He smiles then, and rubs at his eyes and hugs me again. ‘Thanks, Mum. So you can stop worrying about me now, okay? ’Cause everything’s gonna be all right.’
Chapter Four
In truth, I’m a little on edge once the news has settled. Eddie has never even seen this Edinburgh flat, and what if he can’t handle working in a restaurant kitchen? He insists that it’ll be ‘easy’, but he has no idea what it’s like. At home he takes exception to being asked to put the milk back in the fridge. How will he cope with being barked at by chefs and slogging away on gruelling shifts? From lying on the sofa, mindlessly slotting Quality Street into his mouth, to holding down a demanding job and paying his rent every month. It feels like a heck of a leap.
However, it’s what he wants so of course I’m happy for him. And when Frank comes home, still in blue overalls and smelling not unpleasantly of oil and graft, he’s clearly delighted. ‘That’s brilliant, Ed! Great news.’ He catches my eye and grins.Can you actually believe this is happening?his look says.
‘Let’s go out and celebrate,’ I announce. ‘We’ll invite Granddad too. He’ll be so pleased for you.’
Eddie smirks. ‘Oh, d’you reckon?’
‘’Course he will,’ I say, brushing off his remark with a smile – because we all know how hard it is to please my father these days. While Frank showers and changes, I call Dad with the news, and then set off to pick him up from his harbourside flat a few miles further along the coast. And later, as the four of us settle around the table at our local Italian restaurant, I’m determined not to let his spiky presence dent the mood.
Our pizzas arrive and wine is poured – just water for me as I’ll drive Dad home later – and I make a toast. ‘To you, Eddie! To a whole new start.’
‘To Eddie!’ Frank grins as we all clink glasses.
‘Thanks.’ Eddie beams with pleasure.
‘About time too,’ my father remarks. ‘I was starting to think you’d never leave home, Eddie. Fifteen, I was, when I started full-time work in the shipyards—’
‘Oh, I thought it was nine?’ Frank murmurs with a mischievous twinkle, and I have to suppress a laugh.
‘Yes, Granddad,’ Eddie says dutifully. ‘But things are different now.’
‘You can say that again.’
‘Eddie was just waiting for the right opportunity,’ Frank remarks, ever loyal to our son.
‘Working in a kitchen?’ Dad frowns.
‘Yeah. Food’s the big thing now,’ Eddie assures him.
‘Really? It’s a new invention, is it? Thiseatingthing?’
‘Dad!’ I glare at him.
‘What’ll be the next big thing?’ my father muses. ‘Breathing?’
‘Yeah, probably, Granddad.’ Eddie smirks.
‘Well, I think it’s great,’ I insist.
‘Although you did try to force him to work in the tax office,’ Frank teases, nudging my arm.
‘I did not! It was a suggestion, that was all …’
‘Wanted to buy him a briefcase for Christmas,’ he goes on, fibbing wildly. ‘I had to wrench it out of her hands in John Lewis—’
‘Frank,’ I cut in, laughing now. ‘I did not.’
‘There’s nothing wrong with honest hard work,’ Dad remarks.
‘But Eddiewillbe working hard,’ I say firmly.
‘Yeah, I will.’ Eddie grins. ‘And I didn’t want an office job, Granddad. That’s just not me. And I think this will be. At least, I’m going to give it my best shot.’
Dad seems to soften at that, and he nods in approval.
