Page 53 of Ask Another Day

Holly covered her head with her pillow and tried to block out Luke’s voice too. On instinct she reached for her phone and opened up the app. Her physical talisman was behind the bar, and she couldn’t face heading back out there, so she made do with this version again. Swirling colours looked back at her from the screen. ‘Will Rose keep fussing over me?’ she asked the screen. Absolutely Certain appeared. Holly wasn’t sure whether she was disappointed or comforted by the answer.

*

With the pub emptying just before last orders, Holly persuaded Rose and Luke to call it an early night. She was more than capable of locking up now, and they’d left with the last customer.

‘Sorry, we’re closing a little early tonight,’ Holly called as the door swung open, without looking up to see who it was.

‘I wanted to check on Lucy. I heard she’s not been feeling well,’ Tony’s voice stilled Holly’s hands as she cashed up the till.

‘Oh, hi Tony. Lucy has been a bit under the weather this week. But she’ll be asleep now. Maybe call in tomorrow?’

‘Can’t I just head on up and see her?’

‘I really think it’s best to leave her be.’

Holly hated to see the hurt her words were causing. In the past, he’d have been looking after her at home if she was unwell. And now, he had Holly acting as a bouncer keeping him from his wife. But Lucy wasn’t really his wife any more - not in her mind anyway. And from what Lucy had been saying, she knew she wouldn’t want him visiting her this late at night.

‘You’re right. I know you are. But I miss her.’

Holly shut the till, leaving the cashing up for now. ‘I know you do.’

‘When she moved back, I assumed it was because she wanted us to be together again.’

‘I think she thought that too,’ Holly offered kindly, ‘sometimes people change though. It’s no-one’s fault - just life, I guess.’

‘She’s filed for divorce.’

When Holly didn’t say or act surprised, Tony realised. ‘She told you.’

Holly nodded.

‘I haven’t signed the papers yet.’

‘Are you going to?’

Tony wiped a hand down his face and cupped his mouth tightly. ‘I don’t know,’ he finally said, ‘I’m not sure I can.’

As Holly struggled to think of what to say to him, he turned and left without another word.

Chapter 17

Absolutely

‘This is unexpected,’ Holly said as she smiled at her brother when he opened the passenger door for her. She grimaced as she eased herself into Luke’s VW Golf. It was so much easier to get in and out of cars now, but his vintage convertible was a lot lower than modern cars, and quite a bit more compact. She’d make it work though; Luke was taking her out for brunch and she never turned down a free meal.

‘I figured I owed you, after, well you know.’

‘After your girlfriend set me up in a threeway with an octogenarian and a Russian man who doesn’t speak English?’

‘Please don’t use the word threeway in my presence ever again,’ Luke groaned.

‘Threeway, threeway, three…’ Holly’s petulant taunts were drowned out by the stereo system blaring out Chains by Fleetwood Mac.

‘Oh, I love this song.’ Holly smiled, her teasing evaporating as Lindsey Buckingham’s lead vocals filled the cabin.

‘Found the cassette album inside one of Dad’s coats when we first sorted their stuff. There was this, along with The Kinks.’

The track filled the car as neither sibling said anything. Luke’s words sat there between them, comfortably, until Holly broke the silence.