“Ava, you’re making assumptions. Unless he gets someone pregnant by accident, he’s unlikely to be having a family in that timeline. Given he’d have to meet someone, get engaged, have a wedding, or even just move in together, most people take longer than Callaghans do.”
“But don’t you think that if we said we were serious, you lot would start to expect that to happen? Look how fast everything has been with Jackson and Vanessa, and Claire and Killian.”
Callum shook his head and looked impatient. “Claire and Killian are different. They’ve been around each other for years. Jacks and Max were always going to move quickly when they found someone who could put up with their shit. But look at Payton – she’s not planning on moving in with Owen any time soon and no one’s pressuring her to.”
“I know. It’s just an odd situation.”
“Because you haven’t been in it before?” he said.
I shook my head. “I’ve had boyfriends.”
“But you either chewed them up and spat them out or ended it before they could break your heart,” he said. “Eli is the first person that’s lasted more than a few weeks.”
“You’ve never had a long relationship either,” I said, reverting back to childhood behaviours where we would compete and insult in a single breath.
“No. But that wasn’t because I didn’t want to be in one. It was because she didn’t want me,” he said.
I was quiet, my attention now solely on him. Callum and I were both the youngest: he was the baby from our father’s first wife, me the youngest of all of us. We were the only two siblings not to practice law. He’d always been the brother I was closest to, and even though Payton was my best friend, there had been something special with our relationship. Now I saw pain in his eyes and it killed me.
“Who was she?”
“Another vet,” he said. “We worked on the same programs for a couple of years when I was abroad.”
“She wasn’t interested?”
I didn’t actually think I knew of a woman that Callum hadn’t seduced if he’d wanted her.
“She was married,” he said. “To an absolute dick.”
“Did she know you loved her?”
He looked away from me. “Eli’s coming over. I’m going to go say goodbye to Frankie, and then I’m going to get ratted.”
“You’ll regret the hangover tomorrow,” I said.
He laughed bitterly. “Just something else to get over.”
I wondered what had happened because it was clear that Callum was nowhere near over this woman, whoever she was.
The English weather was surpassing itself given that Sunday started in the same way that Saturday had ended. Some bright spark had lit the barbecue already and was using it to cook sausages and bacon, although this time it wasn’t Simone as she was lounging outside on her phone, having a rapid discussion in what sounded like French.
Eli passed me a mug of coffee without asking if I wanted one and I smiled gratefully. My head was a little on the muzzy side after yesterday: although I hadn’t ended the evening drunk, we had been drinking steadily for most of the day and I hadn’t slept brilliantly.
“What time are we meeting Nancy?” Claire said, looking far too bright and chilled to have a small baby.
“Why are you so awake?” I said, practically growling over my coffee.
“Mum had Eliza for the night so Killian and I could have an uninterrupted night’s sleep.” Her grin suggested that her night had been interrupted, just not by a baby crying.
“I see Killian has an extra spring in his step today?” I muttered. My sister had always been a little fond of the over share so I was slightly concerned what was in the box beneath the lid I’d lifted.
“It’s the joy of waking up with me and not needing to immediately bounce out of bed to change a nappy.” Claire’s smile was broad. “And we’re staying an extra couple of nights. Mum’s going to give us a break then too. In fact, she’s having Eliza all day tomorrow.”
“You realise Eliza’s first word will be ‘fuck’, don’t you?” Our mother was famous for swearing.
“I think yours was shit. And you pointed to your ass, so we knew exactly what you’d done. I must tell Eli that story,” Claire smiled. “And you know Eliza’s vocabulary is going to be choice anyway.”
“When you get pulled into the teacher’s office to discuss your daughter’s language don’t blame me,” I said, still growly.
