‘She’s close to her cousins, who are in Australia, and I haven’t met them yet obviously. Her nan is still alive and a right old character, won’t leave her flat in Brighton, thinks it’s dangerous to travel further than Horsham, they all sound wonderful. Her dadruns his own company. Her mum is Trish, she’s already made me feel so welcome, just with texts and whatnot. They live in a little village on the outskirts of Bath with a view right over the city, it looks beautiful, I’ve seen pictures. They’re all really excited.’
Outskirts of Bath, an hour away at most.
It was hard to control the misplaced surge of jealousy at the fact that the Sutherland family seemed to be well up on proceedings, and had probably celebrated the engagement of which she was unaware while she was cleaning out Pickle’s litter tray, listening to Holly’s plans for her bedroom décor, and fretting over her son’s welcome-home dinner.
‘We’re getting married at their house in the garden, there’s a side area with fruit trees and an incredible view. We’re going to have a marquee, it’s always been Iris’s dream.’
‘It all sounds amazing,’ Enya smiled, more conscious now than ever of hoovering up his joy and hiding her feeling of despair at his news. News that would no doubt damage Holly and upset her best friend. ‘So, when is the big day, what date have you set?’
‘August the eighteenth. One month yesterday, four weeks!’
What the flippin’ Aida!
Enya placed her hand over her mouth to stop herself from saying anything at all.Four weeks!She let the fact settle, already thinking about travel arrangements, frocks, and who would look after Madam Pickle Paws if they were away overnight? Immediately, she thought of asking Holly to look after her, and Jenny to do the flowers of course, before dismissing these thoughts as quickly as they had risen in her mind. Her pulse raced as the repercussions of her son’s news, his change of heart, started to crystallise. It felt horrible, knowing she would be front and centre of this chasm, when she had done nothing to cause it and couldn’t avoid it.
She and Jenny had always joked about wearing matching hats as mothers of the bride and groom. She now tried to imagine sittingalone among the fruit trees in the garden of a family who she didn’t know, strangers, while Aiden married a girl who could have been anyone, a girl Jonathan had never met.
Enya started the engine, aware that the short-stay window was closing.
‘Well, say something!’ Aiden urged. ‘What are you thinking?’
‘I was wondering what your dad would say.’ She spoke the truth.
‘I think he’d say if you really love her then go for it, don’t you?’ He stared at her with such hope in his eyes that it was almost painful to witness.
‘I guess he would, love.’ She managed a thin, watery smile. ‘What do you want to do now? Would you like me to find somewhere else to park, or shall I head home?’
He closed his eyes briefly and sighed, as he leaned forward in the seat.
‘Let’s head home. Is Holly there?’ He swallowed.
She nodded.
‘Okay. I’ve got to do this, and it’s better for us all if I do it sooner rather than later.’
‘Yep.’ She smiled at him, doing her best to keep one hand steady on the tiller, while keeping lookout, and burying the crest of fear in her gut, as she pulled out of the car park.
Chapter Ten
Aiden, unsurprisingly, grew jumpier the closer they got to home. Shifting in his seat, he coughed to clear his throat and rubbed his hands on his trousers as he exhaled from cheeks filled with air. His nerves were a little contagious and as Enya parked in Mablethorpe Road, she felt anxiety flutter in her veins.
‘Holly’s probably in the back garden. I’ve cooked supper. But we don’t have to eat, of course not, whatever you think best.’
She ran her hand over her forehead, feeling ridiculously concerned over the salmon that wouldn’t keep. Not that it mattered, any of it, not in the face of the sledgehammer that was about to come down on them all. She stared at Jenny’s front door, doubting they’d feel like dancing to ABBA and eating tiramisu once the news was out. Her lovely friend. How she wished,wishedthis was not about to be brought to her door.
‘Right.’
He stared at the house, swallowing hard. She could only imagine the level of dread he was experiencing, knowing the daunting task that lay ahead. It wasn’t as if he could take his time over it either, not with only four weeks to go until his wedding. A fact that still sounded like a bad joke, her sympathy for him a little curtailed when she remembered it, in recognition that it was a mess of his own making. There was also the smallest possibility that hemight see Holly and change his mind. It would be fickle of him, yes, hard for her to navigate, yet still preferable.
It was Holly’s squeal that focused her attention. Enya felt her stomach drop to her boots.
The young woman ran out of the front door and yanked at the door handle of the car. Aiden climbed out and caught hisgirlfriendex-girlfriend, as she launched herself at him and wrapped her legs around him. ‘I missed you! I missed you so much!’
Enya looked down the street, then at the dashboard, anywhere other than at the young couple, as Holly covered Aiden’s face with kisses and held him tight.
She turned at the sound of a beeping horn. Phil – Holly’s dad, Jonathan’s old golfing partner and her next-door neighbour but one – sat in his car, beaming at the reunion.
‘Put her down, son! You don’t know where she’s been! Welcome home, mate! Looking forward to a bit of “Dancing Queen” later, Ens?’ He now addressed her directly and she lifted her hand in a limp-wristed wave of acknowledgement.
