brave of her, but I’m glad she’s leaving Nigel, I never did like him. I hope she won’t be lonely here though.’
Babs pushed open the door of the café. Dee was sitting at the table in the window, beside Kenny. Papers were spread out on the table in front of them and they were both laughing. ‘She’s got a lot of friends here already. I’ve never seen anything like it! She’s like the Dee I first met at school. I think she’ll be fine,’ Babs said.
Geoff’s gaze rested on Dee, she looked so alive, then over to Kenny. ‘He looks a bit more than a friend.’
‘I think so too. Dee knew him and his wife a long time ago, but he’s a widower now.’
Geoff gave her hand a squeeze. ‘Well good luck to her. She deserves to find happiness after how Nigel’s treated her.’
‘She does,’ Bab agreed. ‘Let’s go and tell her our news. She’ll be thrilled for us.’