Abigail: Chapter 35

An hour later as I walked into my own little home back in Gloddfa Bont I took a moment to appreciate the relative simplicity of my life. We’d had our fair share of dramas over the last couple of years but I was grateful that, right now at least, ours was an easy, normal existence. Abigail’s life by contrast was a hot mess. She’d dug her heels in and refused to talk about Toby’s parents. It didn’t matter how much I told her she might be jeopardising our chances of finding Toby, she wouldn’t budge and I could feel myself starting to sympathise with them. All thoughts of Abigail were rushed out of my head when I walked into the kitchen though.

“Mum, you’re home!” Louise leaped up from the kitchen table and hugged me.

“Where’s Grace?” I looked round. “And Missy. Don’t tell me she’s taken the dog out?” I feigned shock and Louise laughed.

“Yep, I’m surprised you didn’t see them when you came up the hill. Won’t be long.”

“What’s brought this on?” 

Grace was usually the last person to volunteer to walk anywhere. She was the kind of person for whom the idea of window shopping meant driving from one store to the next and if I ever dared suggest she might like to walk down to the shop for me, would find herself temporarily deaf.

“Might have something to do with the new boy in the village.” Louise smirked. “But don't tell her I told you. She'll kill me!”

“My lips are sealed.” I smiled. “Is he cute?”

“Mum!”

“What? Am I not allowed to take an interest in my daughter’s life?”

“I am not discussing cute with you. Yuck!” She pulled a face but then smiled and hugged me again. “So, you’re home.”

I nodded. “I am.” I knew what was coming next and I played along.

“Do you remember what you promised before you left?”

“Maybe.” It was my turn to smirk. “First though we need to unload the shopping from the van.”

“Oh Mum!”

“Don’t ‘oh Mum’ me. Just give me a hand and it’ll soon be done, then we can think about Christmas decorations.”

I watched as she huffed and complained her way to the front door and followed as she headed towards the van. When she got there, her complaining soon turned to squeals of delight.

“You got a tree!” She grinned. “It looks huge! How did you get it in?”

“A very nice man put it in for me. I take it you approve?”

“It’s brilliant! Just wait until Grace sees this!”

Together we pulled the tree carefully out of the back and into the house. Not for the first time I found myself thankful that I’d kept my plumbing van, despite how few jobs I was going to these days. I couldn’t imagine how I’d have got it home if I drove a car. I sent Louise out to the garage to find the tree stand and while she was looking for it, phoned Grace’s mobile. It went to voicemail so I left a message telling her I was home, that we had a tree to decorate and could she please hurry up and bring Missy home so we could get on with it.

Twenty minutes later the tree was securely fixed in its stand and the lights were on. I looked out the window. It was almost dark and Grace still wasn’t home. I felt vaguely uneasy and was about to try her mobile again when the front door crashed open and in rushed Missy, swiftly followed by Grace. I slipped my mobile out of sight, reluctant for her to know I’d been worried, and rushed to give her a hug.

“Hiya Grace! Am I glad to see you!” I led her into the front room where the biggest Christmas tree we’d ever had was standing proudly in front of the window. “Surprise!”

“I saw it from halfway down the road! Amateurs!” She grinned though and together with Louise, started covering the tree in tinsel and baubles.

While they were decorating the tree, I got the box of Christmas tea-light holders from on top of my wardrobe and started arranging them neatly along the mantelpiece and windowsills. Before long there wasn’t a surface in the house that wasn’t adorned with a Christmas themed tea-light holder. I would never admit it to the girls, they liked to pretend I was Scrooge, but the place had never looked more beautiful. It felt wonderful to be home.

“Are you hungry?” I asked, when the tree was almost finished. “I’ve got a couple of pizzas. I thought we could have dinner by candle light.”

“Cheese and tomato?”

I nodded. “One cheese and tomato and one pepperoni.”

“Yummy!” Louise stood up and gave me a hug. “Thanks Mum.”

I put the oven on and was so busy concentrating on not burning the pizza, I didn’t hear my mobile ring. Grace walked into the kitchen holding it out in front of her. “It’s for you.”

“What? Oh, thanks Grace.” I took the phone from her. “Hello, Charlie Diamond speaking.” I listened carefully but all I could hear were sobs. “Sorry, I can’t understand what you’re saying. Can you take a deep breath and try again?”

I listened as the person on the other end of the phone sniffed. When they spoke again, the voice came out in a croaky whisper. “Charlie?”

I recognised the voice instantly. “Abigail? What’s happened?” Still she sobbed. “Abigail, you’re going to have to calm down, please. I can’t understand what you’re saying.”

After a series of sniffs I heard her trying again. “A … note.”

My stomach landed in my boots. “You’ve received a note?” She didn’t say anything but I heard her wail. “I’ll be right over.”

I hung up and went went into the hallway to find my keys. Grace followed me out. “You’re not going again already?”

“I’m sorry love, I have to.”

“But you’ve only just got home. What about dinner by candlelight? And the tree?”

I kissed her on the head. “You girls start without me. I’ll be back as soon as I can. Promise.”

I hated leaving them but a ransom note was huge and Abigail sounded distraught. It was at times like this that I could easily kill Jonathan for what he did. It wasn’t fair that they should be left on their own again but I didn’t see what option I had. All I could hope was that this was the breakthrough I’d been waiting for. If I could find Toby we could all have a very merry Christmas and I could stay home and make sure it was a happy new year.