‘I’ll ring before I come. Thank you for your understanding.’ Belinda looked at the nurse as they walked back to the foyer together. ‘How long do you think my father has?’ she asked quietly. It was the question she needed to ask but in truth, she didn’t want to hear the answer voiced.

‘One never can tell, but I doubt it will be long.’

Belinda nodded sadly at the nurse’s words. ‘If I give you my number,’ she said, scrabbling in her bag for a piece of paper and a pencil, ‘will you let me know when…’

‘Of course I will,’ the nurse answered, accepting the piece of paper from Belinda.

‘Ah, here is your husband waiting for you. Goodbye.’

Belinda went to protest that Alain wasn’t her husband, but the nurse had already turned away.

‘Are you all right?’ Alain looked at her anxiously.

Belinda nodded and smiled through the tears that were now coursing freely down her cheeks. ‘He called me Blindy. The worse part was I had to tell him Mum was dead. He was so upset. Oh, Alain, what a dreadful waste the last thirty-five years have been.’

When Alain pulled her into a fierce hug and held her tight, she didn’t protest. She simply gave herself up to the feeling that everything would be all right if only Alain could be around in her life to hug her whenever she needed a hug. Even as she stood in the shelter of his arms Belinda caught her breath at the unexpected thought. Where had that come from? It was just the emotion of the day getting to her – wasn’t it?

39

Back at the campsite, Alain said he’d go and check on Marie and collect the lasagna he’d ordered from Fern for their supper while Belinda walked down to Bernie’s cabin to collect BB.

Walking through the campsite, thoughts about the visit to her dad were still swirling around in her brain. As she’d said to the nurse, she was happy the estrangement was over, but in reality the visit was too late to talk in-depth about the whys and the wherefores of what had happened to their family all those years ago. So many questions would remain unanswered forever because of Enzo’s illness, but she’d be forever glad that she’d kept her promise to her mum. Her dad had always loved her.

Bernie was working in the small garden he’d created in the small strip of land down the side of his cabin. BB was lying on the path watching him and jumped up wagging his tail when Belinda appeared.

Bernie straightened up and smiled at her. ‘Ça va?’ he said slowly.

Belinda nodded. ‘Merci. BB bon?’

Bernie smiled and nodded.