Free Falling in Love Again by Sophie King Page B

relationship breakdown?
    Need someone to talk to?
    Lost touch with your other half (yourself)?
    Then come along to our friendly monthly meetings and get your wife back on track.
    Telephone . . .
    Wife back on track? It should have read ‘life’. And even worse, the last digit of the phone number was wrong! How could that have happened?
    ‘Sorry,’ trilled one of the subs when she called. ‘You can have it free next week instead, if you like.’
    Karen never got angry. It was one of the things she had found so difficult about Paul. But even so, she felt let down.
    Sandra was nudging her in the ribs. ‘Ring the wrong number,’ she was hissing, cupping the receiver with her hand while taking another ad. ‘Explain the situation and ask them to give out your number if someone rings.’
    Not a bad idea – except that it was an answer machine. ‘Hi. This is Karen from classified ads on the local paper. I’m afraid that your number has gone into the paper by mistake.’ What a fool she was making of herself! ‘So I was wondering, if someone rings for a group called The ‘How To Survive Divorce’ Club, could you give them my number? It’s the same as yours but with a 7 at the end. Thanks.’
    Maybe she should have explained what they were all about!
    ‘Hi. It’s me again. I just thought I ought to explain. The ‘How To Survive Divorce’ Club – the group I mentioned – it’s a sort of self-help group for people on their own. All above board, of course. Nothing funny. Well we try to have some laughs and a bit of a singsong too actually, but . . .’
    Click. The machine had cut in. Well done, Karen, you’ve really made a hash of it, haven’t you? In fact it was so toe-curling that she might as well have a bit of a giggle.
     
    Her landline started to ring just as she got back from work. Karen fished for her I Love Gran keyring and just picked it up on time.
    ‘Is that ‘How To Survive Divorce’?’
    ‘Yes!’ She was gasping with relief at having got to the phone in time and having another possible participant.
    ‘It’s me. Ed. Look I’m sorry but I don’t think I can come any more. I don’t feel like I fit in so I thought I ought to give you notice so you could give my space to someone else.’
    He couldn’t do that! There would hardly be anyone left in the group. ‘Please. Don’t make any hasty decisions. Give it another chance. Lots of men cry. I mean it’s a sign of strength, not weakness. Tell you what. Why don’t we meet for coffee. Tomorrow afternoon after work?’
     
    Thank heavens he’d agreed. She couldn’t have forgiven herself  if she’d made Ed feel worse rather than better.
    ‘Hiya!’
    There was the sound of the door opening. Not now! Normally Karen loved it when Hayley came round, which was why she’d given her a key in the first place. It had become a sort of unspoken routine at about this time when she and Josh popped in on the way back from nursery. Over the years, she’d found herself becoming increasingly closer to Hayley, especially after her grandson’s birth. In another life, she’d have loved a daughter. But tonight, she’d really been looking forward to a bit of time on her own. One of the joys of being single, she often reminded herself.
    ‘Granny!’
    There was a rush of air as Josh flew into her arms. ‘Ouch, darling. That hurts!’
    Grinning, her grandson continued to weave his chubby little fingers into her hair.  There was something gooey on them – goodness knows what!
    ‘Leave it off, Josh,’ Hayley said, unwrapping a stick of gum (her latest attempt to stop smoking). ‘Nan’s been at work all day. She’s tired.’
    Karen had long given up trying to tell Hayley that really, she’d prefer to be called Gran than Nan. But that was the kind of family Hayley came from and really, did it matter? When Adam had first brought home this very pretty, blonde, bubbly girl who didn’t speak particularly well but who clearly had a heart of gold, she’d had