‘Hazel Cottage.’
‘Ah. With that old woman…’
‘Hernameis Margery,’ Helena bristled.
‘That’s right.’
‘She has been wonderful to me. Ever since you kicked me out onto the street.’
‘Helena, I’m sorry about that. There was no easy way to do it. I couldn’t afford two leases and—’
‘You could have fucking well told me,’ she said, through gritted teeth, unable to stop herself boiling over once again. ‘You knew I had no money. Where did you think I was going to go? If it wasn’t for Margery…’
Noah sighed. ‘Look, shall we go and get Raffy?’ He clearly wanted to avoid that particular conversation. ‘He’s been playing in the treehouse at the end of the garden at every opportunity since we arrived.’
She shook herself, realising there was no point in going back over it all. She couldn’t hope to achieve anything in doing so, she would end up infuriating herself. She followed him out into the garden, watching as Noah called Raffy’s name. Her heart soared as he looked up and saw her, the joy in his eyes unmistakeable. He squealed with excitement and scrambled down the ladder, sprinting across the grass.
‘Helena!’ he cried, as she span him around.
‘We’re going to have a playdate,’ she said, crouching down next to him. ‘Just you and me!’
‘We are?’ he asked, his eyes rounding in delight. ‘Cool!’
‘Where do you want to go? We can go to the playground? Or the woods? Or we can go to my house? Do you remember Margery? And Trevor, Tammy and Terry? That’s where I live now. The dogs would love to see you!’
This clearly won Raffy over, ‘Yes please! Let’s go and see the dogs.’ He looked up to Noah for approval as he took Helena’s proffered hand.
‘Off we go then,’ Helena said, suddenly desperate to get away from him. ‘I’ll bring him back in time for lunch.’
‘12.30 p.m.?’ Noah suggested.
‘Fine,’ Helena replied. She walked back up the lawn, followed by Noah, listening to Raffy as he told her about his new treehouse den. She felt tense with Noah walking behind her, half expecting him to reach out and spin her around, to laugh in her face for her naivety in thinking he would let her walk off with his son like that. She could picture the sardonic sneer he would have on his face. Her heart pounded as they walked through to the front door. She opened it and turned, checking that Noah was really going to let them leave.
‘Bye,’ he said, still seeming unperturbed. ‘Have fun.’
‘See you later Dad,’ Raffy smiled.
Noah went back into the house and shut the door. Helena let out a shaky exhale. She couldn’t believe it had been that straightforward. Fighting confusion, sure there was some ulterior motive to Noah’s pleasant civility, she pushed all thoughts from her mind and focused on Raffy. Relishing the weight of his small hand in hers, knowing how much she had missed it, she set off through the village back to Hazel Cottage.
‘So Daddy told me you’re starting back at school tomorrow?’ she asked.
‘I know! It’s going to be so weird. I can’t wait to see all my friends. I’m going to have a new teacher. I haven’t met her yet. I hope she’s nice.’ Raffy’s chatter was just as constant as it always had been.
‘I’m sure she will be. What was your other school like?’
‘It was okay,’ Raffy shrugged. ‘I’m glad we’re back here though. I prefer it.’
‘I’m so glad too.’
‘Are you going to live with us again?’ he asked, squinting up at her in the bright sunshine.
Her heart wrenched at the hope in his eyes. ‘Sadly not, Raf. Things have changed… I live with Margery now, and the dogs. And I love it there. I hope we can still see each other lots, at the weekends. I’ve missed you!’
‘I’ve missed you too.’
‘Did you like New Zealand? Your dad said you were there for a while.’
‘It was cool.’
