Chapter Nine
Lucy
I can’t control my knees from bouncing with excitement as I sit facing my boss.
“And you’re sure you won’t reconsider?” Sean, the head entertainment coordinator, asks as I rise from my seat.
“Honestly, I’m ready for a change. Thank you so much for having me for the past eighteen months. This experience has been incredible.” I reply honestly. I have loved it, but there is only so much time a girl can spend living on a cruise ship. I am beyond ready to live on dry land for a while.
“Well, Lucy, there is always a spot here for you if you ever wish to come back. We will all miss you,” he tells me before giving me a parting hug.
I have been away from home for so long, I don’t remember what home feels like anymore.
I did three years in Paris, just over a year in China, and now I have finished cruising around the Caribbean.
All of this with Sara by my side. It’s time for me to have a well-deserved break, even if it’s just for a few months until I find a new contract to start.
Who knows, I might finally get the chance to go backpacking through Europe, like I have always wanted to.
The second the door closes behind me, two dainty hands are spinning me around.
“Did you do it?” Sara asks, holding me at arm’s length. Her doe-eyed expression is expectant, as if I wouldn’t follow through with our plan. She had her meeting just before mine. Sean wasn’t shocked at all when I said I was leaving, too. He knows where one goes, the other follows.
I smile widely before answering. “Yes! I’m free!”
“Oh my God, this feels so weird. Do you think it feels weird? It’s weird,” she chants, not quite believing we’re finally getting off this oversized boat.
“Yes,” I laugh. “But… now we can do whatever we want!”
“Firstly, we need a spa day,” she says as we walk back to collect our cases from the staff quarters. “Then, we need a big, fat, greasy takeaway!” Her excitement is rubbing off on me the more she goes on.
“We need to make it back to the UK first,” I elbow her, making her laugh even more. “I know what my first meal will be,” I say, images of my favourite Pad Thai floating through my brain.
“I know that. But, Lucy! We haven’t had a break since college. We have worked so hard, and we deserve to enjoy every minute of this before our next job comes in.” She exclaims, bouncing on the balls of her feet.
At times like this, Sara really reminds me of Liz, my step mum.
Her overexcitement and dramatic flair is exactly how she would act.
The thought of Liz suddenly dampens my mood.
We do FaceTime often, but it’s been a very long time since I last saw her.
Or any of them, for that matter. Ever since that day, D-Day as Sara likes to call it, I’ve made a point of avoiding going back there.
It was the day I ripped my heart in two and left part of it back in Bewdley.
“Hey,” her voice softens as she tries to get my attention. “It’s time, you know. We can’t run away forever.”
“But what if I like running away?” I ask.
“Then it’s tough shit. Because I’m sick of chasing your arse around the world. A girl needs sleep!” I choke on a startled laugh. Of all the things she could have said, trust her to come out with that.
“I know. I’m sick of myself, too. But I’m also grateful that you did. I couldn’t do this life without you,” I admit, giving her hand a light squeeze.
“That’s because I am just so amazing.” She winks, squeezing my hand in return. “Now, let’s get our shit and get the hell out of here.”
This is it. I am standing outside my parents’ house, staring up at the door, but I don’t think I can go inside.
Well, I can, I just don’t particularly want to.
Shifting my bag higher up my shoulder, I take a deep, calming breath.
I can do this. I CAN do this. I repeat this mantra a couple more times in my head, willing my body to move.
I’ve done it before, it is just the same as every other time I have visited. This is just an extended stay.
I grab the handle of my suitcase, readying myself to take the last few steps, when I hear the door open. I look up, and my dad is standing there, leaning against the door frame and smiling down at me.
“Well, Lucy-Lou, I have been watching you contemplate coming in for the past ten minutes,” he jokes. “Now get over here and give your old man a cuddle.”
Just the sight of my dad makes me sigh in relief. As soon as he opens his arms for me, I drop my bag and run into them. God, I have missed him. He holds me tight for a moment before patting me on the back.
“Come on, let’s get you inside. Liz has your favourite lunch ready.”
“After the lack of food I have eaten over the last year and a half, I could eat shit with sugar on and be happy,” I laugh. Sometimes the food was great, but with nonstop rehearsals and shows, we were always the last to get to the canteen. Meaning, we got the scraps that no one wanted.
“What a description,” his face sours as he collects my bags from where I dumped them. “You have such a beautiful way with words.”
“Good thing I’m not a poet,” I chuckle as we walk towards the kitchen.
Liz mustn’t have been able to hear us from in here, as she hasn’t turned around to greet us.
Something doesn’t sit well with me when I look at her.
Her movements seem rushed and not at all like herself.
She scurries around the kitchen in a panic, wiping down the sides and pouring drinks.
You would think the queen was on the way for a visit, not little old me.
“Liz?” My Dad calls from the door, a knowing look on his face like he had been watching her act like this for a while.
At the mention of her name, she jumps and spins quickly to look at us. A large smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes spreads across her face. It has been this way since the day I came home from college. Neither of us knows how to act around the other anymore.
“Hi,” I squeak, my voice not working the way it should.
“Oh, Lucy, come here.” She gingerly walks closer, her arms spread wide. I meet her halfway and wrap my arms around her. I wish it wasn’t this strained between us. It had never been this hard before.
But she is just as much to blame for all of this as I am.
“It is so good to see you. Was the journey home okay?” She asks as she leans back to look at me. Sadness is still visible on her face.
“Yeah, just long. I am ready for some of your amazing cooking.” I smile, trying to ease the awkwardness.
“It’s a good job, as I have made enough to feed the five thousand.” She laughs as she guides me over to the kitchen island. She’s not lying either; there is so much food laid out, I don’t even know where to start.
Nothing has changed in here, not that I ever thought it would, but after staying away for so long, you would think something would be different. Even the fridge magnets are in the exact same place.
“How is Sara? Did she make it back okay?” She asks, knowing that me and Sara are practically inseparable. This is the first time I have ventured home without her as backup.
“She’s good, we’re planning to meet up next week for a few nights in London.
She said that she hopes you’ve made her some of your famous banana bread.
” This makes her smile more genuinely. Probably because this is the most I have spoken to her in years.
I am trying really hard here, and I know the key to Liz’s heart is to compliment her cooking skills.
“Then I will have to make you some to take.” She replies as she busies herself dishing up a bowl of food for me. “Here you go, Sugarplum.”
As soon as I have my first mouthful, I immediately moan. I haven’t tasted food this good in such a long time. I didn’t realise just how much I missed it until now. My taste buds are in overdrive. I’m not even sure what it is I’m eating, but it smells divine.
“This is amazing!” I exclaim between mouthfuls of food. “I can’t wait to see what you’re making for dinner.”
“Well, I hate to disappoint, but we’re having a takeaway tonight,” she admits. “My babies are never all in one place at once, so we’re having a family night. We’re going to pick Fallon up soon, and the boys are heading over later on.”
I feel the colour drain from my face. The food in front of me suddenly tasted like sawdust.
The boys are heading over later.
That can only mean one thing.
He is coming.