Chapter 39
Suddenly, it begins to rain.
Raindrops hammer down onto the surface of the river and the roof of the Kingfisher Café and Book Barge. The lifeguard remains seated in her deckchair but reaches for a large golf umbrella and opens it above her head. Kate and Erin yelp, grabbing their things and dashing barefoot across the grass and towards the beach huts. They seek shelter inside an orange-and-white striped hut which is filled with kayaks. With the doors left open so they can see and hear the rain, they sit cross-legged on their towels, huddling close to one another for warmth.
‘Listen to that!’
The sound is amazing as the shower becomes a torrential downpour, clattering against the wooden roof of the hut and dripping down through the trees to splash on the water. A family of ducks bob about happily, flapping their feathers. There’s one swimmer in the water, an older man with a thick grey beard, but the rain doesn’t seem to bother him. In fact, he tilts his head to the sky and laughs.
‘Wow, we got out at the right time,’ says Erin.
As they watch the rain, something that’s been bothering Kate rises to the surface.
‘Do you think there’s something going on with Mum?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘It’s probably nothing, but I feel like she’s been less active in our group chat recently. And I haven’t seen her in a few days …’
‘Hmm, now I think about it, I haven’t spoken to her properly in a bit either. But I’m sure she’s just busy. Why don’t we call her right now for a chat?’
Erin has her phone out before Kate can protest or wonder too hard why she even wants to protest. She loves her mum. But she can’t shake the feeling that recently she’s been asking too much of her. She doesn’t want to become a burden.
Their mum answers after a few rings. It’s a video call and she looks a little flustered at first, as though she’s just woken from a nap, but quickly adjusts her face into a wide smile. ‘Hello, girls! How nice to see you together. Are you in a shed?’
‘Hi, Mum!’ says Erin cheerily. ‘We’re down by the river, but it’s pissing it down with rain so we’re taking shelter. Look.’
She turns the camera round so their mum can see the view.
‘Oh wow, it looks beautiful, even in the rain.’
‘Everything OK there?’ Kate asks once Erin has turned the camera round again.
‘Oh yes, everything is fine,’ she says brightly. ‘Brian sends his love.’ Kate thinks she can hear her stepdad pottering about in the background. ‘So, tell me what’s new with you both? How are my darling grandchildren?’
Erin gives updates about the boys and Kate tells her mum about her trip to London, her mum asking all the right questions and laughing in all the right places. It’s a happy, chatty call, and Erin ends it with a satisfied smile on her face.
‘See, she’s fine!’ she says after she’s hung up.
‘Yeah, you’re probably right.’ But Kate isn’t so sure. Her mum asked lots of questions but shared very little from her own life. And it was clear from the call that she was at home. So why did she say she couldn’t make the swim? Kate knows she’s probably overthinking things, but the call has just added to her feeling that her mum might be avoiding her.
Her phone rings and she’s a little surprised to see Phoebe’s name on the screen.
‘You take that,’ says Erin, gathering her bags, slipping her shoes back on and standing up. ‘I should get back to the boys. And the rain is easing up now.’
Kate looks outside and sees that her sister is right, the downpour having turned to a drizzle that blurs the river in a fine mist. Erin squeezes Kate’s shoulder and kisses her on the cheek.
‘Don’t worry so much, sis. It’s all going to be OK. Thanks for the swim, love you!’ And then she’s heading out into the rain, her towel draped over her head like a makeshift umbrella.
Kate manages to answer the phone just before it rings out.
‘Hey, Phoebe, we missed you at the river this morning!’
‘Hey, Kate. Thanks for your message checking in, I really appreciated it. I just thought I’d give you a ring to tell you what’s been going on …’
Kate listens as Phoebe tells her all about her grandmother’s accident and Phoebe’s trip to Cornwall.
‘Oh my God, I’m so sorry, Phoebe. I’m glad to hear she’s doing OK now. Are you OK though?’
Phoebe’s voice wobbles a little as she replies. ‘I’ve been better. These past couple of weeks have been …’
‘Shit?’ finishes Kate.
To her surprise, Phoebe laughs, a loud, deep cackle that makes Kate want to laugh too, it’s so contagious.
‘Yeah. Absolutely bloody shit.’
Phoebe tells Kate a bit more about her nan and about what happened with Luca.
‘I’m sure things with Luca aren’t as bad as you think they are,’ she says once Phoebe has finished and let out a big sigh. ‘And you don’t need to worry about any of that right now. You just focus on being there with your family. And remember, you’re not on your own when you get back, OK? I’m here for you and so are the members of the Farleigh-on-Avon River Swimming, Bathing and Recreational Water-Based Activities Club …’
She takes a huge, dramatic breath after finishing saying the long name, making them both laugh again.
‘Thanks, Kate, I really appreciate that.’
‘You don’t need to thank me. You did the same for me. You helped me change my mind about going to London and I’m so glad I went.’
They chat a bit more, Kate filling Phoebe in on the London trip. Phoebe nearly cries with laughter when she describes the incident with Rosie and the dress. Kate asks Phoebe to tell her more about her nan and listens to stories of them building sandcastles together on the beach when she was young and sharing favourite books with one another.
‘I feel a lot better, thanks, Kate,’ Phoebe affirms as they say goodbye. But even though Phoebe sounded much better at the end of their call, Kate thinks about all the things her new friend has been dealing with. Her break-up with Max, her work worries and now this …
She creates a new WhatsApp group with all the swimming group except Phoebe.
Swimmer in distress! Hey, ladies, hope you don’t mind the group message, but Phoebe has been having a bit of a rough time. I thought of something we could do to help, if you’re up for it …
Not long after she hits send, the replies come in.
Hester: Count me in.
Jazz: Me too! x
Sandra: Ooh! I love a plan! The Farleigh-on-Avon River Swimming, Bathing and Recreational Water-Based Activities Club to the rescue!
Jazz: Oh God, we really do need to work on that name.
Sandra: Never mind the name, I was thinking of a uniform instead. I think we’d all look very fetching in capes …
As Kate gathers her things and readies herself to head home to Rosie and Jay, it hits her how far she has come over the past weeks. Things with Rosie might not be perfect, but she’s let go of so much guilt and thinks she is moving forward at last, rather than feeling stuck at the beginning, back in that hospital bed consumed by fear. She’s reconnected with her old friends and made new ones too, friends who have helped her get back on her feet. Now she wants to do the same for Phoebe. Because if motherhood has taught her anything so far, it’s that when you’re someone whose job it is to look after other people, it can be all too easy to forget to look after yourself.