carted off to Denbury General, and she was pleased that Mo felt she now had somewhere safe to escape to if things got really bad.
‘Was it a fork?’ Joan asked gently.
Mo nodded, thankful that the bleeding had subsided and by the look of it, no stitches were required. She sipped on the sweet tea that Joan had presented and took the two strong painkillers by her side.
‘Rosie OK?’
‘She’s with Tommy at Dana’s, thank goodness.’
‘This can’t go on, Mo. I’ll be rounding the corner and seeing an ambulance at yours next.’
‘I know,’ Mo said weakly. ‘I’ve started saving, you know with the extra shifts I do when you look after Rosie.’
‘Well, that’s a good start,’ Joan encouraged.
‘I threatened to leave him tonight and he said that I was too cowardly to ever do it and too fat and ugly for anyone to ever want me again, so why bother anyway.’
‘Oh, duckie. He’s ill – he needs help but he’s got to realise it himself.’ Joan put her arm round Mo’s shoulder and squeezed her. ‘There are hostels that you could go to as a last resort, you know.’
‘Oh Joan, I couldn’t subject Rosie to that and I would be so frightened that they might take her away that I don’t want to even enquire. I am very well acquainted with the ways of Social Services, and I don’t trust them an inch.’
‘Do you want to both stay here tonight? We’ll find room even if it’s a made-up bed on the floor.’
‘No, you’re fine. Hopefully, he’ll be crashed out asleep by the time I get back. I can just put Rosie to bed when Dana drops her back.’
‘I tell you what, then. Why don’t you come and spend the day with us tomorrow instead? We’re going to the park to fly kites. The fresh air will do you good and Rosie would love it.’
‘Joan, you’re such a brick, and hark at me moaning on.’
‘I actually don’t think I’ve heard you moan once, so drink your tea and shut up.’ Joan smiled.
‘It’s me who should be worrying about you anyway,’ Mo said guiltily. ‘How are you getting on with the new diabetes lifestyle?’
‘It’s fine actually – lots of fibre, less saturated fat, less meat, more fish and more exercise. And with regular visits to Dr Delicious, it can only do me good, I reckon. Plus it might even help me to shift a few pounds too.’ Joan paused. ‘Sorry, Mo, that came out wrong.’
Mo tutted. ‘Sshh, you. I know I need to lose more than a few pounds.’
‘Well, I’ve decided to start power-walking around the park from Monday, if you fancy coming with me? The kids and Squidge will enjoy it and it’ll keep us fit.’
‘I’m not sure,’ Mo said. ‘I can barely walk round the corner without puffing like an old woman.’
‘Exactly!’ Joan exclaimed. ‘We need to get you running here without so much as a bead of sweat on your brow.’
Mo managed a smile. ‘You’re having a laugh, aren’t you, but OK let’s go on Monday and see how we get on.’
‘That’s the spirit, Mrs Collins.’
After seven years Carole still could not be civil when she dropped Sidney off every other weekend. Dana totally understood why the other woman would hate her. She had been just eighteen years old to Mark’s thirty-five when they met. A pretty, naïve little girl who had not set out to steal a husband, but her infatuation for him was so strong, at the time she’d have moved a mountain for them to be together.
And now here they were, Mark and Dana, to the outsider the perfect couple, living in a huge house on Bramwell Hill with their own beautiful son, expensive car and all the other trimmings that go with a city boy’s lifestyle.
Now, Sidney ran into the play room, where Tommy had a Scalextric track set up. It was a relief that the ten year old had not been tainted by his mother’s poison: the half-brothers got along fine.
Mark made sure the boys were happy, then walked into the kitchen to see Dana. She was peeling potatoes ready to make some homemade chips for
‘Was it a fork?’ Joan asked gently.
Mo nodded, thankful that the bleeding had subsided and by the look of it, no stitches were required. She sipped on the sweet tea that Joan had presented and took the two strong painkillers by her side.
‘Rosie OK?’
‘She’s with Tommy at Dana’s, thank goodness.’
‘This can’t go on, Mo. I’ll be rounding the corner and seeing an ambulance at yours next.’
‘I know,’ Mo said weakly. ‘I’ve started saving, you know with the extra shifts I do when you look after Rosie.’
‘Well, that’s a good start,’ Joan encouraged.
‘I threatened to leave him tonight and he said that I was too cowardly to ever do it and too fat and ugly for anyone to ever want me again, so why bother anyway.’
‘Oh, duckie. He’s ill – he needs help but he’s got to realise it himself.’ Joan put her arm round Mo’s shoulder and squeezed her. ‘There are hostels that you could go to as a last resort, you know.’
‘Oh Joan, I couldn’t subject Rosie to that and I would be so frightened that they might take her away that I don’t want to even enquire. I am very well acquainted with the ways of Social Services, and I don’t trust them an inch.’
‘Do you want to both stay here tonight? We’ll find room even if it’s a made-up bed on the floor.’
‘No, you’re fine. Hopefully, he’ll be crashed out asleep by the time I get back. I can just put Rosie to bed when Dana drops her back.’
‘I tell you what, then. Why don’t you come and spend the day with us tomorrow instead? We’re going to the park to fly kites. The fresh air will do you good and Rosie would love it.’
‘Joan, you’re such a brick, and hark at me moaning on.’
‘I actually don’t think I’ve heard you moan once, so drink your tea and shut up.’ Joan smiled.
‘It’s me who should be worrying about you anyway,’ Mo said guiltily. ‘How are you getting on with the new diabetes lifestyle?’
‘It’s fine actually – lots of fibre, less saturated fat, less meat, more fish and more exercise. And with regular visits to Dr Delicious, it can only do me good, I reckon. Plus it might even help me to shift a few pounds too.’ Joan paused. ‘Sorry, Mo, that came out wrong.’
Mo tutted. ‘Sshh, you. I know I need to lose more than a few pounds.’
‘Well, I’ve decided to start power-walking around the park from Monday, if you fancy coming with me? The kids and Squidge will enjoy it and it’ll keep us fit.’
‘I’m not sure,’ Mo said. ‘I can barely walk round the corner without puffing like an old woman.’
‘Exactly!’ Joan exclaimed. ‘We need to get you running here without so much as a bead of sweat on your brow.’
Mo managed a smile. ‘You’re having a laugh, aren’t you, but OK let’s go on Monday and see how we get on.’
‘That’s the spirit, Mrs Collins.’
After seven years Carole still could not be civil when she dropped Sidney off every other weekend. Dana totally understood why the other woman would hate her. She had been just eighteen years old to Mark’s thirty-five when they met. A pretty, naïve little girl who had not set out to steal a husband, but her infatuation for him was so strong, at the time she’d have moved a mountain for them to be together.
And now here they were, Mark and Dana, to the outsider the perfect couple, living in a huge house on Bramwell Hill with their own beautiful son, expensive car and all the other trimmings that go with a city boy’s lifestyle.
Now, Sidney ran into the play room, where Tommy had a Scalextric track set up. It was a relief that the ten year old had not been tainted by his mother’s poison: the half-brothers got along fine.
Mark made sure the boys were happy, then walked into the kitchen to see Dana. She was peeling potatoes ready to make some homemade chips for
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