Page 145 of The Dead Ex

He was right. Innocent until proved guilty. Isn’t that what our justice system is all about? Yet I had based my own suspicions on circumstantial evidence.

There is no excuse.

Little Patrick will always stay alive in my heart,I tell myself as I sign out. But at least I am over David. I am finally free.

66

Vicki

Three years later

‘They’re here,’ says Patrick, putting his arm around me as we go out to greet them.

I can hardly believe it! We’ve been waiting so long for this day.

Everything is ready. The bedroom upstairs that I’ve decorated with such care. The desk so she can do her homework. The school uniform, which I hope will fit.

When Patrick had first suggested long-term fostering, I’dassumed I wouldn’t be suitable because of my epilepsy. But that new drug has worked better than anything else I’ve tried.

Patrick found me soon after that last time I saw David, and we got married the year after that. As he said, we’d wasted enough time. He fell in love with Penzance too, so we bought a cottage on the outskirts so that I could continue as an aromatherapist. He found a post asa psychologist at a hospital not far from here. But now we are about to change our lives all over again.

‘It will be all right,’ says Patrick, sensing my nervousness.

I lean into his shoulder and breathe him in. ‘What if I’m not good at this?’

‘You will be. All she needs is a loving home and some structure. We can do that.’

Together we walk towards the car. The social worker – whom we’ve metbefore – gets out of the driving seat. It looks as though the little girl with dark plaits wants to stay put. Poor kid. She must be terrified, after everything she’s been through.

‘Hello,’ I say, crouching down by her open window. ‘My name’s Vicki. You’re Rhiannon, aren’t you?’

She nods, her large brown eyes a pool of fear.

‘We’ve got chickens in the back,’ I say. ‘Would you like to help mefeed them? We could collect some eggs for tea.’

And slowly, very slowly, she opens the door, gets out and places her small, warm hand in mine.