agreed to give him a chance until Christmas and see how it goes, before deciding whether to keep him for ever. We’ve a lot on our plates with Jenny as it is, without taking on any more responsibility.’
Fear coursed through my fur as I realised my instincts were right. This had all been too good to be true; Javier had proved to me how fickle humans were. How stupid I had been to think things would be different with Gail and Simon. I wanted to howl as I realised that within a few short weeks I could be back at the tails of the forgotten. Would I never be good enough for someone to want me and love me for ever?
I closed my eyes tightly, just as I heard Gail walk across the kitchen floor to join Simon at the sink.
‘You have to give Percy a real chance,’ she said warningly. ‘He’s a wonderful dog and could be just what this family needs. He doesn’t cost that much, and he’ll certainly give us a lot more joy than a few days away in a caravan.’
Opening my eyes again, I felt a rush of love once more for Gail as I saw her face was filled with an earnestness I had never seen on a human before.
Simon cocked his head to one side and regarded his wife. ‘Love, I will give Percy a real chance, I’m just asking you to keep an open mind too. It may not work out with him and all of us have to be prepared for that. Let’s see how things are after Christmas.’
‘Fine,’ Gail sighed. ‘But I want you to know, if you won’t keep Percy, then there’s a real chance I’ll go with him. He’s a lifeline to me.’
‘Even more reason we need a break, love,’ Simon begged, reaching for his wife’s hands and clasping them tightly. ‘But Percy aside, Gail, I can provide for my family, and part of that means I can treat us all to a holiday, even if it’s just a few days in a caravan in wet and windy Keswick.’
I glanced up at Gail, who was now biting her lip. She rounded the table and drew out the chair opposite Simon’s to sit down.
‘I know that, love, but the other good thing about going back down to Devon is that if Jenny has a problem, Mum and Dad are there to help us out. Plus, all the staff at the hospital have dealt with Jenny over the years so will be able to treat her quickly. She’s going into hospital in a couple of weeks for another procedure and we don’t know how successful that’s going to be. I think we should wait and see how that goes before we even think about holidays.’
Simon looked across at his wife and clasped his hands over hers. ‘Nobody knows more than me how sick Jenny is. I grew up worrying about heart conditions remember? My old man was always in and out of hospital with a dodgy ticker and after his fifth heart attack I realised I couldn’t control his health by worrying. I knew I had to make the most of my time with him, which is why one of the best things I ever did was take him golfing in Spain just before he died. I’ll never regret doing that. It made me realise that if we wrap Jenny and ourselves in cotton wool we won’t enjoy life and the time we all have together.’
Thoughts flooded my mind as I realised Jenny was perhaps more poorly than Gail had initially let on. This heart condition, whatever it was, sounded serious. I watched Gail’s back stiffen in her chair as Simon finished his passionate speech. His words had clearly struck a chord and she was torn between wanting to make Simon happy and doing what she instinctively thought was right for her only precious child.
‘You make it sound as though Jenny doesn’t have long left,’ she hissed. ‘It’s as though you’ve already given up and expect her to die just like your father did.’
Gail screwed her face up into an ugly scowl, and I was astounded to see her look so upset. Her body was shaking with anger, and all I wanted to do was sit on her lap and try to calm her down.
‘Don’t be daft,’ Simon said swiftly, ‘of course I don’t think Jenny’s going to die. It was my idea to move back up to London, wasn’t it? I wanted to make sure she had the chance to get to Great Ormond Street quickly, so she would be on hand for top quality care. I wouldn’t have suggested that if I thought she wasn’t going to make it, would I?’
Gail said nothing as Simon took a deep breath. ‘Gail, I know it’s hard for you up here. That you miss our friends and your family, but we’ve got to make a go of it for Jenny’s sake and we can’t keep tripping up and down to Devon. Our lives are here now.’
‘Easy for you to say,’ Gail spat, ‘your mum’s just around the corner and your old school friends are streets away.’
Simon leaned back in his chair and took a deep breath before he spoke. ‘That’s true, but we’re not here for me. Things have changed. We’re here for Jen, and I know it’s rough on you, but you will make friends soon. Why don’t you go line dancing with Mum on Wednesdays? She’s always inviting you.’
‘Because I’ve got two left feet,’ Gail sighed. ‘Not only that, I haven’t the time. Now we’re home-schooling Jenny, I have to make sure we follow the curriculum. I’m determined that her education won’t suffer any more than it has to because of her health.’
‘Which is why we need to make the most of our time and appreciate each other again,’ Simon reasoned.
Gail looked into Simon’s eyes and then back at her lap, shaking her head sadly. ‘I understand, Si, but surely our friends and our family down in Devon are all a part of making the most of that time we have together,’ she said, the frustration creeping into her voice. ‘I know how hard you work, and I know how tired you are working round the clock all the hours. I know you’ve been sleeping in the spare room lately when you’ve crept in late, so you don’t disturb me, but it’s not necessary.’
‘I don’t want to wake you,’ Simon said, shrugging. ‘Taking care of Jenny, schooling her, running this house, it’s a full-time job in itself Gail. You need your sleep.’
‘And I need you beside me.’ Gail smiled, as she lifted her hand and tenderly stroked Simon’s cheek. ‘You, Jenny and now Percy are my family and my life. I’d do anything for any one of you.’
At the mention of my name, I decided this was as good a time as any to try to ease the tension. I opened my brown eyes wider and barked a little yelp of hello.
‘Oh, look, Percy is awake.’ Gail beamed, pushing back her chair across the parquet floor and heading straight for my basket. ‘Hello, gorgeous, how did you sleep?’ she asked softly, crouching on the floor her face pressed close to mine.
‘Fine,’ I barked gently, licking her cheek by way of greeting. I wasn’t sure how long I had napped, but what I did know was that I felt an awful lot better for forty winks. I stretched my front and back legs out to wake them properly and felt my back click into place. Getting to my paws, I felt my tummy gurgle with hunger and realised it must have been hours since I had eaten. I looked at Gail, worried it was too early in our relationship for me to start complaining about my appetite. But, thankfully, she had filled a bowl with my favourite food.
‘This is your home now, Percy,’ she said, as I scampered across the floor towards my grub. ‘You must do exactly what you like.’
I looked up at her again as she nodded reassuringly at me. Was this really my home? The conversation I had heard between Simon and Gail made me wonder. But my growling tummy stopped me from pondering any more as I chewed hungrily at my late lunch. Smacking my lips together, I realised now would be the perfect time to have the tour of the house I had been promised. So far I had only seen a fraction of the place and was eager to see more. Licking my mouth to ensure I had caught every last crumb, I walked towards the table where Simon was still sitting and nuzzled my head against his leg. We had not spent much time together yet and given he was the one who was considering sending me back, I wanted us to get to know one another.
‘Why don’t you give Percy that tour?’ Gail suggested as she caught my affectionate gesture. ‘You can show him your man cave, otherwise known as the spare room.’
Simon looked down at me and grinned. ‘Good idea. Percy, it’s time for you to see my hideaway where I get a bit of peace and quiet away from these nagging women.’