Sorry, me again. There are things I need to sort out with the house. Could you call me?
I don’t just want to talk about the house. I miss you.
Me again, I’m so sorry for what happened. Please call me and let me explain.
Sarah sighed. She may as well get this over with.
‘Hello?’ Colin picked up on the second ring.
‘Hi, Dad, it’s me.’
‘Sarah! So lovely to speak to you. Thank you for calling me back.’
‘You said you had things you needed to speak to me about.’
‘I do, I do, but that can wait. How are you? Where are you?’
‘In a forest in Cornwall. How about you?’
‘On a boat in the middle of the Norfolk Broads.’ Colin laughed and Sarah’s hackles rose.
‘On a boat? What’s going on, Dad?’
‘I’ve always wanted a holiday on the Norfolk Broads, but your mother wouldn’t let me.’
‘Oh yes, 'cause this is all Mum’s fault, isn’t it?’
Colin sighed down the phone. ‘No, of course not. I take full responsibility for my actions, and the last thing I want is for you to have to take sides.’
Sarah let an awkward silence develop. It would do Colin no harm to be left squirming. In the end, he broke the silence with a chuckle.
‘We’re a fine pair, us two. One of us is in the woods, one in the middle of a river. Who’d have thunk it?’ He chuckled again. ‘Mum said you’re working down in Cornwall?’
‘Yes, in a café. It wasn’t like I had much choice, what with my house being sold from under me.’
Colin cleared his throat. ‘Yes, I’m sorry about that.’
‘So you should be. I don’t have time for small talk about your mid-life crisis. What did you need to speak to me about?’
‘I know this will be hard to hear, but we’ve already had an offer on the house.’
‘I know. Mum told me.’
‘Right, well, it’s a lovely young couple about to have their first child.’
‘Good for them.’
‘Yes, right, well, with the baby imminent, they’d like to move in as soon as possible.’
‘What’s that got to do with me? It’s not like I have any rights over the house.’
‘No, yes, I mean, I’m sorry. I know this is hard.’
‘You’ve got no idea.’
Colin sighed again. ‘There are a lot of your belongings still in the house. Do you have an address where I could get your things delivered?’
Sarah looked around her one metre square tipi. ‘My new accommodation is on the small side.’ No way was she telling him she was living in a tent. ‘I can’t have the stuff here. You’d better dump it.’
