Page 76 of The Seaside Cocktail Campervan

‘Hi, Mum, Dad,’ he called out.

‘Oh, hello love.’ Mum came out from the kitchen with a warm smile. ‘It’s just me. Your dad’s on a course.’

‘Ahh, golf course?’

‘You’ve got it!’

They both grinned. It was dad’s favourite place to escape these days.

‘Shall I put the kettle on?’

It was half past ten. Ideal tea and biscuits time in the Anderson household.

‘Yeah, go on then, thanks. Oh, I brought you these.’ He’d picked up a box of hand-made chocolates, from a fabulous-looking stall at an event he’d been working at in the harbour village of Warkton. He handed over the pretty gold box; the label read The Chocolate Shop by the Sea.

‘Oh, they look lovely. Thank you, Jack.’ It was nice to brighten Mum’s day. Goodness knows they all needed a little light in their lives.

‘I’m sure your dad will enjoy helping me out with them later,’ her smile widened. ‘Yes, he’s right into his golf now the weather’s turned for the better. I don’t mind really, keeps him occupied, and gives me time to potter about in the house and garden unencumbered.’

‘Hah, yes.’

Mum started filling the kettle, then took down a teapot from the kitchen cupboard.

Jack had a sudden flash of memory. He and Daniel as younger teens deciding to practise their golf swing and chipping. Only this was taking place inside, in Dan’s bedroom. It had been a rainy day, and well, they hadn’t fancied getting wet. Dad had gone ballistic when he’d walked into the room, alerted by the unusual knocking sound, to find the pair of them in action. There were still circular dent marks on Dan’s ceiling to this day.

‘You okay, Jack?’

‘Yeah, just thinking about Dan and the bedroom golf practice …’ Jack said, sharing his thoughts. Sometimes he needed to talk about those memories. In fact, they all did. It helped keep Daniel alive in their hearts.

‘Oh goodness, yes. Your dad went mad at the pair of you, didn’t he? Mind you, I don’t know what possessed you to start practising in the house.’

‘I know. It was a bit crazy. But it seemed a good idea at the time. I think it must have been raining outside or something.’

‘Gosh, the capers you two got up to …’ Mum’s eyes looked a little watery, whilst she held onto her smile.

Jack wished so much they could get up to some capers now. And, he wished he could share some of this recent weird emotional stuff with his brother too. Dan was always more settled with his girlfriends; he somehow had seemed ready for ‘grown-up’ relationships from the get-go. Jack’s mind drifted to Dan’s last steady girlfriend and the life his brother might have had. The ‘if onlys’ and ‘what might have beens’ were still painful.

The tea was poured, and Mum pulled out a chair at the dining table. Jack followed suit. There was a second or two of silence between them. Just the tweeting of birdsong drifting in from the open French doors that led out to the back garden.

‘Jack, are you really alright, son?’ Mum’s tone had changed, softened.

Should he open up, share some of his confused feelings about Lucy with his mum? But it just seemed too big a step. He could hardly make sense of it himself, never mind be capable of explaining it to someone else. ‘Yeah, I’m fine.’ Jack’s front remained firmly in place. Not many people got to break down those walls, not even his parents. He’d spent too long trying to protect them from his grief when they had their own to deal with; his current problems didn’t seem much compared to what they had all been through.

‘Okay. Well, you know where we are if you ever need us.’ An olive branch of love and support.

‘Thanks, Mum.’

Jack took a gulp of tea, and dived into the old metal biscuit tin, a Christmas family tin Mum had saved one year that they’d been using ever since. He eventually found a jammy dodger. He felt safe here in this house, loved and comfortable, even though it was filled with a myriad of memories … but he certainly didn’t feel able to prise open his soul.

We’re Getting Hitched!

Happily Ever After Begins for

Robert Thompson and Jennifer Wade

On Saturday 21st August

At Bamburgh Castle.