Kitabı oku: «Healing The Single Dad's Heart / Just Friends To Just Married?», sayfa 3
His brow creased. ‘I was thinking about patients and their medicines. I was thinking about stopping the spread of disease.’
‘We don’t do this.’ She almost stamped her foot. ‘We don’t visit people at home.’
He held up his hands. ‘Why not? Particularly when it’s a public health issue? That mother told me back at the clinic that both the father and grandfather were struggling with their meds. You don’t need to be a doctor to know that’s how the little girl got infected. What about those other two kids? I didn’t even know about them before I got here. Are we just supposed to sit at the clinic and wait another few months until they turn up sick too?’
She could see the passion on his face. It was the first time she’d seen him worked up about anything. ‘Have you any idea about this area?’ she shot back. ‘Have you any idea about any of the areas around here—how safe they are?’ She wrinkled her nose. ‘Aren’t there places in Glasgow city that you shouldn’t really walk about alone?’
Now he frowned. ‘But you walked here alone,’ he said.
She threw up her hands. ‘But I’m from here,’ she emphasised. ‘You,’ she said, pointing at him, ‘are clearly not.’
She was furious and he’d obviously played this wrong.
Joe looked down at his trousers and the long-sleeved shirt he’d changed into. He knew with his tall build, pale skin and light brown hair he must stand out like a sore thumb. But instead of venting more frustration on his new workmate, he took a different tack and gave her a cheeky smile. ‘I don’t know what you mean.’
He watched her erupt like a volcano. ‘It’s not funny!’
Maybe he should wind it back in. He leaned against the wall and folded his arms. ‘No, you’re right, it’s not. But neither is the fact that there could be two more children in that household with tuberculosis and two adults risking developing drug-resistant tuberculosis.’ He gave a sigh. ‘I’m just trying to do my job, Lien. I know things are different here. I know the systems aren’t the same as the UK. But I still want to treat patients to the best of my ability.’
There was a noise in the stairwell beneath them, and Mai Ahn rushed back up towards them with a stricken expression on her face. She muttered something to Lien, whose face became serious.
She turned swiftly. ‘Other way,’ she said quietly, pointing to the stairwell at the opposite end of the passage.
‘Something wrong?’ he asked, as the women hurried ahead of him.
Lien’s expression was a mixture of worry and anger. ‘You’ve made us a target, Joe. A Western doctor—rumoured to be carrying drugs in a poor area of town—is always going to cause problems.’
A cold shiver ran over his body. He hadn’t thought about this at all. He tried to relate this to back home. Would he have gone out alone to one of the worst areas in Glasgow? He didn’t even want to answer that question in his head, because the truth was that he had done it before, and would probably do it again. Some parts of Hanoi didn’t seem that different from Glasgow. But he hadn’t meant to put either of his new colleagues at risk. Anything he could say right now would just seem like a poor excuse. He followed them both, turning rapidly down a maze of side streets until they were back on one of the main roads.
Lien didn’t say another word to him until they reached the hospital again. A reminder sounded on his phone and he pulled it from his pocket.
‘Apologies, Lien, I need to collect Regan.’ He hesitated for a second, knowing that things couldn’t be ignored. ‘Can we talk about this later?’
Lien’s face remained stony. She gave a nod to Mai Ahn. ‘Thanks so much, I’ll see you tomorrow. Sorry about the extra work today.’
The words felt pointed. Part of him was cringing and the other part was annoyed.
Lien turned back to face him. ‘I’ll walk with you,’ she said firmly.
It was clear he was about to be told off. First day on the job and he was already in her bad books. It wasn’t the best start. He could easily defend his position, but did he really want to get onto the wrong side of his work colleague, who was also his next-door neighbour?
He decided to be direct, since Lien seemed to like that approach herself. ‘I’m sorry about today. I wasn’t aware there are areas in Hanoi that aren’t particularly safe. I shouldn’t have taken Mai Ahn with me. I’ll get a better grasp of the language soon.’
He could see her grip tightening on the handle of her shoulder bag. ‘You shouldn’t have gone at all, Dr Lennox.’ Her voice was clipped.
He took a deep breath, resisting the urge to snap back. ‘You should let me know now—since we’ll be working together for the next six months—are you always going to call me Dr Lennox when you’re mad at me, and Joe all the other times?’
She must have been expecting some kind of argument, because his response made her stumble for just a second. She stopped walking and looked him in the eye. ‘Why do you do that?’
‘Do what?’
People were stepping around them in the busy street.
‘Try and interrupt my train of thought.’
He gave a half-smile. ‘Because your train of thought was going down an angry rail. Can we pause at a station and back up a bit?’
She shook her head at his analogy.
He shrugged and held up his hands. ‘What can I say? I’m the father of a four-year-old. Train and spaceship examples are the ones that usually work.’
She closed her eyes for a second. Her grip on the bag was becoming less pinched. When she opened her eyes again, her pupils were wide. ‘You don’t get it,’ she sighed. ‘The staff and patients at the hospital are my responsibility. Mine.’ She put her hand on her chest. ‘Can you imagine if I had to phone Khiem and Hoa and tell them that our new doctor had been attacked on his first real day of work and now wanted to head back home to Scotland?’
His hands went to his hips. ‘Do you really think I’m the kind of guy to leave at the first hurdle?’
Her gaze was steady but sympathetic, and he could tell from that glance alone that she did think that about him. Disappointment swelled in his chest. Her voice was hushed on the crowded street. ‘What if that first hurdle results in Regan having no parents?’
He flinched as if she’d just thrown something at him. The words were harsh. They were also something that he hadn’t even considered.
Ever. He’d spent the first year after Esther had died wrapping his son in cotton wool, worrying about every minor accident, rash or childhood sniffle. In every thought his worst-case scenario had always been about something happening to Regan—not about something happening to him.
He stood for a second, not quite sure how to respond, and then he just started walking, lengthening his strides as he hurried to reach the nursery.
All of a sudden he had to set eyes on his son again. He’d already paid a quick visit at lunchtime, spending his break time with his son and making sure he was settled and happy in his new nursery school. But that had been five hours ago.
Lien walked in short, brisk steps alongside him. If she was struggling to keep up she didn’t complain.
‘I’m sorry,’ she muttered. ‘That came out a bit…’
‘Wrong?’ He raised his eyebrows.
‘Direct,’ she countered.
‘Is crime around here really that bad?’ he asked. His brain was whirring. He’d read a lot about Vietnam before coming here—although most of what he’d read had been health related. He couldn’t remember reading anything about crime.
‘No,’ she admitted. ‘Hanoi isn’t any worse than any other major city. But home visits by doctors are just not done here. Particularly when the doctor might be taking out medicines to patients. Surely you can see that if word got about, it could be dangerous for you, and for anyone around you.’
He wasn’t happy. ‘So you exaggerated?’
She pressed her lips together. ‘I protected my staff,’ she said.
‘Then who was at the bottom of the stairs?’
‘Some members of a local gang. Mai Ahn and I know them, they’ve attended the hospital before—usually for emergency treatment, you know, stitches for fighting or stab wounds.’
The flare of anger abated. Maybe she hadn’t been exaggerating after all. ‘Surely they wouldn’t hurt you, then?’ he asked carefully.
Her gaze met his. ‘But they would probably hurt you,’ was her reply.
He swallowed. It seemed he’d need to get to know this city a little better. In Glasgow even the worst kind of people would generally leave a doctor alone. Most people had a moral code when it came to healthcare professionals, knowing that they would likely need help from them one day. But there had been attacks. One of his good friends had been assaulted and his bag stolen when he’d been visiting a terminally ill patient, so it did happen.
She sighed and put her hand up, tugging her ponytail band from her hair and shaking it out. ‘Sorry, headache,’ she explained. ‘They probably wouldn’t hurt you. But the truth is I do know them, and they drink. Heavily. They’re all fairly young, and some of them think they have something to prove.’
‘So you were erring on the side of caution?’
She gave him the first smile he’d seen since she’d come looking for him. ‘That’s the polite way to say it.’ She shook her head again as they approached the international school. ‘I’m not trying to scare you off. This is a fantastic city. But like all cities, there is good and bad, and until you familiarise yourself a little better, or at least get a hang of the language, can you try not to get into trouble? Believe me, I’ve got enough to worry about without having to check on you.’
She was trying to pretend the words were light-hearted but he could sense the sincerity behind them. They reached the door of the school. ‘Can you give me five minutes?’ he asked.
She nodded and waited outside as he went in to collect an excited but tired Regan, getting a full report from his teacher.
He walked back out with Regan in his arms. ‘It seems nursery was a big success,’ he said with a smile, conscious of how relieved he felt. Knowing that Regan had had a good day always made him happy. He’d be able to text his mum and dad tonight to tell them that things were good, and he knew they’d be relieved too.
‘Tell you what, let me try and make amends. How about I buy you dinner?’
Lien looked a bit surprised. ‘Dinner?’ she repeated.
He nodded and looked around. ‘You choose. Somehow I haven’t managed to get to the market today, and we devoured the food in the fridge last night. Show us somewhere we can eat on a regular basis.’ He raised one eyebrow. ‘Familiarise me with the area.’
She let out a laugh and shook her head, looking at Regan. She moved closer to talk to him. ‘Big day at nursery?’
Regan nodded in a tired kind of way. ‘It’s cool,’ he whispered.
Joe gave his back a rub. ‘I suspect Master Lennox is struggling with jet-lag. Once we’ve eaten I think I’ll get him straight to bed.’
Lien looked up and down the street. ‘What does Regan like? Are there foods he doesn’t eat? Or is he allergic to anything?’
Joe gave a brief shake of his head. ‘Take us somewhere you like, somewhere good. The wee man will more or less try anything.’
Lien let out a laugh.
‘What?’ Joe’s brow creased. ‘What is it?’
Her eyes were gleaming. ‘Have you any idea how Scottish you just sounded?’
She started walking down the street and he fell into step alongside her. ‘Don’t I always sound Scottish? I know my accent is a bit thick—’
‘A bit?’ Now it was her turn to raise her eyebrows.
He laughed now too. They crossed a few streets and she showed him into a small Vietnamese restaurant. By the way they greeted her it was clear she was a regular.
They sat in a booth and Regan settled next to his dad. He seemed to perk up a little. ‘Are we getting food?’
‘Yip,’ said Joe, glancing at the menu. His smile broadened and he looked up at Lien.
She was leaning her head on one hand and watching them both. She too had a big smile on her face, and he knew exactly why.
‘What’s on the menu, Dad?’ asked Regan.
‘What’s on the menu, Lien?’ he asked. He nudged Regan. ‘What do you want to eat tonight? I think we’re going to get Lien to order for us.’
He slid the menu across the table towards Lien. It was entirely in Vietnamese. He was really going to have to get a handle on the language. He didn’t even know how to order fries somewhere—the staple food of lots of kids.
‘Rice and more pork,’ said Regan brightly. ‘And can it be a little bit spicy like the kind we had last night?’
Joe almost gave a sigh of relief. He was lucky Regan was such a great eater. With the exception of Brussels sprouts, there was very little his son would refuse.
Lien leaned across the table towards Regan. ‘Oh, they do the best spicy pork in here. We can definitely get you that.’ She looked up. ‘What about you, Joe?’
‘I’ll just get the same as Regan.’ He pulled a face. ‘But can you order big? I’m famished—I skipped lunch.’
‘You did?’ She frowned and sat back. ‘I thought you took a break today.’
He glanced down at his son, and mussed Regan’s hair. ‘I went to check on Regan. Didn’t have time to eat.’
She gave him an appreciative glance, then turned to their waiter and ordered rapidly in Vietnamese for them all. As she did it, she flicked a bit of hair out of her face. He smiled. She did that often. There was always a strand that seemed to defy the ponytail band or clip she wore to tie her hair back. It was a habit, one he found endearing. He straightened in his chair. Where had that thought come from? He focused his thoughts back on his sleepy son.
She was right about the restaurant. It was a good choice. The food arrived quickly, and they chatted easily while they ate.
He could see Lien gradually beginning to relax further. The more she relaxed, the more animated she became. He started to realise just how stressed she must have been earlier by his actions. Trouble was, he really wanted to check on the family again at some point. He just wasn’t sure how to do it without getting on her wrong side.
By the time they finished eating, Regan was sleepy again and Joe gathered him into his arms to carry him back to the house.
Lien smiled. ‘It’s getting to be a habit, isn’t it? Don’t worry. It takes some adults a whole week to adjust to jet-lag. Got to imagine it’s worse for kids.’
They walked along the main road back to the hospital. ‘Do we need to do anything when we get back?’
She shook her head. ‘Dr Nguyen—Phan, you met him earlier—is on call tonight. You’ll have that pleasure later in the week.’
He nodded. ‘Well, since I’m only a few steps away, that seems fine.’
‘There aren’t many emergencies at night,’ she said, her dark hair catching in the wind. ‘An IV might need to be re-sited, but unless someone appears at the door, being on call is generally just about being available if needed.’
‘So what do you do on your nights off, then—apart from show the best restaurants to your new colleagues?’ He wasn’t quite sure where that question had come from. It was out before he had much of a chance to think about it. But he was curious.
She gave him a half-smile. ‘Are you being nosy, Joe?’
He dragged one hand across his brow. ‘Phew. I must be at least half-forgiven. I didn’t get Dr Lennox.’
She laughed. He could tell she was trying decide what to say. It had only been one day, but she appeared to live alone in the house next door. There had been no mention of another half. But that didn’t mean she didn’t have one.
‘To be honest, I concentrate on work most of the time.’
There was something about the way she said those words. A hint of regret. A hint of something else.
‘Not married?’ What was wrong with him? His mouth seemed to be having a field day of talking before his brain could engage.
‘Me? No way.’ She held up one hand. ‘When would I have time to be married? I spend just about every waking hour at the hospital.’ Then she laughed. ‘Plus the non-waking hours.’ She wagged a finger at him. ‘The only exception is when I have to chase after our international doctors who have crazy ideas.’
This time he made sure his brain engaged before he leapt to his own defence. ‘Can we have a chat about that tomorrow? There are a few things I want to run past you.’
She rolled her eyes. ‘Dr Lennox,’ she said with a smile on her face, ‘why do I get the impression you’re going to be trouble?’
CHAPTER THREE
THEY’D FALLEN INTO an easy routine. Joe was keen and enthusiastic, and she couldn’t fault his clinical skills for a second. Which was just as well as the place was even busier than usual. Khiem and Hoa had returned for a week, and then gone to the other hospital in Uông Bí in the northeast of Vietnam.
They’d quickly given their approval of the latest employee, loving his enthusiasm and listening to his wide range of ideas.
She couldn’t help but admire the relationship Joe had with his son. When they weren’t working, he devoted all his time to Regan. The little boy seemed to love his new environment. He’d even tried a few Vietnamese words on Lien that he’d learned at nursery. She was impressed.
Her fears had started to settle. Even after the awkward first day, Joe didn’t seem inclined to jump on the first plane back home.
Dinner at her favourite restaurant had been…interesting. His dark green eyes often had a glint of cheekiness in them, and she liked that. She was beginning to believe that he really was looking for a fresh start—even if he was only here for six months. Apart from his mum and dad, he rarely mentioned home. It was almost as if he was putting things firmly behind him. He’d been learning the language basics from Mai Ahn, and had taken an interest in some of the wider public health issues in the area.
The biggest adult health problem in Hanoi was strokes. Joe had been keen to assess every adult who attended the clinic—with any condition—to see if they were at risk. Blood-pressure medications and dietary advice were at the top of his list of general patient care. She could be annoyed. He’d started something that was in her future plans. But sometimes new blood was needed to kick-start things, so she was happy to go along with his ideas.
He’d also followed up on the family with tuberculosis. The younger two children had tested negative and been vaccinated to protect them. The father and grandfather were being actively encouraged to keep taking their medications, and the other little girl was being regularly reviewed at the clinic.
Lien stretched her hands above her head to try and relieve her aching back.
‘Whoops.’ Joe put his hand up to his face as he walked in the door opposite.
Heat rushed into her cheeks as she pulled her shirt back down. He’d clearly got a flash of her abdomen.
‘What do you have?’ she asked quickly.
‘Just an adult with what could be appendicitis.’ He frowned. ‘I know there’s a theatre here, but I’m definitely no surgeon. What do we do with patients like this?’
Her hands gave her shirt another pull and she moved over to stand next to him. ‘We generally monitor for a few hours, then, if we have to, we arrange an ambulance and admission to one of the bigger hospitals.’
‘How does that work for payment?’
‘It’s an emergency surgery and should be covered. But things can be tricky. Sometimes patients get billed for the ambulance or for the nursing care. Sometimes they get billed for nothing at all.’
She pulled the notes towards her. ‘Let’s see. We have a few patients with grumbling appendices. They like to wait until they absolutely have to come out.’
Joe ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. ‘This guy is obviously in pain. I’ll go and give him something in the meantime.’ He put his hands on his hips. ‘Can’t you persuade someone to do free surgery for your patients?’
She smiled. ‘It’s on our wish list, along with free hospital care, free rehab, addiction and mental health services.’
He nodded slowly. ‘I guess it’s a long list, then.’
‘It is.’ She could tell he was feeling a bit despondent. She reached up to put her hand on his arm. ‘You’ll get used to the differences here. We all want to do more than we actually can.’
His eyes went to her fingers resting on his arm. He didn’t say anything or pull away. He just stayed still. His gaze made her self-conscious and she stepped back, feeling a bit flustered.
‘What are your plans for tomorrow?’
Joe blinked. It was as if she’d lost him for a moment. ‘What?’ He shook his head. ‘Nothing. Just spending some time with Regan.’
‘Would you like me to show you some of the sights?’
His head tilted to one side, as if he was considering the offer. She was still a little flustered and her mouth just kept talking. ‘There are a few places not too far away that you might not have had a chance to visit yet. Have you been to Hoàn Kiếm Lake yet? Or Ngoc Son Temple?’
Joe shook his head. ‘No. We haven’t really had a chance to see much of the city. Is it something Joe would like?’
She nodded and smiled. ‘Sure. It’s a lake with boats and turtles. He’s a kid. Of course he’ll like it.’
She said it so matter-of-factly that Joe burst out laughing.
She nodded. ‘Okay, then, let’s finish up with this patient and see if he needs to be transferred, or if he just needs to be monitored overnight. Neither of us is on call tomorrow so we can take Regan out for the day.’
Her skin prickled. Joe was looking at her a little strangely. ‘Thank you,’ he said after a few seconds.
‘What for?’
‘For thinking about Regan.’
She shrugged. ‘What are friends for?’
The next morning seemed to come around quickly. By nine o’clock they were walking to Hoàn Kiếm Lake. Even though it was a weekend morning, the lake seemed as popular with locals as it was with tourists. The large green lake was surrounded by grass and old trees. There was a whole variety of activities going on, from joggers circling the lake, to walking groups and people doing exercises beside the still water. Tourist groups with guides carrying bright umbrellas hurried around the lake shore, obviously anxious to complete this part of their tour before the sun rose too high in the sky.
Regan was excited and bounced on his toes. ‘It’s just like the one back home, Daddy,’ he said.
Joe nodded thoughtfully. ‘Maybe.’ He glanced at Lien. ‘There’s a park we go to back home.’ He paused. ‘There are a lot of parks actually, but Regan’s favourite is Rouken Glen. There’s a lake and a gorgeous boathouse for food.’ He smiled down affectionately at Regan and ruffled his hair. ‘But it’s not quite on this scale.’ He held up one hand. ‘This place seems more…elegant.’
He was struck by how many similarities he could see between Hanoi and Glasgow. It hadn’t even occurred to him before he’d got here. He’d partly hoped that moving to a new place would flood him with a whole host of new emotions—leaving no time or space for new ones. It seemed he was going to have to work a little harder at leaving Glasgow behind.
‘This is one of my favourite places for people-watching,’ said Lien as she showed them around. ‘Hoàn Kiếm Lake means “Lake of the Restored Sword”.’
Regan’s eyes went wide. ‘Wow,’ he said quickly.
She bent down next to him. ‘The legend says that Emperor Lê Lợi had just won a great battle against the Ming dynasty. It was rumoured he had a magical sword that helped him win that battle. The sword was supposed to have great power and be inscribed with the words “Thuận Thiên”, which means “The Will of Heaven”.’ She gave a broad smile. ‘I think you have a similar story back in the UK about King Arthur and his sword Excalibur. Didn’t he get his sword from the Lady of the Lake?’
Regan’s eyes flitted to Joe’s and back again. He tugged at Lien’s sleeve. ‘Tell me about this sword.’
She had an art for storytelling. She seemed able to pull them into the stories she was telling, putting her own special spin on them so they were suitable for Regan. ‘Well, one of Lê Lợi’s fishermen had found this sword. He caught the blade in his net. It was thought it had come from the Dragon King’s underwater palace. Once he had the blade, Lê Lợi found the hilt—the bottom of the sword—inside a banyan tree. His soldiers said that Lê Lợi grew very tall when he used the sword and that it gave him the strength of many men.’
‘Is that how he won the battle?’ asked Regan eagerly.
Lien smiled and nodded. ‘Lê Lợi won the battle and the Chinese accepted Vietnam as a country in its own right. Shortly after, Lê Lợi was boating on this lake—it was called Luc Thuy then, the Green Water Lake—when a golden turtle appeared. The turtle told him he’d been given the sword to protect the country against the enemy, but now it was time to return it. The turtle took the sword from Lê Lợi’s belt and dived back to the bottom of the lake with the glowing sword. At first, Lê Lợi tried to find the sword as he wanted it back, but then he realised it had gone back to its rightful owner, the Dragon King.’
Regan ran to the edge and peered into the green depths. ‘Do you think the sword is still down there?’
Lien grabbed his hand. She could almost see the tiny mind working. ‘I think it is, but it’s back with its rightful owner.’
Regan’s eyes remained wide. He was staring out across the expanse of the green lake when something else caught his eye. ‘Look!’ He pointed.
Joe and Lien followed his gaze and saw a wedding party gathered at the other side. She nodded. ‘This is a popular place to get married or to take wedding pictures. There are a few temples around here.’
‘What kind of temples?’
Joe had just opened his mouth to ask the same question but Regan got there first. Joe let out a laugh. It was almost as if Lien had his son under some kind of spell. He was literally hanging on her every word. And Joe could understand why.
She was animated when she talked to him, using her hands and gestures to draw him in. Her eyes were full of fire.
‘Let’s go to the Ngoc Son Temple. It’s on an island in the middle of the lake. We have to walk around this way.’
She guided them around the lake. Every now and then they stopped at some other sight—people doing yoga on mats, another group practising tai chi. Every time Regan spotted a ripple on the lake surface he would yell, ‘Is it a turtle?’
‘I wish it was,’ sighed Lien. ‘There are only a few left. But keep a lookout, we might spot one.’
They reached a brightly painted ornate red bridge that had a stream of people walking across it. ‘This is the Huc Bridge—that means “morning sunlight”. It leads us to Jade Island.’
Lien bought some tickets from a booth and they joined the crowd of people filing across the bridge. Regan kept staring expectantly into the water of the lake, hoping to spot an elusive turtle. Lien pointed further down the lake to what looked like an abandoned building on another island. ‘That’s the Turtle Tower. It’s the place where the turtles are supposed to live and breed.’ She gave a sad kind of shrug. ‘Here’s hoping there are still some left.’
She turned back and continued across the bridge. Joe caught his breath as the temple emerged. It was beautiful. Built in traditional Vietnamese style, it was grey in colour with splashes of white and blue.
Lien gave a smile as the people in front of them stopped to take some photos. ‘This was built in the eighteenth century and honours one of the military leaders. He fought against the Yuan Dynasty.’
Regan’s brow furrowed. ‘There was a lot of fighting.’
Lien knelt next to him. ‘There’s a lot of fighting all over the world. Thankfully this was all hundreds of years ago and we don’t need to worry now.’
She turned back to the temple as they walked forward. ‘It’s still used—and it’s been repaired a number of times over the years.’ She lowered her voice as they walked through the main entrance. ‘Monks pray here, and you can smell the burning incense.’ She showed them around the various buildings on the small island, explaining them all. There were many antiques displayed with the temple, along with the preserved remains of a turtle that had been captured on the lake many years before.
Lien said, ‘Some people think the last one died a few years ago.’ She bent down and whispered in Regan’s ear, ‘But I live in hope that there are a few still in there, and they’re hiding from all the people. I bet they come out at night.’
They spent a while on the island, taking pictures and looking at the displays. Joe could sense that Regan was starting to get distracted, and they led him back across the red bridge and back to the grounds around the lake.
They sat on the grass underneath one of the trees for a while as the sun climbed in the sky. Joe reapplied Regan’s insect repellent, then Lien took them to a nearby store that sold ice cream.
They walked along the busy streets with their ice creams dripping. It was only when they stopped at one of the crossings that Joe sucked in a breath.
He hadn’t thought about Esther today. Not at all.
Pain sliced through him. For a long, long time she’d been the first thing he’d thought about in the morning and the last thing he’d thought about at night.
This morning they’d just been so busy waking up and getting ready that they really hadn’t had a minute. All Joe’s thoughts had been on Regan and Lien.
He’d known this would happen at some point but guilt still flooded through him. He’d promised Esther he would keep her memory alive in his son, and how could he do that if he hadn’t even spared her a thought today?
‘Joe? What’s wrong?’
Lien was standing in front of him, her nose only inches below his, chocolate ice cream dripping down her hand.
