‘I can see you’ve got a good eye,’ I say, gesturing back to the house. ‘Did you—’
‘Yeah, I designed the house. Problem is, it’s finished now so I’m twiddling my thumbs again. I do enjoy interior design, but my passion is writing.’
‘As in books?’
‘Mm-hm.’
‘Have you written anything yet?’
‘Working on a novel,’ she says, tossing her hair back behind her shoulder, ‘you know, like half the world’s population.’ She laughs.
I don’t mention that I’ve also been trying to write a novel.
‘Mum!’ Joe calls from the lawn below.
I shade my eyes and peer down at him.
‘Tyler asked if I can have a sleepover. Can I, Mum?’
‘Not on a school night,’ I call back.
‘He’s welcome to stay,’ Darcy says. ‘I have spare toothbrushes, and he can borrow some of Tyler’s PJs.’
‘Please, Mum!’
‘Mum, he can stay, can’t he?’ Tyler yells.
‘That’s kind,’ I say to Darcy. ‘But he’ll be too tired tomorrow.’
‘Really?’ Darcy raises an eyebrow. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll make sure they get to bed by nine.’
I flinch inwardly. Joe’s bedtime is normally seven o’clock. He’ll be exhausted at school tomorrow if he stays over. Yet I don’t want to be a killjoy. I don’t want to be the uptight mum who’s too strict.
‘I’ll take them both to school tomorrow,’ she says. ‘They’ll have a great time.’
‘Well, if you’re sure,’ I say, wishing I could just say no.
‘Absolutely!’ Darcy replies. ‘Sleepover!’ she calls down to the boys, standing and punching her fist in the air. Joe and Tyler go crazy, jumping up and down and high-fiving each other.
Darcy turns and smiles at me. ‘I love seeing them so happy and excited.’
I smile back despite my concerns.
One late night can’t hurt.
Three
It’s quiet. Nothing apart from the hum of the fridge and the faint purr of traffic in the distance. I’ve just finished printing out Joe’s birthday-party invitations. After much debating and mind-changing on his part, we finally decided on a football party at the park, followed by a pizza picnic. He can take the invitations to school on Monday and hand them out to his new friends.
I suppose, with Joe not here and Jared still at work, I should take this opportunity to make a start on writing next week’s column, but I can’t settle. I keep thinking about Joe staying over at Tyler’s. About whether he’ll get enough sleep, or become homesick. Maybe I should call to check…
Instead, I begin half-heartedly tidying up the kitchen, loading up the dishwasher, and wiping down the surfaces. That loses its appeal pretty quickly so I plonk myself down at the kitchen table, pick up my phone and start surfing the net. After checking my emails and social media, I tap in a search for ‘Darcy Lane’. Her blog pops up on the front page of my search results, and my eyes widen. CalledThe House down the Lane, it’s more than just a blog. The glossy-looking website has interviews and insightful articles on trends and innovations in design. Well written, it actually makes my little newspaper column look a bit pathetic, and I squirm in embarrassment at how pleased I was by her apparent awe.
I hear the familiar click of the key in the front door and my heart gives a little lift. Jared’s home early.
The door to the kitchen opens and he breezes in, loosening his tie and dumping his bag on the floor by the table. I rise to my feet and we kiss.
‘Hey, Lou,’ he says, running a finger down my cheek. ‘I missed you today.’
