Page 11 of The Old Gals’ Bucket List

Kit looked a bit relieved when Sandra left and Patti had an inkling that she had dropped by because she wanted to talk to her about something.

‘Thanks for showing us what to do, darling. Do you fancy a cup of chai and a chocolate cookie? Freshly baked this afternoon,’ Patti added.

Chai tea was Kit’s favourite and she’d never known her granddaughter to refuse a chocolate cookie.

Or any cake for that matter. Kit was a high-wire of energy and dashed around so much that Patti was sure she could eat a dozen cakes a day and still be stick-thin.

Amanda worried about her not eating enough and drinking too much, although Patti tried to reassure her that Kit was perfectly healthy and preferred chai tea to alcohol.

In fact, from what she’d seen of Kit and her young student friends, they were a lot more sensible and clean living than Amanda and her friends had ever been.

They were more aware nowadays of health, etc.

, and they couldn’t let rip without it being all over social media.

Goodness, the state Amanda had come home in sometimes, and the scrapes she’d got into.

Actually, maybe that’s why she worried so much!

‘Please.’ Kit rested her chin on her upturned hands.

‘I still can’t get over my gran being an influencer.

’ She reached for a cookie from the plate Patti had put down on the table, her sleeve riding up to reveal some musical notes on the inside of her wrist. Kit had a few other tattoos, an intricate dragon on her right upper arm, an orchid on her left shoulder, it was her birth flower, and some stars on her ankle.

‘How is the tattoo by the way? Is it healing okay?’

‘It’s fine.’ Patti rolled up her sleeve and showed her. ‘It’s a bit red and raised but that will go soon, won’t it?’

‘Yeah, keep putting the cream on it though.’

‘I will.’ She’d heeded this advice religiously. She frowned as she noticed that Kit’s nails were bitten down to the quick. Something she always did when she was troubled. That must be why she had bought the packs of false nails. ‘Now, how are things with you?’

Kit’s dark-lined eyes met Patti’s and she chewed her bottom lip. ‘Seb wants me to move in with him.’

Patti sat back and studied her granddaughter’s face. Kit had been going out with Seb for a few months now. He was a little older than her and seemed a nice enough lad, but she got the impression that he was a bit of a drifter. Not the sort to settle down. Not yet, anyway.

‘And you don’t want to?’

‘I like living with Carly but Seb’s flatmate, Noah, is leaving to live with his girlfriend and he can’t afford the rent by himself.’

‘That’s not a good enough reason for you to move in with him, Kit. Let him get himself another lodger.’

‘He said he doesn’t want to. He wants to live with me.’

‘Kit, darling, this is a big step. And if it’s not really what you want to do you shouldn’t do it. While you’re living with Carly you can relax, have downtime, a night off from Seb now and again. If you’re living together, you won’t be able to do that.’

Kit’s blue eyes met hers. ‘Seb said if I loved him, I’d want us to live together.’

Patti felt a surge of anger flood through her but she kept her tone light. ‘And if he loved you, he’d want you to be happy and do what’s right for you.’ She reached out and squeezed her granddaughter’s hand. ‘Why not take a bit of time to have fun before you shackle yourself to a lad?’

Kit nodded slowly. ‘That’s what I want to do but…’

‘Seb’s living arrangements aren’t your responsibility. He can get himself another guy to share with.’

‘The thing is,’ Kit twisted a loose strand of her blue hair around her finger, ‘he said he has to get someone quickly so it might be another girl.’

Now the fury sparked out of Patti. ‘Then let him! How dare he try to emotionally blackmail you! You’re worth more than that.’

‘He’s not blackmailing me, Gran, they’d only be flatmates. He can’t afford the rent by himself, so he needs to let the first person who applies have the spare room. And that might be a girl.’

Patti was pretty certain that Seb was emotionally blackmailing her granddaughter.

He was well aware that those good looks and lazy smile of his could charm the girls, that and the fact that he was the lead singer in an indie band.

Kit had her head screwed on and would think this through, she told herself.

Patti nagging her wouldn’t change anything.

‘Then let him. You do what’s right for you,’ she said firmly. Youngsters didn’t like being lectured, so thinking it was best to change the subject now, she gave Kit a smile. ‘Thanks again for helping us do our Instagram account.’

‘I don’t mind. It’s a fab idea and Sandra’s nice. I’m so pleased that you’re thinking so positively, Gran.’ Kit leaned over and gave her a big hug. ‘I was worried at one time that we were going to lose you.’ Her voice caught in her throat.

‘Not me, I’ve got a lot of living to do,’ Patti replied. ‘Have you ever thought of doing a bucket list?’

‘Not really. I mean, I’d like to travel, who doesn’t? Maybe even work abroad for a bit. Me and Carly were talking about volunteering in an animal sanctuary abroad together once we’ve finished uni.’

‘That sounds a wonderful idea,’ Patti agreed.

‘Seb doesn’t want me to go…’ Kit’s voice trailed off.

‘It’s not up to Seb though, is it? It’s your life, your decision,’ Patti said firmly. ‘Why don’t you look into it?’ She picked up her phone. ‘Let’s google it and see what we can find.’

Half an hour later, Kit had a list of places looking for volunteers that Patti had shared with her from her phone, and her eyes were sparkling with excitement. ‘I can’t wait to show this to Carly. Thanks so much, Gran.’

She hugged Patti and left, a spring in her step.

Well, hopefully that will put all thoughts of moving in with Seb out of her mind, Patti thought with satisfaction.

She’d found that it always worked out better to show people another solution, or path, than to try and talk them out of something.

All Kit had needed was a little nudge to think about what she wanted to do with her life, not what Seb wanted to do.

A whole new horizon had been opened for her.

A video call came in.

It was Mary, her brother Keith’s wife. Patti got on well with her and they often had a Facetime chat. She grabbed her iPad, preferring to use the bigger screen for video calls, and hit the accept button. ‘Hi, what’s it like over there in sunny Spain?’

‘Sunny and not too hot. Why don’t you come over for a week or so and see for yourself,’ Mary said.

‘We would love to see you, it would really cheer Keith up.’ Mary and Keith had both asked Patti several times to go and stay with them.

They’d moved to Spain five years ago when they both retired and Patti hadn’t visited yet.

She was too scared to fly, but had considered driving and taking the ferry over until cancer came along and upturned her life.

‘I’d love to come. I’m just… trying to build myself up to it.’

‘Please do. It would do you the world of good. And it would do Keith good to spend a bit of time with you.’ Her voice broke a bit.

‘I need you to come, Patti. I’m so worried about Keith.

He’s still not his normal self. I’ve tried to talk him into flying over to see you, but he’s scared of taking the risk after his heart attack, even though the doctor said it’s perfectly safe for him.

He’s really quiet and disappears into his shed for hours.

I can’t get him to go anywhere.’ Her voice was laced with worry.

Patti was sad to hear that. Both Mary and Keith had thrown themselves into the social life when they’d first moved to Spain, they’d got a great bunch of friends and were always talking about the day trips they went on, nights out, or gatherings around each other’s houses.

Keith was usually a sociable person, it wasn’t like him to shut himself away.

She knew the heart attack had shaken him up but was surprised that he’d retreated into himself so much.

‘I will come over very soon,’ she promised.

She had to pluck up the courage and do it. Keith and Mary had flown over a few times to support her when she was going through cancer treatment. Now it was time for her to return the favour. And sooner rather than later. Something about Mary’s tone had worried her.