‘Absolutely.’ Lou kept her expression neutral while hoping he’d pick the smaller room. But it was no big deal if he didn’t. She was determined to make this move a positive one for him. She already knew this was the right thing for them, so anything that would make him happy about living here was a win as far as she was concerned.
Jack shot off, running between the two rooms a couple of times to compare.
‘I’ll have this one!’ he announced finally, standing on the threshold of the smaller one to Lou’s secret relief.
‘You sure? You can have the bigger one if you want.’
‘No, I like this one. It’s cosy. Plus I can see the garden. If we have a dog, I can look out and see what it’s doing.’
Lou gave a thin smile. Swings and roundabouts.
‘Well, let’s get something to eat and then we can go and explore.’ She’d brought sleeping bags and the plan was to camp out here for the weekend, take stock of the place and make an inventory of what they’d need to organise for their move here next month in time for Jack to start school in September. ‘You hungry?’
Jack nodded vigorously. ‘Starving!’
‘Me too. Let’s see what we can rustle up.’
Downstairs in the kitchen, she unpacked some supplies she’d brought from Dublin – just some pasta and a plastic container of sauce she’d made last night – but enough for a quick meal for the two of them. She’d brought some cleaning supplies too, and she wiped down the counter with antibacterial spray before placing the food on it. She’d even packed a couple of small pots in case there was nothing in the house. But the gas hob was the old-fashioned kind that wasn’t self-igniting, and she couldn’t see a lighter anywhere. She rummaged in the drawers that were jammed with assorted detritus and found a box of matches. But they were ancient, and when she tried to strike one, there was no spark. She went through half the box before giving up.
Damn! She hadn’t even considered there might be gas. Well, sorting out the utilities would be the first thing for her list. She tried the oven and was relieved to find it was electric and still seemed to be working. But she’d need to get everything switched into her name and start paying bills, and who knew ifthe appliances were still in proper working order? No one had lived here for quite some time – Noreen apparently having spent the last year of her life in a nursing home – so what were the chances?
She flopped onto a rickety chair, feeling deflated for the first time since they’d got here. The task of turning this place into a comfortable home suddenly felt overwhelming. But now wasn’t the time to worry about that. She didn’t need to get everything sorted in the first five minutes. They’d been travelling since seven this morning, and they were both tired and hungry. She picked herself up and went to the foot of the stairs.
‘Change of plan, Jack,’ she called up to him. ‘We’re going out to eat.’
That was music to Jack’s ears and he came thundering down the stairs eagerly.
‘Can I have chips?’
‘Sure, you can have whatever you want. We’ll get fish and chips by the sea, like we’re on holiday.’
Except Jack had never had a seaside holiday, she thought with a pang. Day trips to Dublin beaches was the closest he’d got. Still, he wasn’t a demanding child and he’d always thoroughly enjoyed those outings.
‘Yay!’ He jumped up and down and Lou grinned, happy to see him so excited. ‘Can we go down the secret path?’
‘Sure. Lead the way.’
