“What about you, Adam?” asks Luisa. “What do you think?”
I pass around what’s left of thearanciniballs. “I think it was a handsome trader who came here to sell pottery but fell in love with a gorgeous knight who lived in the castle. And the knight’s family accepted him, so he stayed and they lived happily ever after.”
“I’ll go with Adam’s option,” says Theo, flashing me another smile.
“Oh my god, will you guys stop making eyes at each other and just kiss?” jokes Mabel.
“OK!” says Theo, and he trots over to plant a kiss on my lips.
“Kissy, kissy!” teases Archie.
“And how about my beautiful daughter?” says Theo. “Do I get a kiss from her?”
Mabel covers her head with her hands but Theo bombards her with kisses. As she giggles and shrieks, we all laugh.
A familiartwit-twoointerrupts us from the sky. We all look up to see a tawny bird hovering, its wingspan huge. I whisper to Stefano, who confirms it’s our resident owl—orgufo. Finally, it’s made an appearance.
After less than a minute, the owl spots something and swoops down, out of sight.
“Now who’s ready for their main course?” asks Theo.
Chapter 31
For a second day, I’ve been walking around grinning. Last night, once Stefano and Luisa had left and the kids were in bed, Theo and I ran upstairs to the cottage—tripping over some of the steps—and made love. Once again, I felt complete. I felt safe.
But today I’m feeling something else—something else that surprises me: I’m feeling brave enough to have a look and see if my mum did write to Wilf.
When Theo takes the kids to visit the kittens, I pretend I need to stay behind to do jobs. I creep through the house and close the door to the cottage, to shut out the banging that’s coming from the builders. I reach under the bed, pull out the second box of letters and start sifting through it.
After a few minutes, I recognize Mum’s handwriting.
Fuck!
I flip over the letter and read the name Suzanne Webb. My pulse tripping, I see the address she’s given isn’t that of our old house but the shop where she used to work. Why would she do that?
I tug in an unsteady breath.
I’m about to open the letter when I remember there may be others—and I want to make sure I read them in the right order.
I continue sifting through the pile and, sure enough, there is another letter. Again, Mum’s given her work address. So she mustn’t have wanted Dad to know she was writing to Wilf.
I continue looking but there isn’t a third.
I lay the two letters on the bed next to each other. I read the postmarks and one is dated March 1989, the other a month later. Mum died on 5 May.
My heartbeat’s in my ears.
AmI brave enough to do this?
But even as I ask myself the question, I know I have no choice.
Dear Uncle Wilf,
This is your niece, Suzanne. I know this must be coming out of the blue but I found a letter you wrote to your mum and dad explaining where you were if they wanted to find you and that’s how I got your address. I came across it a few years back when Iwerewas clearing out the house after my mum died. Actually, do you know she died—your sister Kathleen? Did anyone tell you? I’m sorry if that’s a shock. Come to think of it, all the family’s dead now, except me and our Julie. But you must know about your mum and dad?
Flamin eck, I’m making a right mess of this already. I’m sorry I’m a crap writer. I might as well get that out of the way now. I should probably have worked harder at school rather than messing about with the lads. Although I’m not sure I should be admitting that to a teacher. You are still a teacher, aren’t you?
Anyway, I only found one letter so I’m assuming no one wrote back to you. I’m sorry, Uncle Wilf. Now that I think about it, my granddadwerewas a bit of a dick. Let’s be honest, so was my dad. And hewerewas a shit husband. My mum was scared of him because he was always getting pissed up in the pub and would come home and knock her about. Not that I’m trying to make excuses for her not sticking up for you. I don’t think there’s any excuse for disowning yourfamily and I’m sorry they all gave you such a shit time. In your letter you said you’d never change and you were happy with the love of your life and I think that’s mega. And I know you must have been really hurt by what happened and having to move a long way away but I also think it’s dead romantic you got your happy ending.
