‘No, it’s not. But her son has been in a lot of trouble with the police.’ She lowered her voice, she didn’t want her nephew hearing this. ‘I can see Kyle going down the same road if he’s not careful, and the mother, well, she reminded me of my sister, always thinking her job and her social life were more important than her son. I know I shouldn’t judge, but I saw red, let her have a piece of my mind. The kid thought it was hilarious but nobody else did, and I’ve had to apologise to her as well.’
‘Do you think you did it because you’re frustrated with your sister?’
‘I didn’t realise at the time but, yes, you’re probably right. I’ve been a bit lost lately, since Paul and I ended things, having to move back into the flat and redecorate, all the ups and downs with Kyle.’
‘Why don’t you talk to Connie?’
‘I will, it’s finding the right moment.’
‘And you’ll move on from Paul in time.’
‘I hope so.’
‘Are you still in love with him?’
‘I feel it ended so suddenly, I never saw it coming. I think that’s half the problem. If we’d fought a lot or one of us had had an affair, I might have processed the breakup quite differently.’
‘And he never really gave you much reason, did he?’
‘We wanted different things was all he said. Basically a cop-out. Who knows, maybe he was shagging someone else, perhaps he wanted to spare my feelings in the end.’
‘Well, let’s hope this holiday is a break for you as well as Kyle. Away from England, the flat, anything that reminds you of Paul.’
Amelia sighed as she watched Kyle again, relaxed, open, different. ‘I wish his mum could see him like this rather than the angry, frustrated, sad boy who seems to think the world is against him. You know, she could barely look at me when she dropped him off, it’s as though she was passing him on to me. My problem. And it wouldn’t have escaped his notice either. It must be hurtful to think your own mum doesn’t want you around.’
‘I can understand his grief, losing my mum was awful and at times I never thought I’d get over it. At least I had my dad and Teresa, even though I didn’t appreciate her at the time. I think she kept him going, gave him the confidence to raise me despite all that we had lost. I don’t suppose Connie has had that, so it must be hard for her.’ She held up her hands. ‘I’m not saying it’s right for her to depend on you, but it must be tough doing it all alone and coping with her own grief at the same time. And I never got into trouble the way Kyle has, so my dad was lucky with that too, although he did have the battle with my attitude to contend with.’
‘You never liked Teresa, I remember it well.’
‘Don’t remind me, I was awful to her.’
‘You get on well now?’
‘We really do. Since the day she showed up in New York and I was forced to face her and deal with my feelings, we’ve become friends. I never thought that would ever happen.’
‘I’m not sure things will be so easy with Kyle. Trying to reason with a boy his age is tough.’
‘May I ask why it’s you who’s come to the rescue and taken him on a holiday?’ Cleo probed.
‘You remember how I said I always looked after him when he was small?’
‘Your sister expected you to, from what I remember. Wasn’t it because you worked at home?’
‘That’s right. But it’s my fault, I never said no, and then when Stuart died, how could I turn down anything she asked of me? She was devastated. Like you say, she had nobody to draw strength from.’
When Darcy put on some Christmas music and the sounds of Bing Crosby’s ‘White Christmas’ floated around the room Amelia apologised to Cleo for bringing the mood down more than once tonight.
‘Nonsense, that’s what friends are for. And now I can moan about my problems to get even.’
‘Please do, I’m fed up being the only whinger at a party.’
‘I need some advice.’
‘Still having trouble with Ruby?’
‘She’s being a little madam.’ Cleo told Amelia all about the cupcakes she was supposed to take into school, those Cleo had bought that had never seen the neatly assembled tables of the bake sale, Prue swooping in and coming to the rescue, Prue feeding Ruby with information that was not only inaccurate but damaging. ‘There’s no way I don’t love Ruby and Jacob, and I’m furious that Prue would even suggest it, let alone to her daughter who is very much a part of my family.’
‘Do you think Prue wants to get back with Dylan?’
