“Accreditation?”
“Yeah, I’d need to pass a training course. A really long and tough one.”
Kev frowns. “You want to go back to school? Never thought you’d willingly walk into a classroom.”
The way Dair views me is my motivator. “Gonna get an application in and see what happens.” Without the cash Flynn stole, I’ll have to take that V&A course piecemeal. “Could take me years to chip away at it.” I straighten my shoulders and lift my chin as if Dair’s fingers guide me. “I’m up for the fight.”
Kev has one more question.
“How you gonna get that certification with your aphasia?”
I’ve got plans for that too.
Putting them into action tops my to-do list once I leave Kev to think over my part-time proposal. The moment I’m back at Flynn’s place I don’t even take the time to scoop up the post from the doormat. I step over it, busy pulling out my phone to call an ex-teacher who I’m pretty sure will help me navigate my way to a career-changing pass mark.
Before I can tell my phone to call Adey, it tells me I missed an incoming call while I was underneath the city. I quickly return it, and just as quickly, the caller I missed picks up and answers.
It isn’t Dair.
He won’t even be halfway home yet and was so tired this morning that I hope he sleeps the whole way to the Isle of Harris.
It’s Charles Heppel who laughs into my ear.
“Vincent, I cannot believe you kept that sticker for ten years!” He’s delighted. “I was tickled pink when Dair told me you gave it to him.”
“You’ve spoken to him?” I sink into a chintzy armchair. It wheezes like me. “How did he sound?” I bet he’s wiped out. Defeated too, after having to hand those keys over.
Charles shares a different opinion.
“He sounds fabulous! And he looks... Oh, hold on a moment.” I hear a whispered discussion, then he’s back. “Adam wants to show you his stickers.”
I accept his video call request to be faced with a little boy who names the feelings dotting his narrow chest. I can’t read the printing on each sticker. I got no problem naming what he shows me. “You’re as smart as your dad, ain’t you?”
Charles takes his phone back and lowers his voice. “Listen, Dair mentioned what happened between you and Flynn.”
They must have had a long chat; Charles knows every detail. He also knows Flynn’s backstory.
“There’s something very wrong with the Smallbone family. I mean, I know Flynn is only tenuously related to them, but seriously, none of them can be trusted.” He lowers his voice. “Awful social climbers.”
The doorbell rings.
I get up to answer. “But you still sent him to one of our meet-ups.”
“Me?” Charles is confused. “Why would I ever do that?”
“Because he was one of your exes.”
“Flynn?” Charles laughs again. “Lord, no. He was nevermyex.”
He fills me in on the real truth as the doorbell rings for a second time, and I retrace my steps to the front door, stepping over the scattering of letters again on the way to answer. I’m blind to everything but who stands on my doorstep.
Not a furniture fairy, more’s the pity.
I’d fucking love it if I opened the door to find Dair waiting.
I don’t.
All I got is regret that Flynn’s real ex has abandoned the boat-show circuit to wash up back in Britain.
