Rory and her grandmother went to the bar, leaving Gemma and Mary sitting at the table. The crowd was much quieter now as most people were settling down for their picnics or heading into the restaurants.
“I hope they won’t be too long.” Gemma looked round as her stomach growled. “I'm getting quite peckish.”
“I am sure they won’t be too long.” Mary regarded her granddaughter before speaking again. “You both seem much happier than you were before. Lighter almost. I think she is good for you.”
Gemma blushed. “She is.”
“But...” Her grandmother prompted.
“But I have a rubbish track record with women.” Gemma sighed. “Teagan says it’s because those other women weren't Rory.”
“Teagan may be right.” Her grandmother looked over to Rory and Phyllis, who was chatting with the barman. “And you and Rory have been seeing each other sinceFigaro.” Her grandmother sated. “That’s nearly three months now.”
“But that’s different,” Gemma protested. “We were friends for most of that, only recently... you know.” Her cheeks flushed red as she confessed to her grandmother that she and Rory were sleeping together.
“Why does that need to change?” Her grandmother looked at her with a pointed stare. “Why should you stop being friends just because you are dating?”
Gemma sat up and thought. She hadn’t considered that.
“But dating is different, isn’t it?”
“Oh, my darling, no. When you find the one you want tospend your life with, it’s wonderful and exciting, but it’s also comfortable and secure. Does Rory make you feel safe?”
Gemma immediately replied yes in her mind and nodded to her grandmother. She thought of all the times she’d fallen asleep in Rory’s arms. Her previous lovers had either been pushed to the other side of the bed when she slept or sent home after sex. Rory was different. Rory held her safe, and now that she was working out, her arms were even better to snuggle into.
“Yes, she makes me feel safe.”
“But you also have fun?”
“Oh yeah, we went to a pottery class the other day, and Rory couldn’t get the hang of using the wheel and ended up with clay all over her. It was hilarious.”
The view of the normally composed lawyer with clay splattered across her chest and in her hair was something she would remember for a long time.
“And that’s not something you would think about doing with a girlfriend?” Her grandmother asked.
“No, not really. I mean, shouldn’t dating be dinners and candlelight and sex and stuff?”
“It varies depending on the couple, I think.” Her grandmother tapped her fingers on Gemma’s arm.
“Do you know who my best friend was?”
Gemma grinned. “Of course. It’s Phyllis; you two are a devilish duo.”
“Now she is.” Her grandmother whispered. “But for most of my life, it was your grandfather.” Her eyes misted up. “He was my best friend, my lover, my partner, my everything. He could make me smile even on the hardest of days, and believe me, we had some hard days.”
Gemma paused and remembered her grandmother’s struggles. Their family was affluent now, but her grandparentshad built themselves up from nothing. Their other child, her uncle, had been born with a learning disability, and Mary had had to fight to get him the help he needed.
“Every time I had a battle with the council or the school wouldn’t give your uncle support, your grandfather was there to make me smile and give me a hug.” Her eyes twinkled. “Or more.”
“Gran!” Gemma absolutely did not want to think about her grandparents having sex.
“My point is, if you keep looking for the perfect romantic partner, you will never find them because they don’t exist. But being in love with your best friend. That is a recipe for a very happy life together.”
32
RORY
Rory grabbed the drinks she had bought for her and Gemma and followed her grandmother back to the table. Her plan to get Gemma alone in the gardens had been foiled by Darcy turning up. In a way though, it had been cathartic to see Darcy. Seeing her next to Gemma, Rory struggled to see what she had ever seen in Darcy and was glad that part of her life was over.
