“Hello, is this where Alex lives?”
“Yeah Whos asking?”
“Are you his mum?”
“Me? Im his wife! What do you want, love?”
“Hes in hospital, and they wont tell me anythingonly family can get updates.” The strangers lip trembled. “Can I come in?”
“Fine, come in then. Dont get why youre so bothered about my husbands healthwho even are you?” Lucy gestured to the kitchen. “Go on, through there.”
The girl perched on the edge of the kitchen bench, pulled a tissue from her pocket, and dabbed her forehead.
Lucy busied herself at the stove, waiting for the girl to spit it out.
“Fancy some water?”
“No Actually, yes, please.”
“Gonna keep me in suspense, then? Did you just pop round for a cuppa, or what?”
“Alex promised to marry me,” she blurted, then added softly, “This autumn!”
“Oh, did he now?” Lucy scrubbed a saucepan. “Thats lovely, except bigamys illegal, sweetheart.”
“Im not here to mess about.”
“Neither am I. Not exactly laughing, am I?”
“Hes marrying me in autumn. Soon as he divorces you, and then”
“Right. So whyre you here now? Come back in autumn. Whats your name?”
“Annie Anna.”
“Im Lucy. So, Annie-Anna, why not summer? Cant even see your feet past that bump. His doing?”
“Obviously. Were expecting. He said hed file for divorce after your birthday.”
“Ah. Now it makes sense. Classic Alexsame old story, eh? Leopard never changes its spots.”
“What? I dont get you.”
“No, but I get you. Where you from?”
“A village. Worked at the factory.”
“Come to conquer the big city, then. Bet Alex couldnt stand the baby cries. Due soon?”
“Two months.”
“Ugh, no wonder hes dodgingwants to save his nerves. When ours were born, he moved in with his parents. Work stress, he claimedthough his jobs hardly backbreaking.”
“Can you just tell me how he is?”
“Course! Stable but poorly. Dont look so scaredhell live.”
“What should I do?”
“How should I know? Didnt ask for my advice before hopping into bed with him, did you?”
“Im in my third year at unidistance learning. Mums got my little brothers at home. Nowhere to go. Alex said youve been strangers for yearsonly stays for the kids.”
“Did he now?” Lucy felt her patience snap like a twig. “Give me your number and address. Ill call you.”
“What?”
“When hes discharged, you can collect him.”
“Collect him where?”
“Your mums. Brothers place.”
“No room there.”
“Where dyou live now, then?”
“Student halls.”
“Perfect. Off you pop. Dont even think about my flatit was my nans, so its not marital assets. Why the blinking? Hes got no claim here.”
“Youre being cruel. We love each other.”
“Then lovell keep you warm in a cardboard box. Now scram while Im still nice. Remember the door? Good.” Lucy slammed the half-scoured pan into the sink.
Three days Lucy barely slept or ate since her Alex crashed his car. Doctors said he might not make it, but her Al pulled through. Exhausted, she got the callmoved to a ward, wifes duty to nurse him now.
Then this pregnant chancer turns up, eyeing her flat. Oh, she couldve dragged Annie by her scrawny hair down five flightsbut too knackered, mentally and physically.
Trudging to the hospital, Lucy stewed. Like it or not, she had to go. Nurse him or give him hell? Right now, shed nurse him alrighthed regret it. At least hed waited till after her birthday.
There sat Annie on the bench outside.
“Auntie Lucy! Auntie Lucy!”
“Persistent, arent you? Didnt I say everything?”
“You seeing Alex?”
“What if I am?”
“Take me with you.”
Lucy said nothing. They walked in silence. On the bus, Annie sat beside her. Lucy turned to the window, pretending not to know her.
At the hospital, Lucy introduced the bump as her niece.
“Wait here. Ill go first.” She marched in.
Alex lay aloneno roommates yetleg in traction.
Lucy entered. He woke to her glare, smiling weakly, but her face was stormy.
He blinked up with puppy-dog eyesbattered tomcat, bruises everywhere.
“Hello, Alex.”
“Lucy! You came. Missed you.”
“Missed me? Pull the other one.”
From her bag, she unpacked homemade food onto the bedside table, cheeks burning.
“Potatoes and burgers, your favourite. Eat em hot.” Her voice shook.
“Lucy, why so red? You ill?”
“Worse. I waited for you from your army days, Alex. Defied my parents for you. Remember living on pasta? Our boys? Sleepless nights? How could you forget?”
“Forget? Lucy, why bring this up now? We got through it.”
“Not all of it.” Her throat tightened.
“Lucy, whats wrong?”
“Didnt expect this from you, Alex. Knife in my back, straight to the heart.”
“Lucy, Im a prat. Wasnt my faultswear I drove careful, like you always say.”
“How could you?” She shook her head.
“Luce, well get another carjust let me heal.”
“Ugh! Think I care about the car?” She chucked oranges onto the table.
“Then what? That I nearly snuffed it? Look rough?”
“Dont fretyoull heal by autumn. Weddings coming, after all.”
“Lucy, whatre you on about?”
“Annie. Didnt catch her surname.”
“Whos Annie?”
“The one having your baby.”
“What baby? Lucy, you hit your head?”
“Me? You found some girl, knocked her up, and Im mad?” She finally cracked, sobbing.
“Lucy, need a doctor? Its nerves.” He struggled up.
“My nerves? I brought her. Lets fetch your shameless Annieplanning to move into my flat once you ditch me after my birthday.”
Alexs hair stood on end. Gobsmacked.
“Cat got your tongue?” She flung the door open. “Annie, get in here!”
Annie waddled in, hand on her back, scanning the roomthen froze at the sight of Alex.
“Wheres my Alex?”
“Whos this then?”
“Auntie Lucy, having a laugh? This bald bloke isnt my Alex.”
“What?”
“Mines young and fit. Got photos.” She fumbled with her phone. “Hereus together.”
“So youve got the wrong Alex?” Lucy grinned.
Seeing Alexs near-heart-attack face and Annies shock, Lucy cackled, collapsing onto a spare bed, howling till tears streamed.
“Wait!” She stopped Annie from fleeing. “Start from the beginning.”
Turned out, her Alex gave the wrong address. Whod guess thered be two Alexes?
Lucy called in favours, tracked down the right oneperfectly fine, faking the crash to ditch Annie. No divorce plans.
Fates funny. Lucysoft-heartedhelped Annie with housing, collected her from hospital, and made the deadbeat dad pay up. Hed think twice before messing with girls again.
Now Annie calls her “Mum Lucy, my guardian angel.”
When Annies boy grew, Lucy set her up with a decent bloke, even danced at their wedding.
So Mum Lucy kept her happinessand spread some around.
