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Back Walking on Sunshine Save as PDF
Chapters (46)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. By the same author
  4. Dedication
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. Three Months Later
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. Epilogue – Five Years Later
  44. Acknowledgements
  45. An extra note from me …
  46. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING

‘We do better than most,’ interrupts Mike. ‘I was hardly seeing Reece and AJ at all before, unless I had time to sign up for their weekly football game, and they’re my best guy mates.’

‘Life gets busy,’ I agree. ‘People move away, get married, maybe have kids. Priorities change.’

‘Pardon?’ Vicky asks, pulling herself away from me in a way I didn’t expect, her body turning to look me square on, her eyes squinting at me. ‘Are you saying I became a crap friend?’

‘No, I’m not. Not like that. It wasn’t intentional. You got married and had kids. Your focus shifted,’ I explain, aware that I’ve touched a nerve and wanting to put my words back into my mouth. ‘Like Scott just said, responsibilities come along … you met Nick and had kids and didn’t need us so much any more.’

‘Just because you avoid responsibility like it’s the plague doesn’t mean I’m wrong for taking some on,’ stammers Vicky.

‘I didn’t say that,’ I say. ‘What is going on, Vicky?’

‘It’s you talking nonsense,’ she hisses. ‘I was always there, have always been there. You’re too busy swanning off, chatting up men who will do nothing but hurt you and constantly blind to what you have at home.’

‘Blind?’ I ask, her words hitting with a shock. ‘What about you constantly being in everyone’s face and mothering them? Maybe people just want to be left to sort their own shit out. Maybe having you constantly reminding them that there’s something to worry about isn’t actually helpful. Maybe it’s actually so unhelpful that it can cause harm.’

‘You won’t be saying that when you’ve chucked away all you’ve got with Liam for some little fuckwit from the office. You’ll want my mothering ways then to sort yourself out,’ she declares.

‘OK, that’s enough now, guys,’ Mike says, stepping between us.

‘More than enough,’ I say, storming off back to the tent. I get inside and hastily climb into my sleeping bag, trying to ignore the fact I’ve not brushed my teeth or washed my face after a day of sweating and getting covered in dust. I just can’t look awake when Vicky comes inside. I can’t deal with her right now and the confusing stream of conflicting emotions that are swirling inside me.

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26

Vicky