I look down at my brightly colored sweater. She has a point.
“In that case, if he says anything, I’ll go for plan B. I’ll hide behind you.”
“Don’t worry fair maiden, I’ll defend your honor.”
She laughs and I find myself laughing with her. It’s the first time I’ve felt light since I heard the news this morning. Clara’s always a good tonic for me.
“So you’ll come with me, then?” I ask.
“I thought you’d never ask. I wanna see this guy who fucked you up.” She gives a smug smile. “Also, I can check out whether any of your old school friends are still single.”
I shake my head at her. She never changes, but one day she’ll find someone who loves her brand of crazy. I go and lock up the store and then cash up while Clara lounges in the chair. Wednesday night we always hang out together, grab some food and watch a movie. Today it’s her choice, and I’m not surprised when she chooses a pizza and an old favourite ...Enchanted. She knows me well.
CHAPTER THREE
Reece
“My baby!” My mom flings her arms around me as soon as she opens the door.
“Hi, Mom.” I hug her back. There’s nothing quite like mom hugs, and I lean into it. It’s been too long. She pulls back and regards me at arms length. I know she’s assessing me but her smile is kind. She’s bound to say something along the lines of I’m not looking after myself, but I do and she has nothing to complain about. But she’s Mom and she has to find something.
“You look a little thin,” she says eventually. “Have you been eating properly?”
“Of course I have.”
“Well, I’ll make sure you do while you’re here,” she says, totally disregarding my answer and drawing me back in for another hug. I don’t mind her talk, I know it’s her way of feeling needed, and I hug her a little tighter for it. I’m glad she spots Marina standing behind me, though, and releases me to greet her likea long lost friend. It means she can’t see me rub away the dampness that’s formed at the corners of my eyes. I’m in danger of feeling overwhelmed so I focus on taking our suitcases inside. I put Marina’s in the guest room, and then turn to enter my old bedroom. I hover in the doorway, just looking in. I haven’t set foot in it for twenty years and it looks exactly the same. The narrow wooden bed frame, and the desk where I sat struggling with my homework. I can almost imagine my teenage self coming rushing in through the door, throwing down my school bag and switching on the TV.
Even the shelf with my old swimming trophies is still there. It was the one thing I was good at in school, and I spent the last year as captain of the swim team. It made me pretty popular at school, which I didn’t really care for, but it also made my behaviour in those last few months seem even worse. I sigh deeply. To make amends for that is one of my main reasons for coming to this reunion.
I hear footsteps behind me and my mom joins me in the doorway. I put my arm around her and she snags me round the waist.
“You haven’t changed anything?” I say.
“Why would I?” she asks. “I didn’t know what you wanted me to do with it all, and I didn’t need the space.”
“Maybe I can look through it while I’m here,” I suggest.
“Maybe.” She gives a small shrug, and I understand that she likes having these memories of the past. I never thought how lonely she must have been over the last twenty years. First my dad left and then me. It must have been hard for her.
“Why did you never sell up and get a smaller place?”
“This house was always my choice,” she says with determination. “I fell in love with it the moment I set eyes on it. I can’t imagine wanting to live anywhere else. Of course your dad wanted a much bigger house, but this one called to me and I stood firm on that.”
It’s the first time she’s mentioned Dad in years. Mostly we’ve avoided him completely when we’ve talked.
“How is he?” I ask tentatively, wondering if the subject is one she’s happy to talk about, as she did bring him up. She gives a small snort of a laugh, one without mirth.
“As well as can be expected. Now on wife number four, or maybe five. I’ve lost count. I pity them all, thinking they can be the one to change him, but they find out the truth soon enough.”
She sighs.
“You were married to him the longest,” I point out as if it’s some sort of achievement.
“Only because of you, baby. Otherwise I would’ve kicked him out years before. Though now I wonder if that would have been for the best.”
I feel her arm tighten round my waist and I squeeze her in a side hug. She takes a deep breath.
“We’ll never know, will we?” Then without waiting for an answer she releases her hold on me. “Dinner’s in half an hour, you’ve just got time to freshen up.”
