‘I don’t actually know.’ Nina was a bit confused at the question. ‘You do trust Leo don’t you?’ It bothered her more than it should to think maybe she didn’t.
‘Of course. Just interested that’s all.’ She smiled, her dark hair and olive skin so much like her son’s. ‘He gets bored waiting for me when he has to come to the café. He’s eleven but just that little bit too young for me to be happy with him spending hours at home on his own.’
‘Has Jonah made many friends?’ Perhaps that was what she was worried about, that her son was spending his time with adults rather than kids his own age.
Maeve’s shoulders relaxed. ‘He has. He’s got a couple of buddies he kicks a football around with at the weekends, they don’t live too far, and the school just sent out details of a trip planned for next June, a week away. The boys are already talking of sharing a room so … well it’s great that he’s settling in so quickly.’
‘And you? How are you finding being back here now you’ve been here a while?’ Her hot chocolate had barely touched the sides, all of the manual labour of the last few days had Nina almost as hungry as when she was on her feet as a nurse for a day.
‘Sometimes I miss the noise of a big city – crazy I know, but I think I got used to hearing neighbours so often, or cars on the street. Here I have my windows open when it’s warm and hear the breeze when it’s dark, the gulls as they swoop overhead. I’ve spent so long wanting to stay well away from the sea that being so close, waking to the smell of it even, was weird at first but it seems to be changing something in me.’
Nina nodded. ‘I know exactly what you mean. I’ve been back this way several times, but being at Grandad’s is totally different to being at the cabin. At first I wanted to get in and get out as quickly as I could, then I started to enjoy the transformation – and if I’m honest, the time off work – and slowly it’s become a nice place to be again. That’s why I thought a party would be really lovely for Grandad.’
‘It will be. I’m looking forward to it already. It’ll be good to get out of the flat for the evening.’
Maeve tucked into her lemon and poppyseed muffin, her talk keeping her from eating thus far. ‘Jonah told me that when he’s been over to help you, Leo has walked himover to your place.’ She said it with a smile. ‘I’m pretty sure he could manage to get from the boathouse to your cabin safely without Leo’s help.’
‘He probably could.’ She refused to rise to the bait.
Maeve persisted, even though she was getting barely anything from Nina. ‘You two were love’s young dream back then.’
‘The key word there iswere. It’s been a long time since we were those people. I hope we’ll stay friends though.’
‘More than friends?’
Nina shook her head. ‘I’m not even going to get into that discussion.’
Maeve caught a crumb that fell from her muffin. ‘You’re right when you say we’re all different people now.’
‘You’re a mum for a start.’
‘Leo seems the same though.’
Nina nodded. ‘Yes and no. He’s matured, having his own business and responsibility, I can see that without asking too many questions. But it suits him, being here.’
‘Have you seen Adrian yet?’
She shook her head. ‘Not yet.’ She’d thought about visiting but she didn’t want to make him feel uncomfortable. He’d emerge when he was ready, and she knew she would’ve hated people to descend on her and ask questions when she returned, so she’d given him the same grace. He probably wanted to process things in his own way. And she knew Leo well enough to know he’d bring his brother back, he had to.
‘I never really talked to him after that night,’ said Maeve.
‘Adrian?’ And when Maeve nodded Nina took a deep breath. ‘I did, he was a mess.’ It shouldn’t surprise herthat his homecoming was very different from Maeve’s, from her own. Neither of them had galloped back in and picked up where they left off, but Adrian had it much harder. ‘That night he and I walked back to the cabins ahead of Leo. Leo wanted me to get him away from everything, home, warm, calm.’ She met Maeve’s concerned gaze. ‘I’ve never seen a grown man cry the way Adrian did that night. Great heaving sobs like he was in pain,’ she remembered, ‘this big strong man was broken, it was horrible.’ And she remembered rocking him the way her grandad had rocked her when she fell over in a rock pool and grazed her knee, the way her grandma had pulled her into an embrace when she was upset her parents seemed to have less and less time for her and her brother as the years rolled on.
Maeve let the information sink in. ‘I wonder if he’s scared to go in the sea like I am.’
Nina shook her head, repeating a similar conversation she’d had with Leo. ‘Leo thinks not; it’s the guilt he feels, the sense of responsibility, more than any fear.’
When Maeve’s phone pinged she sighed. ‘I totally forgot I’ve got a delivery coming to the flat today.’
‘You need to get back?’
‘I’m afraid so. It’s only a parcel of new books but I don’t want them to dump the package on the doorstep and walk away. If they do that what do you think the chances are of seeing those books ever again?’
Nina laughed as they picked up their bags and made their way towards the front entrance. ‘Pretty much zero.’ She was still smiling as she pulled open the door, and as though their conversation had conjured them up, they came face to face with the Magowan brothers.
Nina paused, but barely for a second, before she flung her arms around Adrian. ‘It’s so good to see you.’ She took hold of his upper arms as she pulled away. ‘Really good. Welcome home.’
‘Thanks, and likewise.’ It was then he spotted she wasn’t alone. ‘Maeve?’
