‘So, how are your boys, Char?’
‘They’re hardly boys now, are they? Although they’re still our boys, aren’t they, Mads, however old they are.’
‘True.’ Maddie wasn’t keen to get too involved in that one. Talking about her son was for another day. It was Charlotte’s turn to spill.
‘But everything’s OK there?’
Charlotte frowned.
‘Yes, why wouldn’t it be? Luke’s still happy working in the City and living in his rented flat in Clapham with Ella, paying some extortionate rent, while Rueben and George have bought a little house together up the road in Berkshire and are working in IT.’
Sofia took over the baton.
‘OK, good that things are good. But it must feel a bit lonely now they’ve both moved out?’
‘It’s a lot quieter, certainly, but I’m pleased they’re both independent. You hear all these stories of kids still living at home in their thirties. As I’m sure you’ll both remember, I’d well and truly left home by the time I was twenty-one. My parents were pretty old fashioned, and I was keen to live by my rules, not theirs.’
Maddie nodded.
‘I’d gone at eighteen. Which seems incredibly young these days, but it didn’t feel like it at the time. I think we grew up quicker then.’
She couldn’t let herself go back to those early days, sharing with a group of workmates. Whenever Tony could get away from uni, the house had been full of laughter and long lazy mornings in bed.
Sofia’s voice was less upbeat.
‘I didn’t even have a choice. After uni, I didn’t have a family home to go back to anyway… My dad had seen to that.’
Maddie shot Sofia a ‘we’re getting off track here’ look.
Charlotte looked from one to the other with a puzzled expression. Where was this going? It was obvious it was some sort of pre-planned move.
‘So, in answer to your question, yes, the kids are fine.’
Maddie looked over to Sofia for some moral support. Charlotte was stonewalling big time.
‘How’s it going with Doug these days?’ Sofia smiled. ‘Is it lovely and romantic now it’s just the two of you alone in the house?’
They couldn’t possibly have got anywhere near the truth, but she needed to answer carefully. Charlotte pulled a serviette out for each of them from the holder.
‘We’ve done my kids, and now we’re on to my husband?’
Maddie put her hands on top of her friend’s when she placed the serviette in front of her, and Sofia added hers too. It was a silly thing they’d started at school, calling themselves The Three Musketeers and pledging their support for each other in times of trouble.
Charlotte looked down at the stack of hands and up at her friends.
They only wanted to help, but the sudden physical contact undid her plan to lock down her emotions. She couldn’t bear Doug to come anywhere near her, but she’d never realised how much she’d miss his hugs and hand-holding, until they were gone. He’d made it very clear they were still on offer, but she needed distance until she’d made up her mind what to do. Against her wishes, her eyes filled with tears.
Maddie spoke first.
‘Look, we know there’s something wrong. You’re not painting, you never mention Doug and you’re a bit… snappy. It’s just not you. Please talk to us.’
Charlotte left her hands where they were at the bottom of the pile but let a couple of tears fall onto the back of one of Sofia’s hands on the top.
It was useless to pretend everything was hunky dory. These were her best friends, and they were far from stupid.
‘You’re right. There is something going on, but… I’m just not ready to talk about it yet. I promise you that when I am, you’ll be the first to know. You’re just going to have to be satisfied with that for the time being. Please, can we talk about anything other than my husband?’
The arrival of the waiter with the ice creams and coffees prompted a quick unravelling of hands.
