‘I didn’t know what the hell was going on.’ Tony laughed, ‘I said to Raul, I hope I haven’t offended him. I mean, the last person you want to offend is a bloody Royal Marine! Especially not Batman!’
They all laughed at that, but she heard the emotion in his words, saw the twitch to his eye. It seemed he too could still only recall that night with the same level of emotion as her.
‘It hasn’t felt good keeping it from you.’ Midge swallowed.
She caught the look Ashleigh cast in her direction and got the message loud and clear; it hit her in the gut, the subject that kept rearing its bloody head. The deceit that sat between them like a spiky thing. It caused a flicker of anxiety that she would not let spoil the moment.
‘You did good, Royal!’ She blew him a kiss.
‘You haven’t changed a bit! My beautiful Remy.’ She saw his eyes settle on her facial scars, and this time his tears gathered.
‘I still miss you, Tony. Even after all this time, I miss not having you close by.’
‘Same.’ He wiped his eyes.
‘Hi!’ Bertie waved from the doorway, shoulders hunched, hands shoved into his jeans pockets. He was of that age when a cloak of self-consciousness engulfed him, almost as potent as the cloud of Lynx Africa that hovered over him.
‘Hi!’ Evie stood by his side, the two cousins of similar height and build, both now wearing dark-framed glasses. They too could have been twins.
‘Look at you two!’ Tony put his hand to his mouth. ‘You’ve got so big.’
‘Yep.’ Bertie looked more than a little embarrassed, whereas Evie looked only delighted.
‘Where’s Harps?’ Remy looked beyond them, hoping her daughter had come to say hello.
‘She’s just nipped to her room.’ Midge winked at her, his smile fixed, but his eyes with the desperate haunt of worry that he, like her, was consumed by, whenever life felt a little too much for Harper.
‘How long are you staying, Tony?’ She felt the dread in her stomach that he would be leaving, knowing that whenever it was, it would be too soon.
‘We’re here for a couple of weeks. Going to spend time with Mum, obviously, and we want to go to London and a few other things.’
‘I’m going to drive you crazy and want to see you all the time.’
‘Nothing new there then.’ He smiled at her. ‘God, I’ve missed you!’
‘Same.’ She smiled.
‘We were just about to get ready.’ Ashleigh pointed upstairs.
‘Oh, I’ll come with.’
‘Do you fancy a beer, Raul?’ Midge, darling Midge, knew his job was to entertain Raul and allow the three some catch-up time. Her heart swelled with love for her husband.
‘Always!’ Raul who seemed just as lovely, placid, and calm as he’d been on the phone, followed him into the kitchen.
It was surreal and wonderful, as she, Ash and Tony sat on the bed in the guest room, where Ashleigh had made herself at home.
‘I love your cottage!’ He took in the chintzy drapes and soft-yellow painted walls.
‘Me too.’ His approval meant the world, their little home a symbol of how hard they had always worked.
‘And you’ve finally figured out how to hang clothes in a wardrobe and not chuck them on the floor!’
‘Don’t look in my bathroom!’ She pictured her pyjamas and dressing gown, lobbed into a heap by the sink.
‘Well, this takes me back, the three of us sharing a bed!’ Tony laughed. ‘I must have been the envy of every boy in the postcode. If only they’d known!’
Remy laughed too, having never really given it much thought.
