‘Maybe we all frightened him off relationships with women for life,’ I say. And now Mum really laughs.
‘He loves the very bones of you all,’ she says. ‘He’s not frightened of marriage for life, he’s just being a complete brat, thinking he’s the eternal bachelor.’
‘I think you should tell him that, Mum,’ I say. ‘Tell him you expect grandchildren and a proper relationship and none of this messing around anymore. That’s your next mission, sorting him out.’
‘Freya, I don’t do interfering in my children’s lives.’
‘The three of us managed all right without you, but I think Con is a hopeless case. Now, I’m going to text the other three and we’ll set up something for tomorrow night.’
‘Fine,’ she says.
I text everyone and added for them not to ring, just said briefly what it was about. Mum can talk to Scarlett when she gets home.
‘There,’ I say to her, ‘it’s done.’
‘Thank you, thank you Freya,’ she says.
There’s a rattle of keys in the front door and Scarlett appears.
‘Hi,’ she says, breathless. Her dance class is pure exercise and she says it helps her to sleep. In her tinyT-shirt and footless dance tights, she looks like a blonde Lexi.
‘What are you doing here?’
‘Just having tea,’ I say. ‘You look great, lovie. If I get time some night, will you take me dancing or is it such an intense workout, I’d pass out?’
‘You’d pass out,’ she says, hugging me. ‘It’s taken me ages to be able to stand the pace but do please come. I’ll take care of you if you need a rest.’
‘The three of us can go, then,’ I said, grabbing Mum’s hand. ‘You to show us how it’s done, me to pass out and Mum to watch and laugh.’
Scarlett sits down and I look at her glowing face and think that her glow comes from more than dancing.
‘Tell me?’ I say.
She beams at us both.
‘He didn’t want to come in because he’s afraid he wouldn’t be welcome but I met Jack tonight.’
Mum reaches out and grabs Scarlett’s hand.
‘If he still loves you, phone him this second and get him back here,’ says Mum.
Scarlett reaches into her pocket for her phone and sends a text.
‘He says he left because we weren’t people anymore – we were thisbaby-making unit. Us both swallowing vitamin pills andwewere lost. That’s why he left. But he loves me.’
Mum is calm.
‘Of course he loves you, Scarlett. Doesn’t mean it’s easy though.’
‘No,’ I agree, ‘doesn’t mean it’s easy.’
*
September always seems like the beginning of the year to me – it’s the beginning of the school year, and once the leaves begin to turn gold, I feel an excitement at the newness of everything.
Lexi’s doing important exams this year, so I think she needs a boost with her new family to help her start the year.
Which is code for her not going back into school with no mention of Elisa, who has been off the radar since news broke of her pregnancy.
