She smiled at my predictable reaction. “Sometimes when you know, you know. And sometimes, knowing can scare you. I saw the way Georgia looked at you, and I don’t think she’ll want to put you in the friend court.”
“Friend zone. It’s called the friend zone, Mum.”
Her eyes danced and I figured I was being toyed with.
“Still, I don’t think that’s what she wants. She’ll just be worried about what could happen if you split up, and I get that.”
“Did Dad have the same worries?”
My mother laughed. “No. I don’t think he did. I don’t think he thought about the what ifs because he wasn’t worried about being cautious. He didn’t have anything left to lose by that point.”
“But Georgia has.”
She nodded. “She’s constructed a very careful life for her and Rose, and she’s worked bloody hard. On her own. Something serious with you isn’t just about the possibility of it not working out, it’s also about changing what she has to be, because you’ll be a partner. She’s used to doing things on her own.”
“She’s amazing.”
My mum’s hand – the martini free one – landed on my arm.
“You need to tell her that. Be clear. Don’t do that typical man thing of thinking we’re telepathic. We’re not.”
There were footsteps behind us that made us both turn around.
“Marie, where did you leave my belt?”
My father stood there, holding up his pants.
Mum shook her head and looked to the sky. “I’ve not left it anywhere, Grant. Where did you put it?”
“If I knew that, I wouldn’t be asking you.”
She stood up, muttering something that sounded very Irish under her breath and probably contained a few unintelligible curse words.
I stood up and headed to my room, wanting my phone and the privacy to make a call.
Georgia answeredon the third ring. I heard Rose in the background, giggling happily, and Olivia saying something about ice-cream. I wanted to be there, and I understood a little now how Max felt when he was away from Victoria and Lucy during the day.
“How are you?” It was a lame way in, but I needed to build things up here.
She laughed softly. “Good. Just talking to my sister about you. We were talking about birth marks.”
“You didn’t tell her where it was, did you?”
Another laugh. “No. But she tried to guess. How’s bridezilla?”
“Currently cross-checking a spreadsheet with a list. I think Eli’s going to throw everything in the pool later. Including Ava.” I’d passed them as I’d walked to my room; they were sitting on their balcony and Eli was trying to persuade her to just relax.
“If that happens, film it. What are you up to?”
And there was my in. “Missing you.”
There was silence.
Shit. I’d said the wrong thing. She was on a different page.
“I miss you too.”
Everything inside me swelled. “Thank god for that.”
