[Êàðòèíêà: img_8]
Mum made a face– she was trying to help Ava get her coat on – but she answered the phone with one hand and held Ava’s sleeve out for her with the other. “Hello? Yes… Oh! Oh no…”
Harper looked round at her, and so did Ava, caught by the panic in Mum’s voice.
“Yes. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“What is it?” Harper asked, and Ava stared at Mum, her eyes round with worry.
“That was the hospital. Gran’s had a fall.” Mum zipped Ava’s coat up tight and grabbed her backpack. “It’s OK. It’s OK. But I need to drop you two at school and head over there as quick as I can. I’ll have to cancel my shift at the shop, but they’ll understand…”
“Can’t we come with you?” Harper asked, her voice very small. She was thinking of how tired and slow Gran had seemed over the last few weeks. How Mum had needed to help her up off the sofa when she came for tea a few days before.
Mum patted her cheek.“I know you’re worried, love, but I don’t think it’s a good idea for you two to come to the hospital. We don’t know what’s happening and you’d probably just have to sit in a waiting room. They’re looking after her, Harper, she’s in the best place.”
Harper knew Mum was right– but it didn’t make her feel much better.
They dashed out of the house, and for once, Harper was too distracted to blow kisses to Sammy, sitting on the back of the sofa, watching them go.
[Êàðòèíêà: img_6]
Mum had phoned Harper and Ava’s school later that morning to let them know that Gran was all right – she’d broken her wrist, and she had bumps and bruises, but there was nothing more serious going on. Harper was still worried, though, and she dashed out of school at the end of the day, hoping that Mum would have more news.
“How’s Gran?” she asked, as soon as she spotted Mum in the playground.
Mum smiled at her and waved at Ava, who was looking round for them.“Over here, Ava! She’s doing well – actually, I’ve got the car so we can go and see her.”
“At the hospital?” Ava sounded scared.
“Yes, but it’s OK, Ava. Gran’s not feeling too bad and they’re hoping she can come home in a few days.”
“We can cheer her up,” Harper said, putting her arm round her little sister. “I bet it’s boring in hospital.”
“Exactly.” Mum nodded. “But we have to be gentle, Ava, remember. No bouncing around and disturbing people.”
Ava was mouse-quiet for the whole car ride and the long walk through the hospital corridors. Harper had been there once before when she fell off her friend Maya’s trampoline, but that was only to A&E– the rest of the hospital was enormous and Gran’s ward seemed to be miles from the car park. It was very quiet, and Harper felt like they ought to be walking on tiptoe as Mum led them over to Gran’s bed.
“You brought them!” Gran was beaming and Harper immediately felt better. She’d been expecting Gran to look really ill, but she seemed fine apart from the cast on her wrist and she was so pleased to see them.
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Mum let Ava chatter to Gran for a couple of minutes about the forest school lesson her class had done, and then she broke in– Ava’s stories could go on for a while. “Listen, girls. We need to talk to you. Gran and I have been thinking…”
Harper looked at her worriedly– there was something in Mum’s voice, something that meant this was serious.
Gran smiled at her.“We’ve had an idea. Don’t panic, Harper. Let your mum explain.”
“Gran’s got lots of space at her house and she’s feeling a bit lonely, now it’s harder work for her to go out. And it would be good if there was someone else around, just in case she has another fall. So … we were thinking that perhaps we should move in. With Gran.”
“But what about our flat?” Harper said, frowning. They’d lived in the flat for so long – she could hardly remember the house they’d had before, when they still lived with their dad as well as their mum.
“Well, it wouldn’t be our flat any more. Someone else would rent it and we’d live in Gran’s house.”
“You could have your own bedrooms. You wouldn’t have to share,” Gran put in, smiling at Harper and Ava.
“My own room!” Ava squeaked. “Can I have purple paint?”
“Maybe.” Mum laughed. “Harper? What do you think? I know it’s a big change, but you’d love your own room, wouldn’t you? And Gran’s house is closer to school. Less of a rush in the mornings.”
Harper stared at the blanket on the hospital bed and tried to imagine living in Gran’s house, with all their things…
“What about Sammy?” she burst out.
Gran reached out and laid her good hand over Harper’s. “That would be another lovely thing for me,” she said. “I’d have you two and your mum, and I’d have a cat around again. I’m sure he’ll be fine, Harper. He’s only been with you, what, five weeks? He’s young enough to get used to somewhere new.”
[Êàðòèíêà: img_10]
“We’d keep him indoors at Gran’s for a few days,” Mum added. “Just till he’s settled.”
Harper nodded, a little doubtfully. Sammy loved their tiny garden. He spent ages sunbathing and trying to catch bees. He wasn’t going to be very happy about staying inside. She realized Mum was right, though. He was going to be really confused when he went out through Bonnie’s old catflap and found himself in a whole new garden. It would be better if he got used to Gran’s house first.
“When are we going to move?” Harper asked. She still wasn’t sure how she felt about the idea. Even though it made sense, and she definitely wanted to help Mum look after Gran, it was such a big change. She needed time to think about it.
Mum and Gran exchanged a look.“Soon,” Mum said gently.
“The doctor we spoke to thinks I need someone to look after me when I come home from the hospital,” Gran explained.
“But … you said that would just be in a few days!” Harper’s voice was a surprised squeak.
Mum nodded.“I’m going to speak to the owner of our flat and explain. We’re going to try and move this week.”
This week! Harper tried to nod, and smile, but she couldn’t imagine living somewhere different in just a few days’ time.
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Sammy watched uncertainly as yet another bag was piled up in the little hallway of the flat. He wasn’t sure what was going on. He liked the bags and boxes – he could jump up and sit on top of them, and then he was higher than everyone else, and that was very good. He was sure there was more to the boxes than that, though.
Every time he padded into a room, it seemed to have changed. Furniture kept moving around and the flat even smelled different, he was sure. This morning, Mum had whipped his food bowl away as soon as he’d finished eating – she hadn’t even given him time to wash his whiskers. The blanket that he liked to lie on along the back of the sofa had disappeared too and there were no baskets of washing around to sleep in. Everywhere he looked something was wrong and he hated it.
He marched crossly over to Harper, ears flattened and tail whipping, and rubbed the side of his head against her socks. She crouched down to stroke his ears, just the way he liked, but she wasn’t looking at him, she was still talking to Mum. He didn’t like the way her voice sounded – shaky and worried.
“It’s going to be so weird. Coming home to Gran’s house after school.”
“It’s strange for me as well, Harper. I know it’s a huge change.” Mum sounded different too and Sammy edged away a little.
[Êàðòèíêà: img_11]
“I’m getting my new room today!” Ava screeched, jumping from the bottom step of the stairs and throwing her arms round Mum’s waist.