Free Peppercorn Street by Anna Jacobs Page A

complained.
    That was one of the reasons she didn’t enjoy going tomeetings for the elderly. She didn’t like being called ‘aged’ or ‘elderly’ either. People talked about
care
of the aged
as if no older people could look after themselves, and
the burden of the elderly
as if they were all a cost to the taxpayer. She could care for herself, thank you very much.
    She waved Bradley goodbye with a smile on her face, but leaned against the door when she went inside, feeling suddenly very much alone. Still, she might make a new friend. Oh, she did hope it would work out with Dawn’s mother!
    She had a lot to be thankful for, really. Her health, most of all. Without that you couldn’t do much with your life.
    She frowned, quite certain Bradley had said half an hour. He was the one who’d forgotten, not her. This had happened before and he’d insisted she’d forgotten what he said, but she knew she hadn’t.
    In fact, she didn’t look forward to his visits nearly as much these days. They always seemed to leave her doubting herself.

Chapter Five
    On Monday Nicole waited impatiently for Sam to leave for work. She was up by six, but he didn’t go till half past seven, which seemed a long time to wait. He gave Nicole a reproachful look when he met her on the landing, but didn’t say anything. If he’d just spoken … tried to communicate … But he’d left it to her to make the first overture, as usual. She wasn’t going to do that this time.
    Once he’d driven away, she had a quick shower in the en suite, which further strengthened her resolve. Did Sam never put anything away these days? He hadn’t even rinsed away the toothpaste he’d spat out.
    She packed everything from the spare bedroom, but didn’t dare start elsewhere until she was alone.
    A short time later the boys went clattering downstairs and she could smell toast. Sam had bought a loaf, butter and jam yesterday. He and the boys seemed to be living offbread and jam, plus takeaway pizzas. She refused to feel guilty about that.
    ‘’Bye, Mum.’
    Tears came into her eyes as Paul yelled goodbye – the only one to do so. She’d always been closer to her younger son, try as she might to love them both equally. He’d been such a sunny-natured baby, while William had been a colicky infant, crying a lot.
    As soon as they’d gone, Nicole went into the master bedroom and began to pack frenziedly, praying her lists were well enough thought out. She’d already written a note to Sam, telling him she was going away for a few weeks to think about things. It had taken her several attempts to write it. One note had been spoilt by tears. She hadn’t even realised she was crying until the paper blistered. Her final effort was the best she could manage but still didn’t express all she wanted to say.
    She debated jotting down her mobile phone number at the bottom, but didn’t. He should know it well enough by now! He used to call her on it quite often during the day, but hadn’t done that for months.
    She was terrified William would come home while she was packing, because he’d skipped school a few times. No, why should he do that so soon after getting into trouble? Even he would have more sense. She stuffed clothes and other items into rubbish bags any old how. If they needed ironing she could do that later. She was taking the iron because she was the only one who used it.
    The pile of bags mounted up in the sitting room, where the fragments of broken ornament were still scatteredacross the hearth, a reminder to her and, she hoped, to them of why she was leaving.
    She moved the smaller pieces of furniture she was taking into the hall and dining room, making sure she had the list handy for the bigger things she couldn’t manage on her own. She was taking the computer desk and bookcases, as well as her favourite armchair and all her books. No one else in her family seemed to do much reading and she didn’t want to lose her collection of favourite