Chapter 6

When they got into number four, it was a sheepish Hilda who greeted her surrogate son and grandchild. She had never done anything like this in the time they had known one another and lived together and even though she knew Eddie could see why she had done it, she did not think that made a blind bit of difference to him – or, at least it hadn't before she had rung home.

"Please don't ever do that to me again," said the scouse as soon as he saw her. He had been scared half to death when he had had no idea where she was. He knew when you were a dad you were meant to worry; but it was your kids, not your mum you were meant to worry over wasn't it?

"Well, chuck, if you had ever done it to me then I know I would have wanted to kill you so I am sorry for it – but then I don't think I was quite thinking right when I had heard what happened to the street." The acknowledgement of how much it had shaken her up had not been needed.

"Yeah well as long as neither of us do it in the future then we are not going to have any problems are we?" he said as he went over and kissed her cheek.

"Tell you what though, Nan it was nice not to be the one in trouble for a change," said Dawn with a cheeky grin as they hugged.

Dawn had been shocked by how much she had missed having her in the house when she had not been the right before. It was hardly surprising with all the other changes she had been through lately, Hilda had been a constant in her life ever since she had moved in with them five years ago. She had been able to count on one of her hands the amount of times she had slept out.

"I should think you were chuck," said Hilda as she embraced her back, slightly shocked by the affection she was showing her.

"Why don't I put the kettle on? I am sure the two of you could do with a brew," said Sally to them pair of them as Dawn remained at her grandma's side once they had pulled away from one another.

"Don't suppose you could lace mine with something a bit stronger could you?" said Eddie as he struggled to get the image of the destroyed street out of his eyes.

He wished he had been the first one to read that damned paper. He would not have let Hilda see it for one thing and then he would have had his happy memories - not only of Marion and Stan and the time he had had with them in his street but of everyone else he had met when he had there such as Bet.

It might early for a drink but god only knew he needed it and Sally saw it all over his face. Every time she had looked down the road she was reminded of what had gone on. The devastation of the crash in a weird way was the only thing that was keeping her on her feet as she was reminded all the time of the fact there were a lot worse things going on in the world than her losing her husband. He was at least, alive. Though she wondered if she would have preferred it if...

She nodded. "Of course, I can. It must have been shock for you to see what has gone on!"

He nodded. "It was that - Hilda why did you want to come back to see a thing like this?" he said as he sat down. He knew he should try and understand but he just did not get her thinking of this one and he did not think he was going to.

He was not even sure he wanted too.

"Even I don't really know why," she admitted to him knowing that answer was going to give him no satisfaction. "I just had too."

"Well, I sure as hell didn't," he said sharply as he tried to take in what had happened.

"Dad..." said Dawn sympathetically to him but what he heard was what she had not said – that he would not upset her Nan. And he knew she was right but it had been so much of a shook.

"Listen, I know it is early yet but why don't we all just scrap the tea and head over to the Rovers? We all need a drink by the looks of it." He needed a proper one.

As Sally looked at Eddie, she thought he did not look a lot like she had thought he was going too. She had heard a lot about him over the years but she had never actually seen him before. He was older than she had thought. But then maybe that had just been the effect of losing his wife.

"I think that is great idea."

It had been years since he had gone to his old local and he missed it. He had had some good times there. Not that he thought any one was going to be up for much of a knees up but they might as well go for a swift one before they headed back to Bury.

\/\/\/

Rita Sullivan was just about feeling like she was getting back to her old self as she walked down to the pub. She knew the shock was going to take a lot longer to wear off but she had had to get out of the house what with Norris' mothering. She knew she was lucky to have a friend like Emily but she did despair of him at times.

She kept her eyes down. She had always believed at facing her troubles head on but the fact was that every life on the street had been changed but what had gone on and she did not feel as if she was ready to face the carnage yet.

It was all too much.

Not only did she have to worry about the affects of the crash and the grief she knew many of her friends were feeling, she also had heard she had to worry for Sally and Kevin again.

How had he been such a fool as to throw his marriage again when the pair of them had had to work so hard to get it back after the first time he had cheated?

She was never going to understand.

But then she had come to terms with the fact that her Len had had an affair and if she could then she knew she would have him back like a shot – especially just then. It had been a long time since a bed had felt as big as it had the night before.

No, she had longed for him and for Ted the night before to tell her it was going to be ok. And if Sally was feeling as she was then she was going to want Kev to be at home with her and the girls where he belonged.

But then events such as these did not always tell you who and what was really important to you but to grasp each day for all it was worth. And so maybe it was going to give her the courage to break away from her childhood sweetheart. And if that was the case, then so be it.

It did not have to be the end of the world for Sally if they did break up. It might give her a new lease of life and it was not as if the girls were kid any more.

After everything she had been through maybe being on her own for while was what she needed even if she did not want to admit it to herself or anyone else.

She was so glad when she did get too the Rovers Return for it was a cold day out and she knew she was not as young as she had been when she had got to the street all those years before hand, not that she was going to be confessing it to anyone.

She opened up the door to see it was Jim and Steve who were manning the bar that day and Amy was with them. No doubt since everything that had gone on their reaction had been to pull together as a family and for the McDonalds that could only be a good thing.

She could not take to Owen for one reason or another and she had always sensed that Liz and Jim were meant to be a pair.

Oh, they were very much like Sally and Kevin - they had given it more than one shot. But then that showed a lot of willing and guts didn't it?

If at first you don't succeed at first, try and try again. And if then you don't succeed...

"A large sherry please Jim."

"How about you Rita," he said with half a smile. As one of the publicans he knew he had to try and keep some of the morale going around there and it did not seem to be too hard. In spite of the fact a lot of them had not been about in the war, a kind of blitz spirit was taking over the street.

"I am bearing up thank you, Jim. How are your lot?"

"A bit shaken up by it all what with yer man Sean passing on and all but I think we are going to be ok."

Days had passed since the tram crash but the ramifications had never been felt with such force.

"I don't think a lot of people up and down this street are going to have a lot of time for Christmas cheer this year when the time comes."

"Maybe not."

It seemed incredible that time was still going on as if nothing had happened and she knew there were a few people who would like to give time what for... How could it be so disrespectful just to move on when it had caused so much hurt?

There was no rhyme or reason to it.

There was never going to be and the fact the world moved on after a tragedy was always so cruel.

"Life is going to go on." Jim voiced her thoughts and she nodded. She was glad he was back and she did not quite know why.

She had been about to go and sit on a table on her own when she saw something out of the corner of her eye. Sally.

Oh, her poor girl. She had felt as if she had been her mum for such a long time now. She knew there had been plenty of women who had taken her under her wing since she had got there. But especially when she had been young, she had been as a daughter to her and whenever she had needed help with the two girls she had been there for them and she thought of as her grandkids.

Sally had a soft smile on her face. A sad one but a smile none the less. She seemed to be bearing up a lot better than she had thought she was going too.

"Oh Rita," she said as she saw her.

Sally got up and she through her arms about her. They had had hardly five minutes together since the crash and she felt closer to her than she had in years because of all the help the redhead had given her over Sophie and Sian. She knew had it not been for her then she would have handled the situation very differently and she had done that clumsily enough as it was.

The last thing she would ever want to do was drive the girls away and she felt she was going to be able to comes to terms with it. She knew a big part of that was down to Rita even if she had not words the words to tell Hilda yet.

But she would. And she was glad she had such a mature daughter as to know she had a lot bigger fish to fry at that moment.

"I am so sorry love," she said as she held her.

"Me too but I am in good hands." she said as she pulled back and showed Rita who was in the booth.

"Oh my word – well as I live and breathe – oh Hilda – and Eddie too!" she with a smile on her face.

"How are you Rita?" he said as he raised his pint to her.

It had been a long time since she had seen ether of then on this street and she had not thought she was going too ever again. She guessed, like Sally, she had thought they were going to be gone for good – and just like her, she was glad it was not the case.

She did not know why the faces from her past cheered her so much - it was not as if she had been very close to either of them when they had lived there – but it was the feeling that some things did stay the same no matter what at that moment which made the difference to her and well – she felt the tears well up in her eyes.

After all these years, it looked as if Hilda and Eddie were still the best of pals and well, it meant a lot.

"Oh I am just a big old ball bag at the moment!" she said as the women as Hilda got up to greet her and she found she was not the only one who was near tears.

It seemed Hilda was touched by the warm welcome she had to from her old friend and they both recalled that when Hilda had left it had been the two of them who had lead the rest of the pub in 'wish me luck as you wave me good bye'. And on the night Hilda had had her ruby wedding anniversary, it had been Rita who had sung to her and Stan 'we've been together for forty years'.

Every place in the street for her was haunted by his memory. And she loved it. It had been a long time since she had felt so close to her Stan.

There was not a thing about their time there which did not lead back to him for her.

"You are not the only one."

Dawn did not recall it if she had ever seen her grandmother so emotional before. But the way she had been since she had got there was so lovely. It seemed to her she had been missed by many people on the street.

She had done the right thing when she had come back. Dawn knew she had.

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