“It’s not like you do anything,” Archie said.
Wondering how their conversation had gone from designer shops and super yachts to her being an uneducated amoeba, Hannah straightened herself up in her seat. “Then you’ll be pleased to know I’m signing up for a sponsored charity run,” she said, without thinking. “How’s that for getting up off my backside?”
As soon as the words were out, Hannah regretted them. Up until then, she had no intention of taking part; something she’d made very clear to Mel and Liv. Silently questioning why she suddenly felt the need to impress her own children, Hannah cursed herself for not keeping her mouth shut.
“You’re doing what?” Beth asked.
“Now that I’ve got to see,” Archie said.
Hearing them mock her, Hannah’s expression froze. She wondered when her children had become so disrespectful. “What are you laughing at?”
“Mum, you can’t run for a bus, never mind for money,” Beth said.
Her daughter might be right, but Hannah wasn’t going to tell her that.
“You don’t even own a pair of trainers,” Archie said.
All things considered, Hannah knew that was the least of her problems.
“What’s so funny?” Carl asked, suddenly appearing at their side.
“Mum’s signed up for a sponsored run,” Beth said.
Carl looked at Hannah like she’d gone mad. “Really? Why? What happened to sitting on your rear for a whole month?”
“Why not?” Hannah asked, trying to sound chirpy as she pictured herself gasping for air and leopard crawling towards a finishing line.
“No reason,” he replied, although Carl had never been any good at hiding his true feelings. He clearly found the prospect as hilarious as Beth and Archie did.
Hannah knew it wasn’t their intention to insult her, but that didn’t make their responses any less hurtful. Yes, Carl might have a fantastic salary and provide their children with fine dining and flash holidays thanks to his brilliant high-flying career, but they all knew Hannah was the one who’d kept Beth and Archie fed and watered over the years.
It was Hannah who helped them with their homework and nursed them when they were sick. She ferried them to and from sports and music events and acted like a taxi service when they spent time with their friends. All the while holding down a day job. Her heart sank. Put like that, she supposed it was no wonder they saw her as boring and predictable.
Hannah continued to stare at the three of them and taking in their shared amusement, she wasn’t sure how to respond. In the last sixty seconds she’d basically been called uncultured, uninformed, and lazy. She didn’t just feel like a joke, she suddenly felt like an outsider.
Not that she told them that. The last thing Hannah wanted was to ruin Beth and Archie’s holiday. “I should go,” she said instead. “Then you can all get ready for lunch.”
As the call came to an end, Beth and Archie couldn’t get away quick enough and after saying their goodbyes, Hannah continued to stare at the suddenly faceless screen. She felt a defiance well in her belly and snatching up the phone, frantically typed in a message. “I’ll show you,” she said of Beth, Archie, and Carl, before firing it off to Mel and Liv.
Re: the race
Hannah’s text said.
I’m in!
CHAPTER9
Gabe sat at the kitchen table with a cup of tea. The only sound in the room was the wall clock’s rhythmic tick tock. Gabe loved having his dad around. Roger moving in had been the best decision for them both. They enjoyed each other’s company and had fallen into a comfortable routine. However, his dad had such an energetic approach to everything, quiet moments were few and far between. When they did come around, Gabe made the most of them.
Even getting lost in a film was a thing of the past on account of Roger’s incessant talking. From the second the opening credits started, right through toThe Endthe man never seemed to shut up. Roger played music and sang whenever he cooked a meal, which was often. When he did the dishes he waved a knife like it was a conductor’s baton. And he often pretended to hold his wife and dance her through the house just like he’d done when she was alive. Gabe sighed, wistful. Roger might have developed an eye for the ladies, but his heart still very much belonged to the woman he’d married.
Pulling himself together, Gabe checked the time and wondered when Roger would be back; he knew his dad would insist on relaying every conversation with every person he’d talked to the second he walked in. Gabe shook his head at the prospect. No wonder he had to relish the calm whenever he got the chance.
His thoughts turned to the woman who’d slammed her car door into his thigh the other evening. As if his leg hadn’t been hurting enough. His body continued to ache following the uphill challenge he’d put himself through earlier that same day and Gabe still felt embarrassed at the way he’d had to massage his leg in front of her. He cringed, realising he must have looked like one of those premier league footballers who dropped to the ground and rolled in agony at the slightest nudge from an opposing player.
Picturing the woman, Gabe couldn’t help but smile and remembering Slim’s observation, his friend had been right to think Gabe liked her. Short, blonde, and feisty, Gabe found her interesting and admittedly, attractive. He’d never met anyone so adept at twisting every word that came out of his mouth. Talk about quick-witted. The woman had to be an intellectual genius.
He recalled the strange question she’d asked him and intrigued as to what she was talking about, he pulled out his phone and typedbeauty premiuminto its internet search bar. His eyes widened at the cheek of the woman. However, the more he read, the more his smile grew. “So you think I’m good looking too, do you?”
