Tim shakes his head. “None for me, thanks. I’m driving today.”
“Penny?”
“Make it a large one,” she says.
I grab the bottle they brought and place it in the fridge. Then I take out the cooled bottle I put in earlier, fetch two wine glasses and pour them out.
“So, how did you two meet?” I ask.
Penny sips her wine before speaking. “Tim slid into my DMs.”
“What do you mean ‘slid into your DMs’? I’m a hundred years old, remember.” I roll my eyes dramatically and let out a giggle.
“He sent me a private message on Instagram.” She grins and holds out a hand for Tim to take.
He squeezes her hand, looking down at her with a loving gaze. “I swear the message was innocent. Penny posted about a band I happen to love.”
“Albion Foxes,” Penny says. “They’re a band from York. Do you remember me telling you, Mum? I followed them when they were gigging around the area.”
I nod my head, vaguely remembering Penny playing them in the car once after making a playlist for me to listen to.
“We met at a gig after chatting on Insta and things sparked from there,” Tim says, smiling.
The doorbell rings, and I stand on weary legs. Penny I always love to see but I’m finding it difficult to be interested in this new boyfriend. Well, they never hang around long enough to be a problem. This one won’t be any different.
But now I have to deal with Nathan. I push down thoughts of the past as I make my way across the hall and swing open the door.
“Hello, Mummy,” Nathan says, with a Cheshire cat smile. He leans forward and kisses me on the cheek. “I brought something for you.”
He passes me a bottle of excellent champagne.
“This looks very expensive.”
“Only the best for my stepmother,” he says, widening his grin.
Nathan inherited all of his cockiness from Scott but not quite as much charm. While Scott exudes warmth beneath the bravado, Nathan is cold.
I remember the times I would try to hug five-year-old Nathan, and he would give me nothing but a penetrating stare. Later he’d punish me with bad behaviour. It became a pattern. I knew it was because his mother had died about a year before I came on the scene, but knowing that didn’t change anything. I’d try to break through his defences but he would see any sort of affection as something to resent or rebel against.
“Come in,” I say, trying to keep my voice warm.
We head into the kitchen where Penny is taking the potatoes out of the oven.
“I always forget how lovely this house is. Such wonderful views,” Nathan says. “And a big garden for kids to play in.”
“Could you help your sister, Nathan?” I say, sitting down at the table, suddenly exhausted at the idea of hosting these people in my house. “I’m so sorry but I am feeling a little tired.”
Nathan takes a seat, stretching out his feet. “Penny can handle herself.”
“Mum?” Penny calls from across the room. “Are you okay?”
It’s Tim who gets up to help with the dinner. I glance sidewards at Nathan, who simply smirks back. He gets under my skin, like ants burrowing into my flesh.
I wave a hand. “I’m fine, just tired.”
“You’ve been doing too much,” Penny chides. “Sit down and put your feet up. We’ll handle this.”
I sip my wine and regard Nathan from across the table. “How’s Kiri?”
