Did The Earth Move? Read Online Free PDF Page B

three, four ...' Then the most Godawful tuneless strum broke out and Joseph began to sing, equally tunelessly.
    'Eeeeve ... I can't belieeeeve,
How fab you are.
So much better than my playing
Of this guitah ... ah ... ar.'
    At this, Eve almost doubled over with hysteria in her deckchair, but still the singing continued.
    'I may not be able to sing . . .' Here, Joseph reached into his pocket for a small box and held it out to her.
    'But I want you to wear my ring.'
    This was always the point where Anna felt the throb well up in her throat, because her dad suddenly sounded so serious and sincere. And her mum looked astonished, taking the box and opening it up without a word. Looking up at him, quite bewildered, for further explanation.
    'Eeeeve, I can't belieeeeve...'
    'Oh God, don't sing this. What do you want to say?' Eve asked him.
    'But this is the best bit...'
    He took his hands off the guitar and added, in a low, half-sing now: 'Eve, do you want to wed? Or shall I just make you happy in ...'
    She burst into laughter again and put her hands over Anna's ears: 'Joe!'
    'Instead ... I was going to say "instead". But I'll do the other stuff too.'
    He leaned over to kiss her and that was when Anna would see the smile – the secret, conspiratorial, sexy smile, which she'd never seen on her mother's face at any other time.
    'This is just perfect,' she told him, looking at the ring now, taking it out of the box to admire. 'Can we afford it?'
    'I might have to do some busking.'
    They collapsed into giggles at the idea.
    He took it from her and put it onto her fourth finger. 'When are you going to agree to marry me?' he asked.
    'I love you,' she said and they began to kiss, him adding melodramatic groaning sounds.
    'Then marry me,' he added.
    'I don't know, Joseph... I don't know if I want all that again.'
    'Me, Eve ... Not "all that", just me. Don't you want me?'
    'Are you going to turn that thing off?' she asked, looking directly at the video now, as if she'd just remembered it.
    Clunk, darkness. That was where the clip ended.
    That was when Anna would sob hard into the toilet paper she'd stuffed into her dressing-gown pockets, knowing that this moment would come. How could two people love each other so much, be so happy together and yet let it turn out like this? How could her dad be in Manchester with stupid, awful Michelle, while her mother was left alone?
    Why had her parents let this happen?
    She'd asked them both hundreds of times and she thought their answers were just rubbish.
    'Well Anna, your daddy loves you very much, but we don't love each other any more.'
    'Why not? Why do you stop loving someone?' Did that mean one day they would stop loving her?
    'We don't get on any more... it's complicated, Anna.'
    'Well you made Robbie together, didn't you?' Anna would storm. 'How did that happen, then?' How indeed, Eve would wonder.
    'Anna, I'm sorry. I'm very, very sorry that your daddy and I aren't together any more. I'm so sorry for you, baby.' Her mother would hold her.
    'But what about Robbie?' Anna would sob. 'He hasn't really got a daddy. How's he going to turn out?'
    'Probably like Denny and Tom – really nice,' Eve would soothe, stroking her hair. 'And anyway, when Robbie's older he can go up on visits with you. He's just a bit small to spend the weekends away from home, right now. He does have a daddy, just like you do.'
    But sometimes Anna still felt inconsolable about it. It wasn't something that got better. She missed her dad. She wanted him back living with them all the time. She didn't want to get used to living without him, seeing him every second weekend. Deep down, although she loved her parents very much, she thought they were both selfish to have done this to her and Robbie. Selfish, selfish, selfish. That's why she was determined to be a head doctor. She wanted to make everyone feel better. She wanted to stop these things happening. And she'd decided she was going to have one really good try at getting her