Since he’d left there was just her and her mum.
Although it had been almost two years ago that he’d said that he wasn’t getting anywhere and wanted to be free, and for that reason he was leaving to make a better life for himself, she still missed him. The parting was surprisingly free of any real animosity and he’d obviously made up his mind. She and her mother both had part-time work and although neither job brought in much money, they always seemed to manage with what they had. Apart from the daughter’s day job, something she regarded as pretty humdrum, stocking shelves in the supermarket, she served twice a week in the local soup kitchen. She had been doing this regularly on the appointed evenings and had always enjoyed the activity. Although her time was given as a volunteer, she found it far more rewarding than her day job. The food they provided was free for those who really needed it and this always gave her a sense of doing something worthwhile.
It was an especially cold night and one that made the bowl of hot food much appreciated by the couple of dozen customers that formed a queue in front of the serving tables. On this occasion she was handing out cutlery and napkins when she couldn’t help noticing a bearded, scruffy looking man who was moving closer. She felt there was something familiar about him. When he arrived in front of her, his hand went out to take what she was offering.
He froze, staring at her. He said, “Lordy! Is that you?”
She frowned. “Dad?”