‘And Thom said he would come down with Poppy the day before, although I’m not sure how much help she will be,’ Rita added.
‘Is he down again this weekend, too?’ Sennen joined Teo in the untangling. ‘I’m pretty sure I just saw him pulling into Hawthorn Acre.’
‘Did you? No. Well, if he is, he hasn’t told me. And I very much doubt he’d be around at this time of day. You know how busy with work he is.’
‘I say to you, I saw him,’ Teo added, switching up the music to something funkier.
‘Well, if he is, he can help us, too, can’t he. God!’ Sennen erupted, throwing down the string of lights on which she was working. ‘Why is it these lights get in such a mess!’
‘Here. Go and get something to eat, darling.’ Rita stepped forward as Sennen went to collect a bag of cinnamon buns from the table.
She stuffed one in and started talking with her mouth full. ‘I’m staying down for the duration now if that’s OK. I can work from here as I’ve got four summer weddings on the bubble.’
‘Of course you can, takes the pressure off me a bit, too.’ Rita sat herself down on a hay bale and continued with the lights on her lap.
‘Are you OK, Mum? You look tired.’
‘I am a bit. Hilda called me over late last night, which is so unlike her. Her chest is so bad. I made her a hot lemon drink and propped her up in bed so that she could breathe more easily.’
‘Not surprising the way she’s treated her lungs,’ Sennen scoffed. ‘But poor Granny.’ She put both her hands up. ‘That’s just cemented my decision on catering, then. You’re definitely not doing it, Mum. I’ve got a company lined up, anyway. Have a meeting with them in ten, so I’m going to go inside and call them with my laptop in front of me.’
‘I’m going to come in too.’ Rita put the lights back down on a hay bale. ‘I need to stuff one of those buns in and sit down for a bit. I’m not particularly good at this Florence Nightingale lark.’
As she stood up, a small flicker of worry nudged at her. If she were feeling like this after one late night, what on earth would she be like when the twins arrived? Would she be running on empty, juggling nappies, bottles, and midnight feeds, her hair in a permanent knot and her nerves stretched as thin as the fairy lights she had been untangling? She closed her eyes and pictured tiny feet pattering across the floor, two little faces looking up at her with all the mischief and sweetness she had ever loved in her children. Her heart gave a little flip, part dread and part excitement, and she smiled despite herself. It would be chaotic, exhausting, and wonderful all at once. She would have to find a way to survive, to thrive, and somehow keep a sense of humour intact, just like she always did.
THIRTY-TWO
Thom hadn’t driven this fast since the night he’d landed his first City job, with a head full of bravado and nowhere near enough sense. Hawthorn Acre appeared at the end of the lane, a handsome, grey-stoned farmhouse, solid and unshowy against the fields. He cut the engine and sat for a moment, hands still on the wheel, chest tight.
The gate to the goat enclosure creaked as he pushed it open. Jago was in the paddock, sleeves rolled up, bucket hooked over his arm, talking quietly to the animals like they were old friends rather than livestock.
‘Easy, girls. One at a time.’
Thom swallowed. ‘Jago.’
Jago turned slowly, taking him in. Thom’s expression was closed off, something guarded in his eyes, his mouth set in a line that didn’t belong to him.
‘All right, mate, to what do I owe this pleasure?’ Jago grinned, trying to gauge what was going on. Thom didn’t smile back.
Jago’s smile fell. ‘You look like you’re about to be sick. Your mum’s OK, isn’t she?’
Thom sighed deeply. ‘Yes, yes, she’s fine, but we need to talk.’
Jago tipped feed into the trough and wiped his hands on his jeans.
‘Right,’ he said. ‘That bad, is it?’
They walked to the fence and leaned against it, goats shuffling and snorting behind them. The late spring breeze tugged at Thom’s jacket. He stared out at the fields because he didn’t trust himself to look at Jago just yet.
‘I didn’t come here to be clever,’ Thom said. ‘Or funny.’
‘That’s a first.’
Thom exhaled hard. ‘I’ve fucked up.’
Jago straightened. ‘Is this about Elodie?’
Thom looked shocked. ‘How did you know?’
