Page 63 of The Stolen Child

‘I don’t need anything from you, Mum. Promise. I want to see you every now and then.’

‘I don’t know. Maybe. But you need to go now.’ Her eyes darted to the front door as if expecting someone to come through at any minute.

‘Shall I come back next Sunday to talk some more?’ Sally asked, her voice coming out in a high-pitched squeak.

‘No! Don’t come back. Only if we’ve arranged it beforehand. You can’t just show up here.’

Sally’s stomach dropped in disappointment. ‘Okay, Mum. But can I call you first to arrange it? Do you have a phone?’

‘No. When I need the phone, I use the call box at the end of the road.’

‘I can write to you,’ Sally said, desperate to find a way to keep in touch.

‘It’s a free world,’ her mother replied, her voice now cool, and unyielding. ‘Thank you for the chocolates. And good luck with the hairdressing.’

Her mother moved towards the front door, leaving a confused Sally no option but to follow her out.

‘Is everything okay?’ Sally asked, failing to catch her mother’s eyes.

‘It’s fine. I’m busy, that’s all.’ Her mother’s voice caught as she continued, ‘It was good to see you Sally. Goodbye.’

And then she closed the front door softly between them.

‘Don’t send me away again mum, please . . .’ Sally whispered, as she stood rooted to the spot, holding back tears.

But the door remained closed, so Sally made her way home.

NOW

August 2023

Lily

Casa Rosa, Ronda, Spain

They stopped for a coffee and pastry en route. The sugar and caffeine, with the incredible backdrop of the Spanish coastal town of Marbella in the background, broke the tension that had built up when Zach referred to Lily as his sister. By the time they were back on the road, moving onto the smaller serpentine windy A397, their earlier ease with each other had returned.

‘The road will get tricky for a bit, so I’m going mute as I concentrate. Enjoy the views, Lily. They took my breath away the first time I saw them.’

The road was a single track, reasonably wide, but it had continuous hairpin bends that made her stomach flip as Zach navigated them. But then she caught sight of the coast, and, as Zach had predicted, the view was breathtaking. She forgot about the road before her, trusting Zach’s driving. Sally instead focused on the Spanish landscape. As they climbed higher, she noticed netting had been placed on the reddish volcanic rock face. Presumably, to keep rocks from falling onto the road.

After a particularly large bend, the landscape changed, with the red rock disappearing and white limestone taking its place. She spied a peregrine falcon swooping down over a nearby mountaintop. And they passed a couple of ventas – the local cafés – one of which had dozens of bikers sitting outside, who waved at Lily as they passed them by.

‘Almost there,’ Zach said as the first glimpse of Ronda came into view.

Whitewashed buildings were carved into the cliff edge, and the Puente Nuevo bridge stood proud against a blue, cloudless sky.

‘Ronda is one of the pueblos blancos – white villages – of Andalucia,’ Zach said.

Lily could hear pride in his voice as he became her unofficial tour guide. ‘It’s good to be back. There’s something about this place that resonates with me deeply.’

He slowed to a crawl as he began weaving their car through the one-way streets, moving towards the older part of the historic town.

‘Are you going to tell me where we’re staying?’ Lily asked.

Zach had reassured her that accommodation was sorted, but had remained tight-lipped about where it was.

‘We’re here.’ He pulled into a small driveway in front of a row of whitewashed villas, which overlooked the gorge below.