“Sounds lovely,” she replies.
“I’ll go set the table,” Jessica says.
“I can help,” Noah says, walking over to pull out some cutlery from the drawer.
“Okay, thank you,” she replies, letting out a soft, nervous breath.
I lean down to whisper in her ear. “He’s still our Noah, sweet girl.”
“Yeah, I know,” she replies as I press a soft kiss to her shoulder before letting go of her hand. She goes to get some place mats and then leaves the kitchen.
Noah goes to walk past me and I reach out to stop him.
“I’m going to help Maggie,” I say.
He smiles with a small nod, and I lean in to give him a chaste kiss before stepping away and he goes to join Jessica in the dining room.
“Smells delicious,” I say as Maggie pulls on her oven gloves.
“Thank you, I thought comfort food was just what the doctor ordered.”
She places the tray on top of the hob before slipping off the gloves and stirring the liquor.
“How has he been, really?” I ask, reaching into the cupboard for the shallow serving bowls and placing them on the counter.
She decants the pies from the foil.
“He’s okay, Caleb. He’s just struggling, and he doesn’t want to burden you or Jessica.”
I lean my hip against the counter as she spoons on the mash.
“It’s just going to take time. Once he’s had his follow up, he can move forward. You all can,” she replies, using a ladle to add the liquor.
“I know.” She’s right, of course. While we wait to see the outcome of the surgery, he’s stuck in limbo and it’s hardly surprising.
Reaching under the unit, I pull out two serving trays and then grab the cutlery as Maggie adds the plates.
“Thank you for coming, for this,” I say and pull her in for a hug.
“Sweet boy, you never have to thank me. You’re my family, always.”
I lean back and look down.
“I know and you’ve always been like a mum to me, and I know I don’t say it enough, but I do love you.”
Her eyes glaze over as I pull her in for another hug.
“I love you too, my boy.”
If I’ve learnt anything from the past few years, life is too short not to say the things to the people you care about.
“Come on, before dinner gets cold,” she says, pulling back and wiping under her eyes.
I pick up one of the trays and she reaches out for the other, but I shake my head.
“I don’t think so. Go on, I’ll come back for that.”
“You’re not too big for a clip around the ear hole.”
