Adrian put another dry knife away into the drawer. ‘I was champion at that back in the day,’ he claimed. ‘I can’t believe you still have it.’
‘It’s a relic,’ Nina grinned.
‘Will you give me a game?’ Jonah begged, his attentions on Adrian now, even though he was drying up.
‘Too noisy,’ Maeve warned, dropping another fork into the drainer, its bubbles running off and heading for the sink. She couldn’t look at either of them. Her heart was pounding at a rate of knots.
‘We’ll take it in the bedroom,’ Jonah announced looking at Nina.
‘Fine by me,’ Nina told him.
‘You sure you want to play?’ Maeve asked Adrian in a soft voice. ‘You don’t have to. I could play instead.’
‘I’m happy to. Unless you’re not.’
‘No … no, I don’t mind.’
‘Then that’s settled.’ He looked puzzled at her hesitation but shook it off and turned to Jonah. ‘I’ll warn you, I’m good.’ He put down the tea towel and followed her little boy out of the room. It was all she could do not to watch them both, their every move.
‘He must be bored,’ said Leo as he came to take over where Adrian left off with the drying up. ‘Nobody else his age here.’
Maeve just smiled and turned back to her task, vigoriously scrubbing the remnants of pizza off the last remaining pieces of cutlery before she started on some of the glasses that were in a collection beside the sink.
‘It’s loud in there.’ Already they could hear the incessant popping of the Frustration board coming from the bedroom, Jonah’s excited yelps and Adrian’s laughter. ‘Good to hear my brother happy though. All it took was an eleven-year-old kid, eh?’
Maeve didn’t say a word. She couldn’t.
‘Jonah seems pretty happy Adrian agreed to play – I had no intention of playing that game when I saw it, no matter how much I enjoy your son’s company.’
‘Fair enough,’ Maeve laughed. ‘I think I’d have a headache if I was in there.’ She caught sight of the time. ‘I should probably take Jonah home soon, it’s getting late.’
‘Want me to give him the ten-minute warning?’ Nina asked as she overheard their conversation.
‘Thanks, Nina.’ It was easier than her going in there and trying to drag Jonah away. He was already attached toLeo; now Adrian seemed to be getting a look-in. And all of it made Maeve as nervous as she’d expected.
When she felt Leo’s attention turn to her she asked, ‘Has Adrian mentioned whether he’ll teach again soon?’
‘He doesn’t seem to be in any hurry. So who knows. I can cross my fingers that it means he’s considering a different profession, I don’t know, like boats,’ he smiled, ‘but I might be getting my hopes up if I did that.’
‘Your family must be really happy he’s here.’
‘We all are. And talking of school and being back, how’s Jonah doing? He always seems happy enough at the boathouse. He doesn’t tell me much about school, although I did hear that there’s a new boy called Murray and he picks his nose.’
‘Lovely,’ she giggled, appreciating the lighter banter. ‘And I’m not sure “enjoying” is a word he’d ever use about school, but he’s happy, he’s made some friends and he just moved up levels at swimming club. He’s learning butterfly at the moment.’
‘Not a stroke I ever liked. I couldn’t really do it to be honest; Adrian was way better, he was a machine in the water.’
The mention of water and Adrian had her looking behind her to see whether her son was ready to leave. It seemed he still wasn’t, she could hear him protesting.
‘He’s still hassling me to let you take him out on a kayak or show him paddleboarding,’ Maeve said when she turned back.
‘The weather is starting to turn. If you want to do it, do it quick. I know it’s hard,’ he added. ‘But I’m patient, don’t worry. And I love him stopping by – he’s good company and I’ll always keep him safe.’
‘I enrolled him in swimming lessons from a really early age, there was no question of me doing that. I actually thought it would mean I wouldn’t be like this, that I wouldn’t have a problem with him going in the sea. But it seems a pool is one thing, but the sea is another thing entirely.’
‘They’re different, that’s why, and it’s good for Jonah to realise that. And if it helps, he definitely doesn’t seem scared. You haven’t damaged him.’
‘He started swimming lessons and he was hooked.’ She smiled at the thought of her son every time he got in the pool. ‘He was hungry for more, the water is his happy place.’
