Secret Love

Tragedy.....

Clare stared mutely,  Jenny blanched, reaching for her sister's hand and Tom? Tom felt his heart tear into a million pieces as he watched his little family fall apart at the seams.  

Nancy Watson was dead.

They'd been home for about a week, settling into a new routine, a new life. Together as a new family.  Tom had spent almost every spare minute at their house, settling into family life like a duck to water.  He'd revelled in his new role and the girls?  Now they'd accepted him, almost smothered him with affection.  Almost.  Even Flick was amazed at his capacity for love and affection to two little girls who seemed to worship the ground he now walked on.  

Life, it seemed went on.  Life it seemed was perfect.  Until it wasn't.

As they sat in the living room arguing good naturedly over whether today was the Zoo or a trip to the Tower of London, the doorbell had rung.  If it was possible for a bell to have a "tone" this ring had one.  Like some sort of sixth sense, Flick and Tom had looked at each other, cold unease gripping them both.

Standing, Flick glanced out of the window and saw the police car. "Oh shit" she murmured, turning to Tom. "It's the police...." her face was white and her breath shallow.  This could only mean bad news.  

Automatically, Tom gathered the girls to him, pretending to need their opinion on whether to send a picture of their holiday exploits to his own mum.  He watched as Flick quietly left the room, gently sliding his arms around his brand new daughters.

After a couple of minutes, she came back into the living room accompanied by two police officers, one of whom now automatically went to the kitchen and put the kettle on.  It seemed that was part of their training.  In the event of a tragedy, administer tea in copious quantities.

"Tom? Girls? I have something to tell you my darlings. You have to be brave, so very brave." she sat, as if in a trance.

"Mummy?" Jenny piped up, looking from one to another, fear etched on her face. "Mummy? Why is the policeman here?"

"They've come to tell us....Granny Nancy... she's.... Granny went to be with Daddy this morning.  She's dead my darlings... I'm so sorry..."

Clare, abandoning all pretence of being thirteen started to cry and reached out for her mother.  "Ohhhh Mummy!"  Her face crumpled as she sobbed uncontrollably.  Flick automatically opened her arms and swallowed her daughter up in a huge hug. 

Tom looked over the little girl's head and his eyes told Flick everything she needed to know. She nodded and he turned to Jenny, offering her sanctuary.

"Sweetheart....." Without a second thought, the younger Wilks' almost leapt into his arms, sobbing. "Oh daddy....." she wailed into his shoulder.  For that moment, it didn't even register what she'd said.  It wouldn't until much, much later, when it was almost irrelevant.

The officer sat them down and explained there had been no suspicious circumstances, the only reason they got involved was because poor Nancy had simply dropped dead whilst walking in the park. An aneurism, she'd known nothing and been gone before she hit the ground.

"Honestly Ms Wilks?  If I had a choice? It's the way I'd want to go, no pain. I'm so VERY sorry for your loss." PC Grantham looked at them, sympathy emanating from him, Flick found herself feeling sorry for him.  This must be his worst nightmare. "Your mother is still being cared for in the hospital chapel of rest, we just need you to come and formally identify her?  She had her bus pass on her and a note in her purse for next of kin."

Flick looked at him, empty and unable to cry. "Yes, mum is....was... very organised." she swallowed and looked at Tom. "When do we need to go?" He nodded, silently encouraging her in the second most difficult task of her life. The first being the day she had to collect John.