Read Online The Wedding Invite (Lakeview) (Lakeview Contemporary Romance Book 6) by Melissa Hill - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Melissa Hill
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her daughter’s existence, Helen recalled getting only a few hours ‘real’ sleep a night. By the fifth month, and just when Kerry had begun to improve, Jamie was gone.
“This isn’t what I wanted for us,” he said. “I feel tied down.”
At the time, she hadn’t had the energy to convince him to stay. Knowing Jamie as well as she did, she knew she would be fighting a losing battle
Kerry’s arrival signalled the end of Helen’s life as she knew it – the spontaneous nights out, the romantic evenings in, the much-anticipated holidays abroad. The only holidays Helen had to anticipate these days were in dull, grey Glengarrah, where she and Kerry would spend the odd weekend at her dad’s farm. Kerry loved the farm animals, and got a great kick out of collecting hens’ eggs each morning with her grandfather.
Helen parked outside the childminder’s house, and berated herself for the thoughts she had been having lately. She hated feeling down like this, but sometimes she just couldn’t help it. Things got on top of her now and again. Things like her non- existent life.
“Hi, Helen.” Kerry’s childminder stood at the door, awaiting her arrival. Jo was a rotund, kindly, earth-mother type, who had been looking after Kerry for almost three years now.
Uh-oh, Helen thought, realising instantly that Jo wanted to have ‘a little chat’. Jo often wanted ‘little chats’. Helen supposed it was a good thing that she was interested in Kerry’s welfare but sometimes …
“Is something the matter?” she asked. “Where’s Kerry?”
“No, no, nothing’s wrong. She’s in the garden playing with little Mark from next door.” Jo stood back and ushered Helen into the hallway. “Look, Helen, tell me to mind my own business but …” the childminder apologetically wrung her hands together, “it’s been a couple of months now and there’s been little improvement. If anything, she’s getting worse.”
Helen looked at her. “Jo, what more do you expect me to do?”
“Well I don’t mean to sound forward but …”
Perish the thought , Helen thought unkindly.
“Are you still doing the exercises with her?”
“I’m doing what I can, but I don’t always have the time to do them with her,” Helen muttered. “By the time I get home, have dinner and clean up, the evenings just seem to disappear.”
Jo looked troubled. “Helen, I know it’s none of my business, and I really wouldn’t say anything if I wasn’t worried. Just keep on eye on her, OK?”
What kind of a mother does she think I am? Helen thought, her pulse quickening with annoyance.
“I will.” Helen didn’t have the energy to argue about it today. “Now, if she’s ready …?”
“Of course.”
She followed Jo into the living-room, where Kerry sat playing happily on the ground with one of the neighbour’s children.
Immediately catching sight of Helen, she beamed. “Mommy!”
“Hi, hon, are you ready to go home?”
“Yep!” Kerry nodded enthusiastically, racing to her mother’s side.
“OK, now get your things and say goodbye to Mark and Jo.”
Kerry looked from one to the other. “Bye, M-m-m-m-m …” The little girl reddened and glanced at her mother for support, but Helen couldn’t look her in the eye.
“Take a breath, Kerry,” she said.
She tried again. “Bye, M-m-m ...”
Jo took her hand. “It’s alright, pet, he knows you’re going. We’ll see you tomorrow, OK?”
Kerry nodded again but looked upset.
In the hallway, Helen caught Jo’s ‘I told you so’ look, and it really annoyed her.
She was getting a little tired of the childminder’s interference in Kerry’s upbringing. Yes, her daughter was a slow developer, but what could Helen do about it? Didn’t she do her best for Kerry, working all day every day to keep them going? They now lived in a much nicer apartment than the one she and Jamie had, she always got the best of clothes, the best of toys, the best of everything .
Hadn’t Helen
“This isn’t what I wanted for us,” he said. “I feel tied down.”
At the time, she hadn’t had the energy to convince him to stay. Knowing Jamie as well as she did, she knew she would be fighting a losing battle
Kerry’s arrival signalled the end of Helen’s life as she knew it – the spontaneous nights out, the romantic evenings in, the much-anticipated holidays abroad. The only holidays Helen had to anticipate these days were in dull, grey Glengarrah, where she and Kerry would spend the odd weekend at her dad’s farm. Kerry loved the farm animals, and got a great kick out of collecting hens’ eggs each morning with her grandfather.
Helen parked outside the childminder’s house, and berated herself for the thoughts she had been having lately. She hated feeling down like this, but sometimes she just couldn’t help it. Things got on top of her now and again. Things like her non- existent life.
“Hi, Helen.” Kerry’s childminder stood at the door, awaiting her arrival. Jo was a rotund, kindly, earth-mother type, who had been looking after Kerry for almost three years now.
Uh-oh, Helen thought, realising instantly that Jo wanted to have ‘a little chat’. Jo often wanted ‘little chats’. Helen supposed it was a good thing that she was interested in Kerry’s welfare but sometimes …
“Is something the matter?” she asked. “Where’s Kerry?”
“No, no, nothing’s wrong. She’s in the garden playing with little Mark from next door.” Jo stood back and ushered Helen into the hallway. “Look, Helen, tell me to mind my own business but …” the childminder apologetically wrung her hands together, “it’s been a couple of months now and there’s been little improvement. If anything, she’s getting worse.”
Helen looked at her. “Jo, what more do you expect me to do?”
“Well I don’t mean to sound forward but …”
Perish the thought , Helen thought unkindly.
“Are you still doing the exercises with her?”
“I’m doing what I can, but I don’t always have the time to do them with her,” Helen muttered. “By the time I get home, have dinner and clean up, the evenings just seem to disappear.”
Jo looked troubled. “Helen, I know it’s none of my business, and I really wouldn’t say anything if I wasn’t worried. Just keep on eye on her, OK?”
What kind of a mother does she think I am? Helen thought, her pulse quickening with annoyance.
“I will.” Helen didn’t have the energy to argue about it today. “Now, if she’s ready …?”
“Of course.”
She followed Jo into the living-room, where Kerry sat playing happily on the ground with one of the neighbour’s children.
Immediately catching sight of Helen, she beamed. “Mommy!”
“Hi, hon, are you ready to go home?”
“Yep!” Kerry nodded enthusiastically, racing to her mother’s side.
“OK, now get your things and say goodbye to Mark and Jo.”
Kerry looked from one to the other. “Bye, M-m-m-m-m …” The little girl reddened and glanced at her mother for support, but Helen couldn’t look her in the eye.
“Take a breath, Kerry,” she said.
She tried again. “Bye, M-m-m ...”
Jo took her hand. “It’s alright, pet, he knows you’re going. We’ll see you tomorrow, OK?”
Kerry nodded again but looked upset.
In the hallway, Helen caught Jo’s ‘I told you so’ look, and it really annoyed her.
She was getting a little tired of the childminder’s interference in Kerry’s upbringing. Yes, her daughter was a slow developer, but what could Helen do about it? Didn’t she do her best for Kerry, working all day every day to keep them going? They now lived in a much nicer apartment than the one she and Jamie had, she always got the best of clothes, the best of toys, the best of everything .
Hadn’t Helen
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