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Back All You Need Is Love
Chapters (56)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. OCTOBER
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. Acknowledgments
  53. More from Jessica Redland
  54. About the Author
  55. Also by Jessica Redland
  56. About Boldwood Books

‘Not yet,’ he interrupted. ‘I will, though. The last time I was here in Blue Savannah was with Nikki. It doesn’t feel as strange as I thought it would.’

‘Did you come here a lot?’

‘Pretty much every time we went surfing. We liked to warm up with a coffee or chill out with a beer. They’ve usually got a couple of decent real ales on tap. They also do great pub grub and an amazing full English.’

I nodded. ‘I brought Scott here for a full English the first time he stayed. Being on the road so much, he was a breakfast aficionado but even he admitted they did the best he’d ever had.’

We sat in silence for a moment, lost in our memories.

‘So,’ Sam said. ‘You’ve got your hot chocolate and I’ve got my listening ear ready. What happened with your mum?’

‘It was awful. Absolutely awful…’

Somehow I managed to relay the morning’s events without crying although I still felt shaky.

‘And, to top it all, she thinks my dad’s still alive. There were two definite present tense comments about him. I don’t know what to do.’ At that point, my voice cracked and I couldn’t say any more. Mum yelling at me and hurling her drink at the door had been terrifying but that was nothing compared to the idea that she’d regressed into a world where Dad was still with us.

29

Sam

I wished I could reassure Jemma. I wished I could get her to laugh it off. Say something like, ‘Forget about it. She’d obviously woken up in a bad mood. I’m sure she’ll be fine once she’s had some more sleep.’ But I couldn’t give her those reassurances. It didn’t sound fine at all.

Instead, I tried a different angle. ‘Dr Steadman said that things were “inconclusive” with your mum?’

She nodded. ‘Can you believe that? His patient turns up at a house she hasn’t lived in for a decade and he says it’s “inconclusive”? I’m beginning to think that he’s got one of those degrees you can buy online because he clearly hasn’t a clue.’

‘I never met him but I can’t say I’m impressed from what you’ve told me. He shouldn’t be dragging his heels like that.’

Jemma fished a marshmallow from the bottom of her drink with her fingers. ‘I wish you were Mum’s consultant,’ she said, before popping the marshmallow in her mouth and licking her fingers. ‘Get him sacked and come back.’

‘I wish it was that easy.’