Widows

Bella picked up the cocktail dress, a few others from Dolly’s case and some more that Linda and Shirley had bought. She walked into the bedroom, placed the dresses on the bed and stood with her hands on her hips. ‘We ain’t takin’ no for an answer, darlin’,’ she said to Dolly. ‘So, get out of that oversized dressing gown and slip into one of these.’

Dolly looked at Bella and Bella could see the longing to be young again in her eyes. ‘Your new life starts right here, right now, Dolly,’ she whispered. ‘It don’t take no planning.’ Then she spoke louder so that Linda and Shirley could hear her. ‘Linda’ll do your hair.’

Linda raced to the bedside drawer and pulled out a hair dryer. ‘I do a cracking blow job!’ she announced. As the girls laughed, a smile crept over Dolly’s face.

Bella chipped in again. ‘And to round it off, Shirley, our very own professional model and catwalk star, will do your make-up. By the time we’ve finished, you’ll look twenty years younger.’

Shirley pulled Dolly over to the dressing table, while Linda ran to her bedroom and got her heated rollers. Dolly had a childlike look on her face as she sat in front of the mirror: Cinderella about to go to the ball.

‘What you want — the silver lamé or the sequins?’ Bella asked as she picked up two evening gowns from the bed.

Dolly looked at her through the mirror. ‘Be a bit of a mutton in that, won’t I?’

Bella laughed and chucked the lamé to one side. ‘The sequins will be just fine!’ She caught Dolly’s eye in the mirror and gave her a wink, but looked away as she saw Dolly’s mouth begin to tremble. She didn’t want to set her off again. Dolly had done the emotional abandon bit... now she needed to get pissed and let her hair down.

As Linda began blow-drying Dolly’s wet, matted hair, she didn’t even realize that she was lightly squeezing and affectionately stroking Dolly’s shoulder with her thumb. But Dolly knew. It was the first time Linda had ever shown any real sign of friendship and Dolly felt so moved that she couldn’t help but touch Linda’s hand. Linda closed her fingers around Dolly’s and, looking in the mirror at their reflections, Dolly could see the guilt in the younger woman’s eyes. ‘Leave it all behind, eh, Linda?’ Dolly said quietly. ‘All the cold, and the rain, and the mistakes.’ This was Linda’s pardon from Dolly — and Linda accepted it with a smile. There was, at long last, an understanding among them all.

The room gradually filled with laughter and chitchat about hairstyles, dresses and make-up. Dolly felt loved in this moment and, whether it lasted or not, she was going to enjoy every second of it. Their friendship warmed her, strengthened her and made her feel wanted. For now, she was one of the girls, but unlike Shirley and Linda, Dolly was not a widow. Not anymore. And she would never forget what Harry Rawlins had put her though.

One day she’d see him again. One day he’d have to face her.

Harry was still alive and she would find him. Wherever he might be.