Dad just threw Richard out – he won’t tell me what R said to him but he’s very angry with him. I rang the shop and your friend told me about this river person – she said he gave you a cheque for 5k as a joke?? That’s not something people do, Tabby!
Okay, so she was right about that one. I wondered what Richard had said to make Dad snap and throw him out. I could only imagine. I was glad he wasn’t at their house any more, though. Richard didn’t belong there any more than I belonged on his beloved golf course. If he’d ever even played golf there. For all I knew, he’d been with that other woman the entire time. He was probably with her now, mourning the fact that he wouldn’t have me stripping wallpaper for him for free.
My first idea was to message Mum so I could avoid a direct confrontation. But I’d been doing enough of that. It was time to face her head-on and treat her with the respect I was asking for. It was only fair.
I tapped her number and she picked up almost at once. ‘Tabby? What is going on?’
‘Hi, Mum. Everything’s fine. I um… I broke up with Richard again and he didn’t take it too well.’
‘For this… boat man?’ Mum asked.
‘No, for cheating on me and for being a terrible boyfriend. He wasn’t right for me, Mum. I’m… sorry, because I hid that from you and it wasn’t fair of me to make you think he was perfect and then kick him to the kerb without explaining. I should have just been honest from the start.’
‘But he was perfect for you—’ Mum started.
‘He really wasn’t,’ I interrupted, gently but firmly. ‘He didn’t care about my business, he thought my best friend was a flake, he was ungrateful, messy and obnoxious… and I had to practically force him to come and visit my family.’
That stunned her. ‘But… he always seemed to like coming over for our get-togethers.’
I took a breath. Time to tell the truth. All of it. ‘He called your garden a “lower-middle-class eyesore” the first time I brought him over. And I don’t think he kept a single present you guys ever got him for a birthday or Christmas. He once told me he saw you guys in Asda and ran away so he wouldn’t get “trapped talking to you”. And I was too desperate to keep a boyfriend that you liked to realise that I didn’t like him, and if you knew him, you wouldn’t either.’
There was a long pause as Mum digested this. Or rather, choked it down like a fish bone. I knew it was hard to swallow the truth after so long feeding myself a diet of lies.
‘… what a… tosser,’ Mum said slowly. ‘Tabby, I had no idea! I’d never have suggested you take him back if I knew he was such a…’
‘Grubby little classist worm?’ I supplied.
‘Exactly. You’re better off without him. And… I’m sorry too, for not listening to you that day, in your old room. I’ve been talking to Dad and he made me realise that maybe it’s not always obvious that I just want you to be happy. I don’t mind if that’s on your own, or with a man, or a woman! Like your Aunt Lou.’
My jaw dropped in shock. ‘Aunt Lou?’ I repeated.
Mum laughed. ‘Well, yes. Tabby, don’t tell me you never knew she and Gail were together.’
‘I did know but you never talk about it,’ I sputtered.
‘She was so hurt when she lost Gail, I suppose I just got used to not talking about her,’ Mum sighed sadly. ‘That and this town hasn’t always been as accepting, old habits are hard to break.’
You’re telling me, I thought.
‘Anyway…’ Mum said, ‘you’re welcome to move back in. I’ll see about shifting a few things to Dad’s shed—’
‘Oooh, actually,’ I interrupted, having a brainwave. ‘Do you think Dad would mind if I moved into the shed for a while? Then I could have a bit of… space?’
‘I don’t see why not. He can always pop round to Terry’s to watch the football,’ Mum said. ‘Leave it with me. I’ll sweet-talk him.’ She paused and I could almost hear her mind working. ‘So… about this river man… are you seeing him? Is he…’
Homeless?
Jobless?
A good future father for my grandbabies?
‘… coming to Sunday dinner next week?’ Mum finished. ‘Only if he is, I’ll get a family-size pud out and get a bigger bit of beef.’
‘That… would be great actually, Mum,’ I said, surprised at her welcoming attitude. Maybe I needed to stop pre-emptively upsetting myself over comments she may or may not make. ‘That’s really nice of you.’
Mum made a ‘pssshht’ noise. ‘If you like him, that’s all I need to know. Anyway… it’ll be one in the eye for Margaret, he’s public enemy number one in her book,’ she trilled gleefully.
I giggled as Cooper returned with two mugs of tea, a packet of custard creams dangling from his teeth.
