‘I’m sure you don’t want to know, Mum,’ Charlie interjects as Adam continues to grin like a loon.
Pat tuts and rolls her eyes. ‘You’re right, I probably don’t.’
After we’ve waved them off, I turn to Charlie. ‘Will you stick around for a bit?’
‘I can stay pretty late, but I need to get home.’ He sounds reluctant.
‘Could we put April to sleep in the van so you don’t have to rush off?’ I raise my eyebrows at him hopefully.
‘Okay,’ he agrees with a nod.
He lets me settle her. I lie on my side, facing her, and sing her to sleep, gently stroking her light-blonde curls until her slowly blinking eyes become so heavy-lidded that they close and stay closed. A lump forms in my throat as I stare at her.
Later, we find ourselves back up on the hill to watch my final Cornish sunset. It’s the end of September now and the leaves on the trees are already beginning to turn.
I can’t believe I’ve been here for two whole months.
Charlie and I have both been downcast this week. I think he wants me to leave as much as I want to go, which is not much at all.
I am looking forward to sleeping in my own bed and cooking in a proper kitchen and using a toilet that is situated just metres away, but I’m nowhere near breaking point.
I’d stay another month if I could, maybe longer. But there are things I need to do back in London. I’m going to have to force myself to pay Vince a visit so I can write up my next blog entry.
‘You should go out with Edward, Jocelyn’s husband, after I’ve gone,’ I say to Charlie. ‘I thought he seemed nice at April’s party.’
‘He’s pretty quiet.’
‘I know,’ I reply with a smile. ‘But maybe he’s shy. Jocelyn is so warm and friendly – he might have hidden depths. Perhaps he needs a baby pal as much as you do.’
He laughs under his breath. ‘You really think I’m lacking in company?’
‘You will be once I leave,’ I joke, but it’s not short of the truth.
We sit in silence for a while, but it’s comfortable.
‘I wish you could come to Thailand,’ I murmur. ‘It’s so sad that you and April have never been, considering Nicki loved it so much. Is there really no way you could make it work? Would Alain help with your flights?’
‘He hasn’t offered. I couldn’t ask,’ he replies in a low voice. ‘We’re just not in a position right now to be able to blow a grand or whatever on flights, however tempting it is. I don’t know what’s around the corner. I’ve got a fair few projects coming in at the moment, but they could all dry up. There are no guarantees. I can’t risk it.’
‘Fair enough,’ I reply glumly.
‘I was thinking, though...’
Something in his tone prompts me to look at him.
‘I don’t want you to go and see Vince on your own.’
My shoulders slump. Vince is the last thing I want to talk about.
‘I could come to London next weekend and go with you.’
When I don’t say anything, he turns his head to look at me. Staring into his green-gold-brown eyes, I get an intensely restless feeling deep in my stomach. It’s almost uncomfortable, but I don’t want to look away.
Elliot pops into my mind and I jolt, coming to my senses.
‘I can’t believe you would do that for me,’ I mumble, my face flushing as I turn to pull up a handful of grass.
‘Of course I would – we’re friends,’ he replies. ‘So is that a yes?’
