it but again in the same place where the old one hung before.
Same room just modernised , thought Ash, smiling to herself. She walked into the hallway hearing a noise. She looked up to see an old collie running towards her.
‘Saber… Hello boy.’ She bent down, rubbing her hands all over his coat then burying her face in his fur. ‘Where are they, boy?’
Standing up, Saber ran off into the front room. Ash followed but no one was in there. He picked up a ball, dropping it at her feet.
‘Later boy, later,’ she said, looking out of the window to her car. It was then she realised her car was the only car there; they must have gone out somewhere.
Couldn’t have gone far , she thought. The house is unlocked .
She brought her stuff in from the car with Saber at her heel, still like a puppy wanting to play. He must be nearing the end off his little life, she thought. She took her things up to Rachel’s room where she used to sleep, finding the same old single beds on either sides of the room. To her delight the big old doll’s house in the corner was still intact: their room hadn’t been touched; it was as if she could hear the sound of Rachel and her giggling as a children.
Saber didn’t quite know what to do with himself; from behind her she could hear his tail banging against the door as he waited with his ball in his mouth, saliva dripping from the corners of his jaws.
‘Oh come on then, boy. Down we go,’ she said, clapping her hands.
She followed him out to the front lawn, throwing the ball for him as she sat on the swinging chair.
Dogs , she thought, they never grow up or run out of energy. Still the same old young puppy at heart.
‘Hello.’
A voice from behind made her jump. Turning around, Ash had to do a double take to be sure.
‘Gemma Collingridge!’ Ash said, with a surprised grin, eyeing her old school friend. Gemma gave Ash a huge hug, stepping back to look her up and down. Ash did the same, taking in the blonde shoulder-length hair instead of the long brown locks Ash remembered.
‘You look great, Ash.’
‘So do you, Gems. I’m so glad you’re here.’
Taking her hand Ash led her around to sit on the swinging chair. She asked about the village and if she had seen Mary recently.
‘I moved back to the village two years ago, after I broke up with Steve. I was going to divorce him.’ Gemma’s smile faded as she looked at the floor. ‘He cheated on me with a girl from the gym. I tried to stay with him but it didn’t work so I moved home.’ She looked at Ash then smiled. ‘But he begged and I went back to him—silly really as he cheated on me with her again.’
‘No!’
‘Yeah, so I’ve been back for six months. The divorce is through and I’m a single woman again.’
‘I’m sorry, Gem, same kind of thing happened to me. Men are all pigs.’ Ash swallowed. ‘Did you see much of Mary before she—’ She felt a lump in her throat.
‘Mary was a real pillar for me when I came home the first time. I sat with her every evening after work, drinking tea and eating biscuits. I would cry and she would rub my back then hand me another biscuit.’
Ash laughed. ‘That sounds right, Mary’s answer to any problem.’
‘Umm.’ Gemma tilted her head at the memory. ‘Then the second time I came home she supplied me with the same but you could tell she was getting weaker. She caught a cold and—’
‘I know.’
‘My mum and dad moved away last year—did you know?’
‘No. Where have they gone?’
‘Jersey.’ Gemma rolled her eyes ‘They bought a B&B. They want me to help run it with them.’
‘I take it you don’t want to.’
‘Ash please . No way, a B&B at my age?’ Gemma laughed and pushed her feet into the ground, making the chair swing slightly ‘Mum and Dad are coming over for the funeral.’
‘Are they? Be nice to see them again. Just wish it was under different circumstances. So where are you living?’
‘Here.’
‘Here, with
Same room just modernised , thought Ash, smiling to herself. She walked into the hallway hearing a noise. She looked up to see an old collie running towards her.
‘Saber… Hello boy.’ She bent down, rubbing her hands all over his coat then burying her face in his fur. ‘Where are they, boy?’
Standing up, Saber ran off into the front room. Ash followed but no one was in there. He picked up a ball, dropping it at her feet.
‘Later boy, later,’ she said, looking out of the window to her car. It was then she realised her car was the only car there; they must have gone out somewhere.
Couldn’t have gone far , she thought. The house is unlocked .
She brought her stuff in from the car with Saber at her heel, still like a puppy wanting to play. He must be nearing the end off his little life, she thought. She took her things up to Rachel’s room where she used to sleep, finding the same old single beds on either sides of the room. To her delight the big old doll’s house in the corner was still intact: their room hadn’t been touched; it was as if she could hear the sound of Rachel and her giggling as a children.
Saber didn’t quite know what to do with himself; from behind her she could hear his tail banging against the door as he waited with his ball in his mouth, saliva dripping from the corners of his jaws.
‘Oh come on then, boy. Down we go,’ she said, clapping her hands.
She followed him out to the front lawn, throwing the ball for him as she sat on the swinging chair.
Dogs , she thought, they never grow up or run out of energy. Still the same old young puppy at heart.
‘Hello.’
A voice from behind made her jump. Turning around, Ash had to do a double take to be sure.
‘Gemma Collingridge!’ Ash said, with a surprised grin, eyeing her old school friend. Gemma gave Ash a huge hug, stepping back to look her up and down. Ash did the same, taking in the blonde shoulder-length hair instead of the long brown locks Ash remembered.
‘You look great, Ash.’
‘So do you, Gems. I’m so glad you’re here.’
Taking her hand Ash led her around to sit on the swinging chair. She asked about the village and if she had seen Mary recently.
‘I moved back to the village two years ago, after I broke up with Steve. I was going to divorce him.’ Gemma’s smile faded as she looked at the floor. ‘He cheated on me with a girl from the gym. I tried to stay with him but it didn’t work so I moved home.’ She looked at Ash then smiled. ‘But he begged and I went back to him—silly really as he cheated on me with her again.’
‘No!’
‘Yeah, so I’ve been back for six months. The divorce is through and I’m a single woman again.’
‘I’m sorry, Gem, same kind of thing happened to me. Men are all pigs.’ Ash swallowed. ‘Did you see much of Mary before she—’ She felt a lump in her throat.
‘Mary was a real pillar for me when I came home the first time. I sat with her every evening after work, drinking tea and eating biscuits. I would cry and she would rub my back then hand me another biscuit.’
Ash laughed. ‘That sounds right, Mary’s answer to any problem.’
‘Umm.’ Gemma tilted her head at the memory. ‘Then the second time I came home she supplied me with the same but you could tell she was getting weaker. She caught a cold and—’
‘I know.’
‘My mum and dad moved away last year—did you know?’
‘No. Where have they gone?’
‘Jersey.’ Gemma rolled her eyes ‘They bought a B&B. They want me to help run it with them.’
‘I take it you don’t want to.’
‘Ash please . No way, a B&B at my age?’ Gemma laughed and pushed her feet into the ground, making the chair swing slightly ‘Mum and Dad are coming over for the funeral.’
‘Are they? Be nice to see them again. Just wish it was under different circumstances. So where are you living?’
‘Here.’
‘Here, with
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