Noms laughed. ‘What are you like!’
Two big plates of spaghetti bolognese arrived at the table.
‘Wow, that looks amazing.’ Gracie picked up her napkin and put it on her lap.
‘Good to see you tucking in to something decent, Grace. I was worried you might be getting too skinny.’
Gracie laughed. ‘As if. I’ve just cut out all the crap and although I’ve ditched the running club, walking Boris on the common allows me to have my wine and the odd flapjack at the weekend.’
‘Well, you look great for it. In fact, this is the best I’ve seen you looking in a long while. No men and hard work must be the answer. Talking of no men, any word from Lewis?’
‘Not for over a month… it’s weird. He was so full-on and now nothing. Last time I saw him, he was bringing the twins’ stuff to the hut so that other ladies might make use of it.’ Gracie’s voice wobbled.
Noms put her hand on top of her sister’s. ‘Oh, Grace.’
Gracie pulled away. ‘I’m fine, it had to be done and it allowed us to leave each other on amicable terms.’ Gracie spun a big swirl of spaghetti around her fork. ‘But if I’m honest, I don’t like not having him at the end of a phone. I hate to say it out loud, but I am missing him. Even when we were rowing, I knew he still loved me. The fact that he’s got over me, thinking that he might be moving ahead with someone else, well… it kills me, actually. The worst thing will be if I find out he is having a baby. I don’t think I would ever want to know. It would destroy me.’
‘Contact him, Grace,’ Noms said boldly.
‘Oh, I don’t know.’
‘If he truly loves you, whatever situation he is in, he will come back to you.’
‘Do you think so?’
‘I know so. From my past experiences, men are like bloody rubber bands. They always ping back and sting you when you least expect it.’
‘He hasn’t replied to two of my texts and that’s so unlike him. He must be seeing someone.’
‘Well, you won’t know if you don’t ask, is all I can say.’ Noms scraped her plate of the last morsel of her lunch.
Gracie did the same. ‘I told you that seeing Annalize helped me to move on from everything, didn’t I? He never would have ended up with her, I know that. She even told me just how much he loved me!’
‘This life lark is a funny old game, Grace. Those cards keep getting dealt, whether it be an ace or a joker, everything usually does work out for the best in time. Pudding?’
‘God, no, I’m stuffed. I am happy, though, Noms, so don’t worry about me. And I promise to get out from under your feet soon, now I’ve got some decent money coming in.’
‘You could live with me forever, sister, if you wanted, you know that? Right, I’d best get down the school and pick the little terror up.’
Outside, Noms looked at Gracie and screwed her face up.
‘Gracie Davies, is that a nose stud!?’
In that minute the diamond had caught the light.
‘Yes. Isn’t it cute?’
‘So when is the tattoo coming?’
It was Gracie’s turn to laugh. ‘I’m not having a midlife crisis, don’t worry. I’ve always wanted a nose stud and just never had the balls to do it. This is the new me. Taking control of my life.’
‘Well, I like the new you, but make sure the old one still pops up sometimes, because I liked her too.’ Noms hugged her sister in the street. ‘I love you, Grace.’
‘Back at ya, sister. Right, gotta run, I’ve got some balloons being delivered at four.’
SEVENTY-FIVE
Professor Princeton gently fluffed up the pillows behind his wife’s head and kissed her on the forehead. She had been home for a month now and was beginning to show distinct signs of recovery.
