Finn begins lifting lids off saucepans and doing the sort of thing that you only allow a person who is very familiar and adored to do in your kitchen.
‘I love that seafood chowder,’ he moans. ‘Could you make me up a bucket of it, I’ll pay, bring it home and freeze it into little pots, and then I won’t have to shop for a week.’
‘I promised to show you how to make it,’ I tell him sternly, the way I tell him every time.‘Rachel has learned. Teach a man how to fish and all that.’
‘I’m unteachable where cooking’s concerned,’ says Finn.
‘Nobody’s unteachable,’ says Rachel, coming into the room and smiling at everyone.
Finn and Steve hug her.
‘Off to break a few hearts, eh,’ says Steve.
‘No,’ says my daughter loftily.‘Off with friends. No hearts involved.’
‘Our daughter is going to be running her own accountancy firm before she’s forty,’ says Nate proudly. ‘So none of thisbreaking-heart stuff, she doesn’t have time for men.’
Everyone laughs.
‘Enough, proud papa,’ I say. I’ve been a cow, I decide. Nate can beself-absorbed but he adores the kids, loves us all so much. He’s just not always brilliant at showing it.
Sid comes back and is introduced to Rachel, who seems to approve.
‘Your hair,’ Rachel says, awestruck. ‘I love it.’
Sid puts a hand up and ruffles it. ‘Ano-effort hairdo,’ she says, grinning.
‘It’s sonow,’ Rachel goes on.
Nowis the best thing of all for Rachel and Megan – encompassing the right clothes, shoes, hair,make-up and views.
‘Who does it?’ Rachel asks and Sid looks bemused.
‘Small place in the city near the office. Nothing fancy,’ she says. ‘I just wash it, towel dry it and I’m done. Had it for years. Fifteen, actually,’ she adds and she sounds different for a moment, a less cheerful tone to her voice.
Who, I think, knows how long they’ve had their hair cut a certain way? I forget my anniversary, never mind the length I’ve had certain clothes or hairdos.
‘Muum,’ interrupts Rachel. ‘Earth to Mum. I’m going.’
I abandon the cooking. ‘Excuse me,’ I say to everyone in the kitchen. ‘Nate, fix the drinks, I’m going out to say goodbye to Rachel.’
Rachel is hugged and admired as she makes her way through the kitchen. They have all seen her grow up from a little child to the beautiful girl she is now. She definitely looks more like Nate than me with that incredible streaky blonde hair that’s rippling down her back and the brown eyes, although hers are wide apart whilst Nate’s are narrower, shrewder.
I wonder is it some strange evolutionary fact that makes mothers think their own children are the most beautiful creatures in the world? And does that in its place make us more protective?It must do. Evolution at work.
‘Now you will be careful, won’t you, honey?’ I say as we get to the front door.
‘Mum, I will,’ she says with a hint of irritation. ‘I’m driving, I’m not drinking, we are going to see a band. End of. I’ll park the car somewhere safe, the lads will be with us, you have my phone number, you have their phone numbers, their addresses, probably their social security numbers too.’
I laugh. ‘You got me, darling. Have fun,’ and I watch her head off to pick up Megan.
All’s right in the world.
18
Sid
Rachel seems like a veryput-together young woman, a lot more together than lovely dizzy Chloe from my office, I think as I watch her and her mother head out. I really like Marin, even though I wasn’t sure if I would from the way Finn was describing her. She just sounded perfect and I’ve never liked perfect people. Perfect is boring. But she’s warm, if a little frazzled, but that’s probably just due to an influx of guests.
