Chapter 11
LIZZIE
I’m tired but it’s almost seven, too late to go back to bed, so I doze on the sofa until Grace comes bouncing in. ‘I went into your room, Mummy, and you weren’t there.’
She jumps on the sofa beside me. I pull her into a hug. ‘I know, darling, I got up early today.’ I kiss her forehead. ‘Was Daddy still asleep?’
She nods and giggles. ‘He was snoring.’
Typical Nick. He never has any trouble sleeping, but then he doesn’t have a guilty conscience like me, does he?
‘I’m hungry, Mummy,’ Grace says.
‘Let’s have some breakfast then, shall we? Is Isaac awake?’
‘Yes, he’s playing on his iPad.’
I worry about the time Isaac spends playing on his iPad.
Though we have safe settings, and he mainly plays educational games, I don’t like him or Grace having too much screen time.
We don’t normally allow them to take it out with them, but relaxed the rule yesterday as we thought the wedding would be a long day, and the last thing we wanted was for them to be bored and restless.
‘Can you go and ask him to come down for breakfast, and I’ll get the cereal out?’
Grace nods and races up the stairs, yelling at the top of her voice. ‘Isaac! You’ve got to come down for breakfast!’
Well, I doubt if Nick will be still asleep now, I think as I go into the kitchen and get the cereal bowls out of the cupboard.
Isaac and Grace come charging down the stairs at the same time as a message pings in from Nick.
Just having a shower and I’ll be with you.
It seems crazy to message each other when we’re in the same house, but we both often do if we’re in different rooms. The kids yell enough without us doing it.
I put the kettle on for a coffee, we both like instant first thing, and sit down at the table as the kids tuck into their breakfast. I try to remember what time Mum and George are catching the plane, I want to phone her and wish her a safe journey before they go, but I don’t want to wake them up, yesterday was a full day for them.
Then, just as Nick comes in, hair wet from the shower and wrapped in his dressing gown, George phones.
‘Hi, George, I was about to—’ I start to say but he cuts me short.
‘Lizzie, love, I’m so sorry but your mum’s had an accident.’
I can hear the quiver in his voice and my hand flies to my mouth.
Oh God, Mum! I grip my mobile tight as I stammer.
‘What sort of accident? Is she…?’ I can’t utter the words that are swimming in my mind.
Please God, don’t let her die. I throw a panicky look at Nick and motion to let him know I’m going out of the room.
‘It’s not serious, fortunately, but she’s fractured her ankle.
She went a bit dizzy last night and fell over.
Thank goodness Alison was here, we persuaded her to stay over so we could travel to the airport together.
She knew exactly what to do. She drove us to A&E and stayed with us.
She’s cancelled her flight too so that she can stop and look after Judith.
I’ve told her that I can manage but she insists. ’
Last night? ‘Why didn’t you let me know last night? I would have come straight over.’
‘We didn’t want to trouble you, love. We knew it wasn’t serious and Alison was here to help. She is a nurse after all.’
But she’s my mother. I should have been told straight away. The words are screaming in my head but I force them back. I’m overreacting. They didn’t want to worry me late at night, that’s understandable.
‘Are you sure she’s okay? Have the doctors checked her out thoroughly?’
‘Yes, Alison insisted. Judith’s ankle is a bit swollen but the fracture doesn’t require surgery, so they have given her a surgical boot and she’ll have to walk with the aid of a front-wheeled walker for a while, as the hospital didn’t think she’d be safe using crutches.
Obviously we’ve had to cancel the honeymoon.
We’ll go later when your mum’s ankle is better. ’
That makes sense. I feel sorry for them both though, they’d been looking forward to their short trip to Prague. ‘I’ll be right over,’ I tell him.
‘There’s no need, dear, Judith is having a rest right now. It was a long night. And Alison is here so Judith is being well looked after. Come along this afternoon when we’ve all had a bit of shut eye. I promise you that your mum is okay.’
I swallow back my protest that I want to see my mum, make sure for myself that she is all right. I’m being selfish, of course they all need to rest. They were probably in A&E for hours. They must be exhausted.
‘I’ll come over later then. Please give Mum my love.’
Nick comes in as I end the call and puts his arm around my waist. ‘What’s up?’
I tell him what’s happened. ‘Luckily Mum was only halfway up the stairs when she went dizzy, what if she was almost at the top? Or had hit her head on something?’ I tremble as I realise how this could have all been a lot worse.
I could have lost my mum forever. No one knows more than me how fragile life is.
Nick holds me in his arms and caresses the back of my head as I nestle against his shoulders.
‘I understand that you’re worried, but George has assured you that Judith is okay so please don’t get yourself in a state.
Leave the kids with me when you go and see her later.
I wouldn’t think your mum is up to them bouncing around just yet. ’
‘Thank you,’ I tell him. I don’t know what I’d do without Nick, he’s so calm which is a good thing as I’m anxious enough for both of us.
Sometimes his laidback attitude drives me nuts and I know he gets irritated when I’m overanxious. But everyone’s different, aren’t they? And we both adore each other and have each other’s back which is the most important thing. We trust each other completely.
I do a quick Internet search on fractured ankles, it can take six to twelve weeks to heal, might need a cast and Mum will need lots of rest. She won’t be able to go to work at the bakery, so she will be home alone when George goes to work.
He has an assistant at the butcher’s shop but he’ll fret if he isn’t there himself, overseeing things.
I’ll have to visit her every day and do any chores she needs.
I’m worried all morning, but the kids keep me busy. Finally it’s three o’clock and I grab my bag. ‘I’ll go and check on Mum now then. I won’t be long,’ I tell Nick.
‘Be as long as you need, the kids are happy playing in the garden and I’ve got some weeding to do,’ he tells me.
I decide to walk to Mum’s, she only lives a couple of streets away and it’s a warm day, the fresh air will help me get myself together. I don’t want to turn up all anxious because then Mum will worry about me.
I’m so deep in thought that I hardly notice the short journey, I know it so well that I’m sure I could walk it in my sleep, and realise with a jolt that I’m there. I stand in front of my family home for a few minutes, my mind going back to the day we moved in.
Dad was so proud and Mum so happy. Our former house was a decent sized semi in a nice enough area but Dad had always wanted to live in this part of Worcester and had been over the moon when his company did so well he could afford to buy this four-bedroomed detached house, in the corner of a leafy cul-de-sac, with its big rooms, conservatory and large garden. We all felt at home there immediately.
Truth be told, I didn’t want to leave. The house held so many memories, and by leaving it I felt like I was leaving Dad behind.
Nick really wanted us to have our own house though, and Mum thought it was for the best too, so I agreed as long as I was in walking distance of Mum.
We visited each other every day until she met George and still see each other several times a week.
I wonder if that would change now they are married.
I have a key but since George moved in I don’t let myself in unless I know Mum is home alone. It’s only polite. Mum does the same when she comes to mine if Nick is home.
Alison opens the door a couple of minutes after I ring the bell. ‘Hello, Lizzie. Mum’s expecting you,’ she says with a smile. ‘Best not to stay too long though, we don’t want to tire her out.’
I feel a bit put out at her use of the word ‘Mum’ again. And that she’s only been here five minutes and she’s telling me how long I can stay in my own mother’s home. She’s only looking out for Mum. And she is a nurse, I remind myself as I step inside.
‘How is she?’ I ask as Alison closes the door.
‘A bit shaken up, and her ankle is painful but we’re all thankful that it wasn’t a lot worse.’
So am I. I’ve been trying not to dwell on the fact all day that if Mum had been near the top of the stairs and fallen she could have broken her neck.
‘I’ve been so worried about her. Is she in the lounge?’
‘Yes. Excuse me, I was in the middle of loading the dishwasher.’ Alison strides off towards the kitchen, and I head into the lounge.
Mum is sitting in an armchair, her foot is in a black surgical boot and propped up on a pouffe. A front-wheeled walker is placed against the back of the chair. She looks pale and drawn but her face lights up when she sees me.
‘Hello, Lizzie. It’s nice of you to pop in and check on me, love. Where are the kiddies?’
‘I thought it best to leave them with Nick today. They can be a bit boisterous.’ I sit down on the opposite arm of her chair and give her a hug. ‘Are you sure you’re okay? Do they know what made you go dizzy?’
‘They said that my blood pressure was very low. Which is unusual, it’s normally a bit high.
’ She looks puzzled. ‘I take tablets to keep it down, as you know.’ Mum has been on tablets to lower her blood pressure since the mini stroke.
‘Alison thinks it must be the stress of planning the wedding. Apparently emotional stress can cause low blood pressure and as I’m taking blood pressure tablets to lower it as well it must have plunged too low. ’