Ellie’s head pops onto the screen as she sits down next to Raff. ‘That’s because Clara was a crazy demonic …’
‘Person,’ Raff sensors.
‘Not quite what I was going for, but yeah,’ Ellie grins.
I take another mouthful of cereal as my brother and sister-in-law settle in next to each other.
‘With Alice I feel like I can get on with my own stuff without worrying.’
Ellie slaps her hand down on the kitchen table, making us all jump. ‘Well, well, well. Alice may be the first person who has chilled you out!’ She exclaims before pulling a face. ‘Listen, I’ve been worried about this, Zach.’
‘Here we go,’ Raff sighs.
‘Be quiet,’ she instructs.
‘Worried about what?’ I frown.
‘That you’ve moved on from unattainable Clara to a fixer-upper.’
‘A fixer-upper? Ellie, you’ve been the one championing Alice and I from the start. What’s changed?’
‘Don’t you think it’s weird that she’s never had a serious relationship before?’ she says. ‘Like, don’t get me wrong, I am all for people prioritising themselves and their careers but …’ I can hear her drumming her nails on the table. ‘But she’s also told you that she’s a cynic when it comes to romance and doesn’t believe in “the one”. For me that rings alarm bells. I don’t want you to get hurt again.’
‘Have you been reading some amateur psych memes on Instagram again, my love?’ Raff teases. He gets barged off his seat.
‘Look, I appreciate your concern Ellie. Alice really opened up to me at her allotment a while back and I think I understand why she’s swerved relationships. And she definitely doesn’t need fixing, okay? She’s perfect as she is. I’m just trying to live in the moment for a while, to be more like Alice, because being around her makes me happy.’
Ellie looks like she approves of that. ‘That’s the main thing. I’d very much like to meet her at some point.’ An image of Alice under a spotlight while Ellie fires probing questions at her fills my mind. ‘So … watcha waiting for?’
‘A time when my best friend doesn’t give the girl I’m seeing a massive grilling and scare her off?’
Ellie rolls her eyes. ‘Please. I’ll be divine. Let’s get it in the diary!’
‘All right, I’ll mention it to her and see what she says. Now, Raff, go and enjoy your glow up. Tell Fran and Sienna that Uncle Zach thinks some sparkly eyeshadow would look really good on their dad.’
‘I will say no such thing,’ Raff tuts.
‘But I might,’ grins Ellie, blowing kisses down the phone.
By Saturday afternoon Alice is walking towards me in a pair of lilac leggings with a matching crop top, her hair bouncing in its high ponytail as she walks. I lean against a tree, trying to match her effortless cool while similarly feeling like the luckiest man in the country, which isn’t easy.
‘I cannot believe I was so keen to see you that I’ve agreed to a jog, Zach,’ she says, wide-eyed.
‘Oh really?’ I reply with a raised eyebrow. ‘You were keen to see me?’
Alice tightens her ponytail.
‘I didn’t say that,’ she mumbles, trying to shrug it off.
‘You definitely did. Who’d have thought Ms Play It Cool was, and I quote, “keen to see me”.’
She playfully rolls her eyes.
‘Did you miss me?’ I grin.
‘Please.’
‘Because I missed you.’
