Part One Hundred And Seventy Four
On the Sunday afternoon, Karen drove over to Cassie and Roisin's. She'd rung them on Friday, to say that she had some very good news to give them, and Roisin had asked her over for Sunday tea. Karen wanted to see the children, knowing that she had to get over that particular barrier as soon as possible. Being with two growing children would no doubt bring a lot of memories back for her, but she hoped that they would mostly be pleasant ones. Michael was twelve now and Niamh nine, and Michael was about to begin traversing those abominably difficult teenage years, that would probably drive even the mild mannered Roisin to distraction. Karen smiled as she tried to imagine Cassie dealing with a typical adolescent strop. But when she pulled up in their driveway, Cassie was pruning the hedge at the side of the front garden, singing along to the music that was coming out of the living-room window. Karen stood and watched her for a moment or two, thinking that she'd only ever seen such a rapt expression on this woman's face, whenever she'd been plotting one of her numerous pieces of mischief.
When Cassie eventually looked up and saw the wry smile on Karen's face, she dropped the hedge clippers on the lawn and stretched. "Bet you never thought you'd see me gardening, did you," She said with a smirk. "It suits you," Karen found herself saying, knowing that the responsibilities of family life had significantly calmed Cassie down over the last two years. "As much as being filthy and sweaty ever suited anyone," Cassie replied, pushing her fringe out of her face. Karen held open the rubbish bag for her, whilst she began gathering up the clippings that seemed to be strewn all over the garden. "You look knackered," Cassie said, after a while of talking of nothing too close to home. "Now I know why I never take time off if I can help it," Karen said ruefully. "Because it's all there waiting for me when I get back." "And you're probably trying to do everything at once," Cassie told her seriously, finally straightening up to look at her. "You're starting to sound like George," Karen said almost fondly. "Yeah, well, maybe she's got a point," Cassie replied, tying up the rubbish bag and dropping it beside the garage. Leading the way into the house, they found Niamh and Roisin in the kitchen, making a fruit salad for pudding. Saying she needed a shower, Cassie left them to it and went upstairs. "We've both been trying to work out what you've got to tell us, since you rang on Friday," Roisin said, trying to stop Niamh eating all the grapes before they could end up in the bowl. "It's worth the wait, I promise," Karen assured her, taking a seat at the kitchen table. As she watched Niamh carefully hulling the strawberries, she filled Roisin in as to the recording of the performance of 'The Creation', and talked to Niamh about what she was doing with her summer holiday. "They're both going to stay with Aiden tomorrow," Roisin said a little dejectedly, though knowing that their father did have a right to see them once in a while. "Michael doesn't want to go," Niamh said as she washed the strawberries. "Well, unfortunately, he doesn't really have any choice, unless he wants his father to start up the custody battle again," Roisin told her. "Your father doesn't see the two of you very often as it is." "He doesn't want to go, because he doesn't like Grandma's cooking," Niamh stated knowingly. "Well, I can't blame him for that," Roisin said with a smile. "I never liked her cooking either, but don't you tell her I said that," She added conspiratorially to Niamh. "Or I'll be accused of having a bad influence on the pair of you, not that I'm not already."
A little while later when Michael came through the back door, with his hair all over the place and the evidence of sunburn on his cheeks, both Karen and Roisin took in the sullen, slightly screwed up face. "Were you playing football?" Roisin asked, knowing that he'd been at the local park with his friends all afternoon. "Mum," He replied in disgust, barely acknowledging Karen's presence. "You don't play football in the summer, you play cricket." "Yes, I'm sorry, I forgot," Roisin tried to placate him. "Did you win?" "No," Michael said belligerently, slumping down at the table opposite Karen. "Some stupid tosser bowled me for six." "Michael Connor, I won't have words like that from you. Is that clear?" Roisin told him sternly. "Cassie says it," He replied sulkily. "And Cassie isn't twelve-years-old," Roisin argued back. "Who's taking my name in vain?" Cassie asked, strolling into the kitchen, her hair still wet from the shower. "Michael here is learning too much of your delightful vocabulary," Roisin slightly admonished her. "Michael, you shouldn't say something unless you know what it means," Cassie said reasonably. "And please don't say anything like that in front of your father," Roisin told him. "Mum, how many times," Michael said furiously. "I am not going to Grandma's." "Oh, and what am I supposed to say to him if you won't go?" Roisin demanded. "I don't care," Michael responded dismissively. "All him and Grandma do is whinge about everything we say and do anyway. It's not like they actually want to see us." "Michael, your father may have his faults," Roisin tried to convince him. "But he does love you." "Well, I don't love him," Michael insisted vehemently. "Michael, go and cool down," Cassie said firmly, clearly demanding no argument. When Michael had slunk angrily out of the kitchen, Karen couldn't help but smile. "I know," Cassie said ruefully, "We've got it all to come, haven't we." "I'd like to be able to tell you it gets easier," Karen said in fond memory. "But I'd be fooling you if I did." "How on earth are we going to get him to go with Aiden tomorrow?" Roisin said worriedly, as she placed the bowl of fruit salad in the fridge to chill. "Oh, don't worry," Cassie said confidently. "I've got a plan. It's really irritating him that he has to borrow someone else's cricket bat. So, if he agrees to quit swearing and go to Aiden's, we could think about getting him one of his own." "You're a genius," Roisin said approvingly.
When the three adults were sitting in the sunny back garden, with tall glasses of ice-cold Pimms, that Cassie had whipped up with the leftovers of the fruit, Karen told them her news. "Seeing as Lauren was fast approaching her time of release, it's going to happen on Yvonne's birthday, as a surprise for her fiftieth." "But that's..." Cassie said, working it out. "...A week on Tuesday!" She finished with a delighted squeal. Karen suddenly found herself enveloped by one of Cassie's impulsive hugs. "Are you serious?" Roisin asked in wonder, not quite able to believe it would be so soon. "Very," Karen said with a broad smile. "She's kept to pretty much exemplary behaviour, apart from the cannabis cookies, so getting out early for good behaviour means it would have been some time soon anyway." "I can't believe this," Cassie said, brief tears of sincere joy rising to her eyes. "I know it sounds stupid," Roisin said. "And I know she was only given two years, and that she'd already served one of them, but I think we both thought this day would never come." "So Yvonne doesn't know any of this?" Cassie asked, having recovered herself. "Nothing, but Lauren does," Karen told them. "I can never think of what to get Yvonne for her birthday, and as this is a bit of a special one, I thought this might be a suitable surprise." "Are you kidding?" Cassie said with glee. "It'll be fantastic." "That isn't just why you're doing this, is it," Roisin said quietly, fixing Karen with an understanding gaze. "You want her to have her child back." "Yes, I do," Karen said simply, knowing that as she had put Lauren behind bars in the first place, by giving Jo her name, it had always been her responsibility to get Lauren out of there and back with her mother as soon as possible. In less than ten days, Yvonne's daughter would be back home, back where she belonged.