Lorna,
It’s true you’re making a habit of being rude to me, but it seems I find myself making a habit of forgiving you. Thank you for the buttercups – how did you know that they are Rex’s favourites? You are welcome at the studio any time.
Mallachy
I look away quickly, hoping that Lorna didn’t catch me being nosey. But her head is tilted down at the note, her cheeks pink as she folds it and slips it in the pocket of her leggings.
‘So, does this mean we can go on that trip on Mallachy’s boat?’ Ella asks, eyebrows raised and a grin on her face.
Lorna’s cheeks turn an even brighter shade of pink.
‘I said we’ll see. Right now, I need to go and have a shower before the others get here. See you all in a minute. Thanks again for the class, Alice.’
She disappears upstairs, clutching the note and the jar of flowers.
‘Well that was weird,’ says Ella.
‘Come on, girls, it’s none of our business, let’s get on with finishing getting everything ready.’ I say it as much for myself as for them. But my mind returns to the thought that entered my head yesterday, that Mallachy and Lorna might get on well. Could this perhaps be the start of her putting roots down on the island again? Could Jack get his sister back after all this time? And could this help solve the problems we’re facing – couldLornabe the one to help us keep this community together? But no, I can’t let myself think like that. And besides, I made a promise that I wouldn’t tell Lorna what’s going on. I have to stick to that.
Once the table’s finished I race upstairs to change. Jack is in the bedroom peeling off his muddy farm layers and dropping them in the wash basket.
‘Good class?’ he asks me, kissing me on the cheek as he buttons a clean shirt.
I want to tell him about everything that happened – how Lorna broke down and how it felt as though something dropped away tonight, a final barrier that she’d been trying to hold up like a windbreak on a blustery beach. But I don’t know how to find the words. As I watch him stepping into clean trousers I think about all the other things that are unsaid between us at the moment.
‘It was good, thanks. How was your day?’
‘Fine.’
I take a breath but a knocking comes from the front door downstairs.
‘You go,’ I say, reaching for my own jeans and pulling them on. ‘I’ll be down in a second.’
He nods, closing the door behind him. I pause on the bed, jeans on but still just in my bra, feeling suddenly exhausted. What’s wrong with me? My good friends are downstairs – I can hear Jack greeting Sarah, Ben and the children and the excited chatter of Molly, Olive and Ella. But my head spins. The thought of going downstairs and hosting, even for people I love so much, feels for a moment too much to handle. I’m being ridiculous though. This dinner was my idea. I must just be tired from the class. I pull on a striped shirt, swipe a dash of coral lipstick on my lips and head downstairs, making my steps as light as I can manage.
‘Hello! Hello!’
Sarah greets me with a hug, even though we only saw each other moments ago. Jack is already opening a bottle of wine supplied by Ben, who kisses me on the cheek with a smile. I’ve always liked Ben. Quiet but friendly, with black curly hair that their son Alfie has inherited and a gentle demeanour. He and Jack are well-suited friends and it warms me to see them already chatting away to one another.
The girls pour soft drinks and fuss over the pot on the Rayburn while Alfie surveys the table, making sure the cutlery and napkins are all perfectly parallel. The room is warm with voices and laughter and I relax, returning to myself again.
There’s a brief pause as Lorna enters the room, looking down somewhat shyly.
‘Lorna, let me introduce you to everyone!’
Ben kisses her on the cheek too and Alfie reaches out a small hand for her to shake, his expression serious. Olive gives a little wave from the other side of the room.
‘It’s so nice to meet you all,’ says Lorna.
‘Would you like wine, Lorna?’ asks Jack, holding up an empty glass.
She pauses for a second, struggling to hide the surprise on her face. Is this the first question Jack has directly asked her since she arrived? I notice as he meets her eye, not glancing immediately away, and something does a little skip inside me.
‘I’d love some, thank you, Jack.’
‘Dinner’s ready!’ cry the girls.
I sit Lorna and Sarah next to one another, with Ella opposite.
