‘I’mstill inmycottage, Sorrel.’ I said the words thinking what an awfully unadventurous person I really must be to have moved only into the adjoining cottage from the one I’d been born and brought up in.
‘Yes, well, good. Good. That’s good.’ Sorrel sniffed unattractively. ‘At leastyou’llbe there, Jess, when I want to come home.’ She pushed the tissue up her sleeve and tried to smile.
‘Huuff.’ Lola made a derogatory noise as she joined us after being waylaid by Kamran. ‘Why would you want to be back down home when you can behere? And in London? I’ve never been to London. My friend Ruby has a room like this. Can I look round? Can I walk into your walk-in wardrobe?’
‘Just think back to this time last year, Sorrel.’ I smiled, elbowing Lola to shut her up – this damned new friend of my daughter’s was getting right up my nose. ‘You hated us all.’
‘I’m sorry.’ More tears and the tissue pulled back down from Sorrel’s sleeve. ‘I didn’t mean to put you all through that. It was just…’
‘Just what?’ Lola leaned in nosily. ‘What were you doing you shouldn’t, Sorrel?’
‘Lola,’ Mum said, ‘I think Kamran could do with some more help in the kitchen with the croissants. Off you go.’
‘But I’mlistening. What did youdo, Sorrel…?’
‘Go!’ I pushed Lola towards the bedroom door. ‘Has Jayden gone?’ I asked, once I was sure Lola had left. ‘Where did he stay after lunch on Sunday?’
‘He came back with Fabian and me,’ Robyn said. ‘He was heading off to London early the next morning. He’s often in London, Sorrel,’ she went on. ‘He’ll take you out sometimes.’
‘That’ll be a first.’ Sorrel looked surprised.
‘Well, he did with me.’ Robyn smiled. ‘When I was there.’
‘You were always the favourite,’ I said.
‘Moreaccepting, I think,’ Robyn returned. ‘I wasn’t always having a go at him, like you.’
‘I think he’s beginning to realise how cavalier he’s been with us all,’ Mum said. ‘Realises, at last, what he’s got and what he’s missed in not being there all the time you three girls were growing up.’
She trailed off as Kamran put his head round the bedroom door. ‘Just less than an hour?’ he said. ‘Then we need to get off. Got everything packed, Sorrel? I’ll take it down to the car for you.’
‘Joel hasn’t come has he, Kamran?’ Sorrel looked hopeful. ‘I mean, I know he probably won’t, but you know…?’ She walked over to the bedroom window, gazing down at the plethora of cars below.
‘I had a phone call from Andy this morning,’ I said as Kamran took hold of Sorrel’s cases and went back downstairs.
‘Andy?’ The other three turned.
‘Joel’s support worker. I’ve agreed that he can move in as soon as possible.’
‘Who? This Andy?’
‘No! Joel. Just until the end of term so that he can do his GCSEs and get involved in Robyn’s production…’
‘What!’ Lola had come back upstairs. ‘No! I don’t want anyone else moving in now that you’ve made Dad move out. In the bathroom, using my special shampoo as shower gel, eating all the Weetabix…’
‘You were happy for your dad to move back in, Lola,’ Robyn said mildly.
‘Yes,’ I put in, grateful to have some backup. ‘And he wasalwaysin the bathroom, using all the hot water, titivating, nickingeveryone’sshampoo!’
‘That’s different. It’s Dad’s house. I don’t want to have to share witha boy… Oh, is that why you’ve moved my things from the box room? I wanted Ruby to come and stay. She can’t, now we’ve got a… a… someone who’s in trouble with the police. Her dad will never let her come to stay if he knows that.’ Lola’s face was thunder.
‘Everyone deserves a second chance, Lola,’ Mum said, patting Lola’s arm, as she continued to look mutinous. ‘Is breakfast ready, darling?’
‘Listen, Sorrel, I told Andy to bring Joel over to my place with all his things and, if he’d time, to drive up here for an hour first.’ I looked at my watch. ‘Not sure he’s going to make it.’
‘They’re just ten minutes away,’ Sorrel said, a big smile on her face, checking her phone. ‘They should be able to be here before we set off.’
‘George is here,’ I said to Robyn as we walked into the kitchen. ‘For some reason.’
