“Tea!” Gloria shouted.
“We’ll pick this up later, when she’s gone to bed,” Sloan said, stealing another quick kiss. “I’ll do the tea. You get that lot into the machine.”
***
Gloria sipped her tea, watching them over the rim of the mug. “What are you two up to?”
“We’re not up to anything,” Sloan said. “But I do want to talk to you about something.”
“Oh, God. Have you got her pregnant?” Gloria said, straight-faced.
“What? No, that—”
“Oh, Sloan, give over.” Gloria giggled. Matty did too.
“Can you just be serious for five minutes?”
“I suppose so. Go on, then. Out with it.”
Sloan sat up straighter. “Right. First—Matty’s moving in.”
Gloria looked at her like she’d said something stupid. “Right. Because that wasn’t obvious already. I said she could have the spare room.”
“She’s not moving into the spare room,” Sloan said.
“Oh.” Gloria’s brows lifted. “What else?”
“She’s not going to be working for us anymore.”
“I should think not. She’s family now—works for free.” Gloria cackled.
“She’s going to go and do whatever she wants to do,” Sloan said. “And I thought, seeing as you are more than capable of doing some things, we could work out where we need help and fill in the blanks.”
“Alright. Like what?”
“Well, I thought maybe a cleaner. Two or three hours a week, to help keep on top of the housework.” Sloan kept going, “Someone to come in a couple of times a week and help you with your exercises, and then when you’re stronger…” She took a deep breath. “You can take yourself to a physio in town.”
Gloria drew breath. Sloan continued.
“We can get you up and ready for the day, sort breakfast, and leave lunch made. Then I’ll be home to do dinner.”
“And once I know what I’m doing, we can go into town for lunch,” Matty added, “or just skate round the park.”
“Got it all figured out, haven’t you?” Gloria said.
“Not everything,” Sloan admitted. “But between us, we can iron out any issues as they come up.”
Gloria set her mug down. “Thank you. For finally seeing me and letting me live my own life.”
“Just promise me you won’t do anything dangerous,” Sloan said. “No risk-taking.”
Grinning, Gloria asked, “Now, where is the fun in that?”
Chapter sixty-four
In what was now her room too, Matty moved around, switching the small bedside lamps on before she pulled the stool away from Sloan’s dressing table and placed it at the end of the bed.
“Sit,” she said. Sloan complied, facing the bed.
