Chapter forty-two
Gloria watched as her daughter sauntered back to the table without Matty. She opened her mouth, thought better of it, and looked back at the table.
"She alright?" Gloria asked.
Sloan looked faintly surprised as she took her seat. “Yes, I was just—”
“I don’t want the details,” Gloria said, staring at a couple enjoying what looked like a heated row.
Sloan stiffened. “There aren’t any details.”
Gloria drew a breath to say more, but a waitress appeared with two plates and cut across her.
“I have a fabulous pie for someone,” she announced, beaming at them with impossibly white teeth.
“That’ll be me,” Gloria said, holding a finger up. She watched the plate as it was placed in front of her and only then noticed Matty returning to the table.
“Just in time,” Gloria said, then narrowed her eyes at the colour in Matty’s cheeks.
“Raclette?” the waitress asked. She grinned again when Matty raised a hand. “Perfect, be right back with the pork.”
Gloria tipped her head after her. “Did you see the gnashers on that? Straight out of Turkey.”
“Mum.” Sloan’s tone was warning enough.
Matty stifled a giggle. “I mean, they are quite bright.”
“Bright?” Gloria snorted. “Could turn the lights off and we’d still see her.”
Matty’s laugh burst out so loudly it caused other diners to turn to see what was so funny. Gloria laughed too, leaving Sloan as the only one still trying to keep a straight face. But as the other two kept going, Sloan found herself starting to chuckle too.
“Suits you, that does,” Gloria said.
“What does?” Sloan asked, smoothing her expression back into place. Matty dabbed at her lips with the napkin, still smiling. Across the room, the waitress was already heading back with Sloan’s lunch.
“Laughter,” Gloria answered.
The waitress placed the plate down in front of Sloan. “Anything else I can get you?”
Gloria looked up at her, and Sloan went still for a moment. “No, thank you, dear. You’ve been the brightest part of my day, though.”
“Aw, that’s so sweet.” The waitress turned and almost bounced away.
“You are a bad woman, Mrs S.” Matty grinned, enjoying Gloria’s snarky comment.
“Better to be bad than boring.”
“You might be right,” Matty agreed, picking up her cutlery. She tilted her head as she considered Gloria. “So, what did you get up to when you were my age, Mrs S?”
Gloria’s eyes lit up. Sloan paused.
“Your age?”
“Yep.” Matty nodded. “Mid-thirties. What were you up to?”
“Well, by then I was probably quite boring,” Gloria said, cutting into her pie. “I had three kids and a husband to take care of.”
Sloan braced herself. “Must have been dreadful, I’m sure.”
