“Maybe…”
“Are you about to tell me you want a more stable lifestyle?”
“Let’s not bullshit. It’s just that Mum and Dad need our help. Ryan’s always a nightmare, and you have the baby…”
“We’re not talking about us, Nick. We’re talking about you. What doyouwant?”
“I don’t know,” I sigh. “But maybe just…not this.”
“Okay.”
“I don’t want to miss out on anything, you know?”
Ian places a hand on my shoulder.
“I’ve already missed so much. We don’t know how much time we still have, and Mum needs us here. Besides, things with Ryan seem to be going much better. I don’t want to leave again and go back to where we started.”
“I get it.”
“And now, there’s Jamie…”
“You talking about me?”
I turn suddenly to see Jamie standing in the kitchen doorway, his arms crossed.
“Nice speech, Nick. Congrats.”
“What the hell are you doing here? And where did you appear from?”
Jamie doesn’t flinch. “I was upstairs with Riley and my niece.”
“How long have you been standing there for?”
“Too long,” he says, moving closer to us, opening the fridge and grabbing himself a beer.
I see that Ian’s house has the same problem as my parents’: there’s always someone turning up.
“So, old Nick is starting to wobble…”
“I’ll break your leg and show you wobbling.”
He laughs, throwing his head back. “Tired of working in your underwear? Are you starting to get a bit chilly…?”
“I’m starting to want to break someone’s ankle.”
Jamie stands there in front of us and tilts his head. “What’s up? Are you homesick? Want to get the nursery ready?”
I shake my head, frustrated.
“I’m serious.”
I look at him, weighing up his expression.
“Come on, let’s hear it. What’s worrying you?”
“Why should I speak to you about it?”
“You were talking to Ian.”
