‘And you’re right, we do like a good walk. Partly because it’s how we get out of the house. Living with my mother-in-law is great, but we need that escape, if you know what I mean.’ She rolled her eyes.
‘Goodness, I can’t imagine living with my mother-in-law – lovely though she is,’ Harriet added with comic effect. Again they both giggled.
‘Freda’s great, that’s Dan’s mum, a real character and very good to us. Don’t know how we’d manage financially if it weren’t for her opening up her house to us. She’s amazing, brilliant with Tawrie, but still, Dan and I crave alone time. On the plus side, we have a built-in babysitter, so wecango out walking!’
Harriet remembered what that felt like: to want nothing other than to be with Hugo, holding Hugo, kissing him, talking to him, uninterrupted ...
‘I’m so glad you came over, Annalee. Recently, I’m not too good with meeting new people but I’m trying very hard not to pass this on to the kids, telling them with false bravado that it’ll be fun! All the while my stomach churns with nerves and I dread having made the arrangement in the first place. I can be quite shy; things have ... things have made me quite shy.’ It was all she could give away. A hint that she might be struggling but without the detail that would decry Hugo or set tongues wagging – the very thing they had moved away from Ledwick Green to avoid.
‘Me too!’ Tawrie’s mum leaned forward. ‘I used to be worse – wouldn’t say boo to a goose – but Dan ...’
There it was again, that look.
‘... he’s incredible. And I think, if someone like him wants to be married to me, then I can’t be that bad. I might have something to say after all!’
Harriet noted the sweet blush on her cheeks, and tried hard to smother the unattractive stab of envy that rose in her throat.
‘Well, I think you have plenty of lovely things to say.’
‘You too, Harriet.’
The two shared a look of understanding.
‘Now, how about that cup of tea?’
‘Yes! Smashing!’ Annalee clapped her small hands together.
Their guests stayed for a little over an hour, enough time for Harriet to feel the seedlings of friendship sprout and for Bear to decide that he didn’t want to spend time with the girl again.
‘She can’t even work the controller! And she doesn’t like football!’ he had moaned.
Harriet had laughed softly. These, according to her boy who was yet to leap on to the threshold of teen life, the two most valuable assets a friend could have. Tawrie had sadly failed on both counts.
It was now early evening. The kids were in bed – Bear no doubt playing a computer game and Dilly with her head in a book – and Hugo was watching a movie in the bedroom. Harriet put a call in to Ellis who failed to answer. Disappointment at this fact was far more galling than it would normally have been, such was her turmoil, her fragility, her loneliness. A quick glance at the clock confirmed it was probably getting close to supper time in her sister’s house, and so instead she reached for her diary and sat coiled in a corner of the sofa.
Met the lovely Annalee Gunn today, my neighbour. A woman infatuated and desperately in love with herhusband, Dan. I cried like an idiot. She was very sweet to me. I like her. She brought her daughter Tawrie, who according to Bear was the worst playmate, her inability to play on the Nintendo 64 and her lack of interest in football consigning them to never be friends! At least he and Dills will know someone when they start school, even if it’s just to nod at in the corridor or to stand next to in the lunch queue. Maybe I’m worrying too much, trying too hard to engineer what should be a natural process. Urgh! It just feels like a big deal because they were so happy at their old school and I hate how unfair this all is. And here we are back to that ...
Her phone rang.
‘Sorry, Hats, I was just in the tub! All okay?’ Her sister sounded breathless, rushed.
‘Yes, all fine, just checking in.’
‘Good, you know I worry less if I’ve heard your voice.’
‘Well, here I am.’ She smiled at her sister’s mothering.
‘Kids okay?’
‘Yep, in bed.’
‘I wish Maisie was; she’s out with an unsuitable boy who has a car! I feel so old – one minute she’s trying to balance building blocks and now she’s out in a car with a boy who wants to snog her face off!’
Harriet laughed out loud, but the thought of Bear and Dilly doing similar was worrying. Luckily it felt a long way off.
‘You used to be that girl.’ She liked to remind her sister.
‘And that’s precisely what’s worrying me! The poor boy doesn’t stand a chance!’ They both howled. ‘Although Maisie is much more sensible than I ever was.’
