Chapter 22
On Monday morning, Angelia got up extra early to wave her parents off on their trip.
Her head was still fuzzy from sleep, but she had awoken to an exciting message from Bella saying she was going to meet with a contractor at the shop in the afternoon, and asking if she’d like to come down to Glentorrin to be present.
Angelia had replied to say Bella could go ahead without her.
She had already given her a spare key and had approved all the plans they had discussed, so her being there wasn’t really necessary.
She had read the reviews so she knew she could trust Bella.
Now here she stood at the front door, in her pyjamas trying not to yawn as her mum clung to her hand.
‘Are you sure you’ll be okay, sweetie?’ her mum asked, her eyes glassy. ‘I feel so bad leaving you at a time like this. And we’re going to miss your birthday.’
She smiled in what she hoped would be a reassuring manner.
‘Honestly, Mum, you don’t need to worry.
There’ll be other birthdays. And I’ll be fine.
Ed’s here, and Meghan. And nothing bad has happened so far since I’ve been home.
’ Apart from the group of fans recognising me, the Monty Python paps and a massive panic attack, oh, and my band and career collapsing around my ears, she thought but didn’t mention any of it.
‘Come on, love, we really need to go,’ her dad called from where he stood by the taxi.
He had already said his goodbyes and had asked, once again, if Angelia was sure she didn’t want them to stay home, but of course she wouldn’t allow them to lose all that money they had invested in their trip of a lifetime.
Her mum pulled her into a strong embrace. ‘I love you and I’m so proud of you,’ she said with a wavering voice.
‘I love you too. But please try not to worry. Just go and have an amazing time. You’ve dreamed of this holiday for so long, please don’t let worrying about me spoil it.’
Her mum pulled back and cupped her face in her free hand. ‘I’ll try, darling.’ She gave one last smile and turned to dash towards the waiting cab. Then, as the car pulled away, her mum waved until she could no longer be seen.
Angelia closed the front door, and Ed pulled her into a hug. ‘Are you okay?’ he asked with a kiss to the top of her head.
Angelia nodded. ‘I’m fine, honestly. Absolutely fine.
’ She needed to change the subject. ‘Bella’s meeting a team of contractors at the shop today, fingers crossed they can take the job soon.
Although I’m not holding my breath. It’s a pretty long shot, I suppose, and I’m guessing I may be in for a fair wait. ’
‘Let’s hope she can pull some strings then, eh?’ Ed said, releasing her from his arms. ‘It’s going to be so bloody cool when it’s done.’
Meghan cleared her throat. ‘Hey, sorry to interrupt you, guys, but I’ve… erm… I’ve had a call from my aunty. My mum was taken to A&E last night and now she’s in hospital having major surgery.’
Angelia gasped and covered her mouth with one hand. ‘Oh no, Meghan, what on earth happened?’
Meghan’s face was unusually pale, and she leaned on the wall to steady herself. Angelia had never seen her looking so vulnerable. ‘She, erm… she had a heart attack.’
Angelia strode towards her and hugged her. Meghan melted into Angelia’s arms and sobbed.
‘You need to go home, Meghan. You need to be there.’
Meghan nodded silently into her shoulder and clung to her for what felt like an age. Then, as suddenly as it had all happened, she straightened her spine and wiped roughly at her face with her sleeve. ‘I’ll call Den. They can send Austin… or Chad… or?—’
‘Look, I’ll call Den,’ Angelia insisted. ‘You just get your things packed and go. Please. Never mind any of the other stuff. Den will understand. Just go.’
Meghan, for once, didn’t argue. She simply nodded, turned and walked towards the spare room, lifting her phone and swiping at the screen as she went.
Ed rubbed his hands roughly over his face. ‘Shit, what a morning. Poor Meghan. Can I do anything?’
Angelia smiled. ‘There’s nothing to do. Let’s just let Meghan get sorted and we can deal with the rest later.’
Meghan packed and arranged a hotel room for that night in Carlisle, roughly the halfway point of her journey to Cardiff. As she was leaving, she hugged Angelia tightly. ‘Thank you, Angel. I appreciate you being so understanding. I’m sorry to dash off like this.’ Her voice wavered.
Angelia shook her head. ‘Hey, you don’t need to apologise. Our parents are so important.’ She remembered Isla’s words at choir practice. ‘You’ve got to make the most of them. Are you sure you’re okay to drive though?’
Meghan nodded. ‘Yeah, I’ll… I’ll be fine, lovely. I’ll be careful, don’t worry. I feel like I’m abandoning you.’ Her voice wavered again.
Ed slipped his arm around Angelia’s shoulder. ‘Honestly, it’s fine, Meghan. I’ll look after her. You concentrate on yourself and your mum.’
Meghan glanced up at Ed. ‘Thank you, Ed. You’re such a good friend.’ She turned her attention back to Angelia. ‘Looks like you’re in safe hands,’ she said with a look that Angelia recognised but chose to ignore. Ever the matchmaker, she thought.
Angelia hugged her once more, her heart squeezing in her chest. ‘Please keep me posted on how your mum’s doing. I’ll be thinking of you.’
Meghan nodded, her eyes filled with tears and worry, lifted her bag and walked to the yellow Mini.
Back inside, Ed walked through to the kitchen and returned with two mugs of coffee. ‘I figured you’d need this.’
She closed the door and took a mug, inhaling the earthy aroma and feeling a sense of calm wash over her. ‘Thanks. You know me so well.’
‘So, who do you think they’ll send to replace Meghan?’ Ed asked as he sipped his coffee.
Angelia tried to act nonchalant. ‘No one. Because I’m not calling Den.’
Ed’s eyes widened. ‘Oh, right.’ He nodded.
‘I need to get used to not having an assistant now the band has finished so there’s no time like the present, eh?
And I don’t need to be watched and wrapped in bubble wrap, Ed, like I’m somehow more important than other people.
I’m not. I’m human like everyone else and I just want to be normal again. ’
He held up his free hand. ‘Hey, you’re preaching to the choir.’
Angelia looked up and fixed him with a determined gaze. ‘So… what do you say we take that camping trip you talked about?’
His eyes brightened. ‘Seriously?’
‘Seriously. I mean we’d have to be back for Friday because it’s choir practice then, and again on Saturday and I can’t let them all down.’
Ed fist-bumped the air. ‘Hell, yes!’
* * *
The hour-long journey to Glenbrittle later that day was fun, like old times.
They sang along to Hozier, of course, although Angelia not so much this time, but she enjoyed Ed’s dramatic delivery of ‘From Eden’, complete with hand gestures that made her giggle.
Thankfully he kept his eyes firmly on the road ahead.
They made a stop for Scrappy to have a bathroom break and for Ed to call into the nearest shop to gather provisions, although he’d been excited to inform her there was a café and shop on the campsite if they needed anything else.
The sky was heavy and grey for the whole journey, but Angelia wasn’t going to let it dampen her mood, and anyway, it only added to the drama of the scenery that surrounded them.
The wildflowers in the hedgerows, dog violets, blackthorn and cowslips in their pinks, whites and yellows, were a bright, cheery contrast to the otherwise murky colour palette.
But ultimately this was a taste of freedom she didn’t often get, and she wanted to make the most of every second.
She fought the urge to stick her head out of the window to feel the breeze on her face like a puppy experiencing life for the first time.
It was raining heavily when they arrived at the Glenbrittle campsite, but it was still quite busy. Ed pulled the van into a space close to the beach and the shower block which was, surprisingly, a little quieter.
‘We’ll camp here so you have quick access to the loo and showers.
You can keep your hood up and head down so no one will know it’s you,’ he said, clearly having thought things through, which she appreciated.
‘And hey, less midges thanks to the rain. Bright side and all that.’ He grinned. ‘Come on, I’ll get the kettle on.’
He climbed out of the van and walked around to the sliding side door that led into the main body of the camper.
Inside was quite spacious for a two-berth vehicle.
There was a countertop with a small sink, a two-ring stove and a fridge underneath, all situated opposite the door, and to the right was a double seat that flattened out into a bed.
Scrappy was asleep in his red tartan harness, clipped onto the seat until Ed climbed in at which point he awoke and wagged his tail until Ed gave him a scratch behind the ears.
‘Hey, little fella, you looked all snuggly there, sorry for waking you.’
Angelia was able to swivel her passenger seat around without getting out of the van, which was handy considering the deluge outside.
She unclipped Scrappy, removed his harness and placed him on the floor where he rolled around excitedly on his back trying to bite his tail until he exhausted himself, sighed, and decided on nap number twelfty-eleven of the day.
Once Ed had dried his hair off with a towel, he switched the gas on and fired up the heater to take the chill from the air.
‘I’m so glad you agreed to this,’ he said, rubbing his hands together and blowing into them.
‘Once we’ve had a cuppa, why don’t we get our coats on and take Scrappy for a walk on the beach?
There’s nothing quite like a refreshing walk in the rain. ’
‘Sounds good.’