‘What’s the plan once you get there?’ whispers Lizzie, sensing Felix might be in earshot. ‘Please don’t tell me you are going to drop into Rory’s flat when we both know you’ll be walking in on a scene from Fifty Shades.’
I hold the phone close to my lips and turn away while whispering into the speaker. ‘Don’t think I’m going to get a choice.’
Lizzie shouts down the phone. ‘Don’t let a nine-year-old rule your life, Ems. Be strong with Felix.’
I can hear Bill’s voice and a tussle with Lizzie for the phone. ‘Little Miss Vintage,’ he booms, ‘I hear you’re going to drop by Rory’s for a cuppa, a biccie and a cwtch.’ (Welsh for cuddle.)
‘Not so sure on the cwtch, Bill,’ I hiss. ‘More of an awkward conversation.’
Bill giggles. ‘Lizzie Lupin has showed me Rory’s Facebook page. I bet his new date will be over the moon to see you.’
Lizzie wrestles the phone out of his hand. ‘Ignore him, Ems. I think you should explain to Felix about Rory not showing any settling down potential. Oh, Ems, I feel sick about this trip of yours.’
‘So do I,’ I reply, stroking Baxter’s velvet-soft ears.
Lizzie takes a deep breath. ‘I’m going to spend the next hour on the loo.’ She sighs. ‘Ems, you know how I get bad bowels when my friends are going through stressful times.’
Lizzie is being truthful. She’s always suffered from an irritable bowel condition which seems to worsen when people she loves are going through hell. When Vivi died I spent a lot of time sat outside the bathroom door of our old flat while Felix played in the lounge and Lizzie sat on the loo. It sounds gross but over the years I have come to terms with Lizzie’s IBS and the fact that anything horrible in my life causes her to double up in pain and race away upstairs.
‘Look, I will be all right, Lizzie.’
She lets out a heavy sigh. ‘Call me, I’ll have my phone with me in the bathroom.’
I can hear Bill shrieking in the background. ‘Lizzie Lupin, please antibac your phone when you come out.’
I hang up.
Felix lets out a whine. ‘Aunty Emily, I heard all of that conversation. You’ve got Rory all wrong.’
Will casts me an awkward look as I erupt. All my bottled-up tension rises inside of me. ‘FELIX,’ I roar making him jolt. ‘Rory was getting friendly with a woman called Anna before we split up. He wasn’t ready to settle down and if we look at Facebook, he’s currently on a third date with Beth.’
Felix shakes his head in defiance. ‘He didn’t love Anna, Aunty Emily. She knew…’
He stops as I stare at him. Seriously, is there anything Felix doesn’t know. He’s like my own secret spy. If this is what he’s like at nine, there’s no hope for me when he’s a teenager. ‘You knew about Anna?’
I watch him flick his eyes to the train floor.
‘Felix, tell me.’
He holds my gaze. ‘Rory will explain. Can I go to the toilet please?’
CHAPTER20
FELIX
Locking the train toilet door behind him Felix starts recording a video. ‘Hello, Mummy. You’ll be glad to know Aunty Emily and Baxter made it onto the train in time. I am safe. They found me. I cried when I saw Aunty Emily. We both cried for ages. She’s like a mummy to me. One who doesn’t smile much. I don’t hate her, Mummy. She might not smile or laugh much, she might cook horrible casseroles, she might make a mess of our living room, but she makes me feel safe. She also told me back in our seats that she loves me. Even after all the trouble I have caused she still loves me.’ He yanks a piece of toilet paper out of the holder and blows his nose.
Looking into the phone camera with a mischievous smile, he says, ‘Aunty Emily knows I text Rory. I told her. Guess what? Rory has texted back to say he never stopped loving her.’ The video carries on recording as the sound of Felix jumping and up and down and cheering can be heard.
‘You always said I had good ideas, Mummy. Well, this might turn out to be one of my best ideas. Aunty Emily wants me to ask Sai what he thinks about all my future ideas before I do anything.’ Felix shakes his head in disbelief and pretends he’s yawning into the phone camera. ‘I’ll never have fun again if I have to listen to Sai.’
He takes a deep breath. ‘I also used Aunty Emily’s credit card to pay for my train ticket. When I am rich and famous, I will pay her back. I must go now as I need the toilet and you once told me off for videoing myself doing a wee. When you next see me, I will be with Rory and Aunty Emily will be happy again. Bye for now, Mummy.’
CHAPTER21
EMILY
As the train guard announces over the speakers that we will shortly be arriving in Leeds station, Will gets up to collect his bag.
