Chapter 2

Emily carried the flowers into the small room and put them down on the table. The wizened face of her grandmother looked at her and squinted. "Paula?"

"Emily," the young girl replied and glanced behind her to see the look on her sister's face. "Paula's by the door."

The elderly woman struggled to focus into the shadows and Paula moved across the lounge in the residential home. Her parents were showing some prospective buyers around the old house of her grandparents, who had both deteriorated rapidly in the previous two months. "Hi Nan," Paula muttered and sat down in an adjacent chair before accepting the offer of a cup of tea.

Her grandmother took a few moments to focus on Paula and Emily, sitting next to her, but Paula steered the conversation towards subjects her grandmother could understand and then played a game of chess with her while Emily looked on.

Emily spotted her grandfather in the garden outside and walked outside, before they were joined for lunch by their parents. The residential care home happily provided lunch for all six of the family members in the expansive garden, but it was clear that the two elder members of the family were struggling to comprehend everything that was going on.

Before long, the Dotsons drove back and dropped Emily off at their house, before travelling to the restaurant to continue with the preparations for their "Grand Opening."

Emily had barely entered the house when the phone rang, and she picked up the ringing handset and inwardly groaned when she heard the voice of her sister's ex-boyfriend. "Yeah, hiya Andy. She's not in."

"Again," he moaned and she rubbed her nose.

"Yeah. She's out on a date," Emily blurted out and pursed her lips together. "Umm sort of."

She expected to hear his voice break, but he just grunted. "Sure, OK. Tell her I called. Just got some news and wanted a chat. Can you ask her to call me when she is free?"

"Sure," Emily promised and wiped her face; she knew her sister talking to Andy would only make her more withdrawn and isolated. She was missing Andy and hearing his voice would confuse her.

Signing off, she put the phone down and ambled into the kitchen, rummaging around the biscuit tin before selecting three. She muttered to herself and put one of the Hobnobs back; her sister would probably tease her about taking too many biscuits and although Paula was out, she would discover the missing biscuits had been taken by her. She always did!

"Fraternising with the enemy?" Paula teased as Neil wandered over to them.

"You what?"

"Well, we will be doing meals as well. Rivals." Neil snorted.

"Yeah, well, we have loyal drinkers. You won't be touching proper ale on tap, will you?"

Paula shrugged. "Maybe not."

"So, you aren't a threat. If anything, might entice a few more people down this end of town." He waited for Paula to shrug, and he wiped his hands on his trousers. "I'm off 'ome now. What time d'ya finish? Wan' a walk?"

Paula looked into the empty restaurant and called out to her parents busily hanging plants or polishing glasses. Her mother looked out of the window, and Paula asked if she could go leave. "Sure love. You remember where we live?"