Watch Over Me by Daniela Sacerdoti Page A

when we were children came to the shop, some for errands, some because they genuinely wanted to see me, some for a bit of juicy gossip they could spread on. Alannah came with her boys, two tall lads of thirteen and eleven. She’d married young and stayed at home to look after the boys. Sharon and her twin sister Karen, both of them hairdressers in the small local salon, one boy each, came together and finished all each other’s sentences. Mary, a solici tor in Kinnear, mother of two girls, came on her way to work, power-dressed, hair perfectly blow-dried. She’d married the most unpopular boy in the school, Michael, known for bullying the younger ones and looking down on just about everybody. As she mentioned him, I could guess that their marriage was less than happy. Sylvia, a teacher in Glen Avich Primary, came with her wee girl Pamela, who has Down’s syndrome.
    And Helena, sweet, softly spoken Helena, my childhood best friend. In school, we always sat together. She was one of the bridesmaids at my wedding. She came in a hurry to stock up for a long car journey. They were driving down to London to see her husband’s family.
    ‘Eilidh! It’s so good to see you!’ she exclaimed, a big smile on her face, her eyes sparkling.
    ‘Helena! You look lovely,’ I said honestly. She did look great – happy and as pretty as always, with her wavy dark-blonde hair and her dark eyes.
    ‘Come here.’ She gave me a big hug and I could feel by the way she held me that she was aware of all that happened, that she felt for me.
    ‘Is this Calum? And Euan? I can’t believe it! Last time I saw you, you were toddlers!’
    ‘I know. Time flies, doesn’t it? We need to run now, we’ll be away for a couple of weeks, but when we come back we’ll catch up properly. I met Margaret at the hairdresser’s – she filled me in. I’m so sorry for your loss.’
    I nodded.
    ‘And how’s your mum and dad?’ she said quickly. ‘And Katrina?’
    ‘They are fine, they are all fine. And your parents, and Gail?’
    ‘Same here, all fine. By the way, you won’t believe who Gail’s seeing now.’
    ‘Who?’
    ‘Jamie. Jamie McAnena – remember him?’
    Jamie. I remembered Jamie very well. We’d been close friends for a while, just before I left. I suppose I used to have a crush on him, when we were children. In the past few years, every time I’d come up he seemed to be away to study or otherwise engaged and we kept missing each other.
    ‘Yes, of course, Jamie. He’s going out with Gail? Goodness, how old is she now? In my mind, she’s still a wee girl!’
    ‘She’s twenty-six. Can you believe it? Anyway, how long are you staying?’
    ‘I’m not sure. A few weeks I suppose. Until I get back on my feet.’
    ‘Is there no way back for you and Tom?’ she said in a low voice.
    I shook my head and looked away.
    ‘I’m sorry. How awful. You’ve always been strong, Eilidh, you were by far the most determined of us all – so self-sufficient and independent. You’ll get through this.’
    I looked at her, surprised. Strong? Me? Self-sufficient and independent? Is that who I used to be? I can’t remember the last time I ever felt strong. Of all the memories of myself I’ve had since I’ve been back, the one of strength was the most remote.
    Helena went away with the promise to drop by as soon as she was back.
    The same day, on my way home after Peggy had come to relieve me, I saw him.
    Jamie McAnena.
    I froze. At last, I thought – and then wondered where this thought had come from, as if since I’d arrived, I’d been waiting to spot him, hoping to bump into him.
    He was standing in the play park, beside a climbing frame. Sitting on top of the climbing frame was a girl of about five, wearing a pink coat and a pink scarf, her flaxen hair blowing about in the breeze. She was pretending to be riding a horse, or so it seemed, because she was sitting upright, her hands holding imaginary reins, her feet kicking the sides gently. Her