Happy Families Read Online Free PDF Page B

to feel safe and she had ignored his plea? It might not be a scam. Maybe he’d like a Labrador. Lisa told herself she’d lose weight walking it. She didn’t believe Jack would walk the dog – at least, not after the first week, whatever he promised. She wasn’t born yesterday.
    Also, Lisa was fighting early menopause. It was official. When she’d asked the teenager who was serving at Boots if there were vitamins to help with the menopause the teenager hadn’t said, ‘You’re too young!’ She’d just pointed to the shelf. There, Lisa had consulted a professional! Gill was out of her mind to talk about pregnancy tests. Lisa was menopausal, closer to being a granny than a mum.
    Also she had a lot of homework from her DIY course. And her friend was dating her silly, careless brother, and then there was Mark.
    Gill said Lisa took Mark for granted. Was thattrue? It wasn’t that Lisa was too confident. The opposite! Lisa didn’t want to start to depend on Mark in case he went away. OK, at the moment he was always around. Right now, he was bringing Lisa chocolate. He checked that Jack was using the internet for homework, and just homework! He made Kerry and Paula laugh (often a superhuman thing). But for how long?
    Lisa was worried that Mark’s kindness would not last. She was keeping her distance. Just because he’d never done anything to hurt Lisa yet didn’t mean he was not going to at some point. Did it? Look at Keith.
    But Keith was not a good comparison. Hand on heart, he’d never have got the ‘Husband of the Year’ award. Before running off with the Big Breasted Woman he hadn’t been too bad. He hadn’t beaten her or taken drugs. But he hadn’t been too good either. Keith had never been caring or kind like Mark was. Even before he had left with the Big Breasted Woman, Lisa had often been lonely.
    Lisa thought about Mark all morning. She thought about him as she checked stock, cleaned ovens and fried chips. Paula came into the café at lunchtime with her spotty mates. Lisa made them all eat apples. She had broughtthe apples from home. Paula rolled her eyes. She said her mum was ‘total sad’. Paula was shy about her mum openly caring. It was a teenage thing. But Lisa knew it was important for kids to eat well. After they had eaten the apples, she gave them all free chips. She knew it was important to be liked!
    Lisa pulled Paula to one side.
    ‘Would you say I’m nice to Mark?’ she asked.
    For once, Paula didn’t pretend not to understand her mum. ‘Does he say you are nice to him?’ she asked.
    ‘I’ve never asked him,’ said Lisa.
    ‘Duh.’
    Paula stared at Lisa in the way Lisa stared at Paula when they got her school report. She looked a bit sad and cross. The phrase ‘could try harder’ came to mind.
    ‘You’re not awful to him, I suppose.’ Paula looked at her feet. This talk was costing her. ‘But you don’t seem into him. Like, when’s his birthday?’
    ‘Erm, late March.’ Lisa guessed.
    ‘April the first,’ said Paula. ‘What’s his favourite colour?’
    ‘No idea,’ said Lisa.
    ‘Or his favourite band?’ asked Paula.
    Lisa got the point, so she told Paula to go back to school.
    Lisa’s mum called. She seemed to have forgotten Lisa was forty-two, and felt the need to check up on her as the boss was away.
    ‘Café still standing, is it? You haven’t burnt it down?’ she asked.
    ‘No,’ said Lisa.
    ‘Chip pan fires are very easy to start,’ warned Lisa’s mum.
    ‘We use oven chips,’ Lisa lied.
    The phone call was long and one-sided. Lisa served customers, but she let some sausages burn so she told her mum she needed to go.
    ‘It’s good to know that you’ve got Mark,’ said Lisa’s mum.
    ‘What is this? Love-Mark-Week?’ asked Lisa.
    ‘He’ll help you cash up tonight. He’s good with numbers,’ added her mum.
    ‘And I’m not?’ said Lisa. She sounded a bit cross.
    ‘Well, no, love, you’re not. You’re good with customers. Everyone likes