Page 46 of The Second Chance Supper Club

‘Hey, Cath, how’s it going?’ Susie was on the line. ‘I was thinking of coming up to see you, if that’s okay. I’ve got a few days off next week … and well, I’d love to catch up with you at last, see your new place.’

‘Ah, Suz, that would have been brilliant. I’d love to see you, but … well, there’s no room here at the cottage just now. Adam’s back … and,’ she lowered her voice, ‘his stuff is everywhere. There’s only the two bedrooms.’ The new dynamic of having a youth in the house was giving her a reality check. It was feeling cramped already.

‘Oh, I see.’ Her sister sounded disappointed.

‘I suppose you could stay at the pub, or there’s a B&B in the village. It’s just I don’t really know Adam’s plans, as yet.’ In fact, in just a couple of days, he was looking rather too comfy, being happily fed and watered. There most likely were no plans. There was no job lined up as yet, nor indeed any talk of interviews, or research being done. ‘Sorry, sis, but you know what it’s like, the lounge has been taken over, as well as the spare bedroom.’

With his body draped on the sofa, and music blaring at all hours, despite her reminding him to use his earphones – oh yes, it’d suddenly blast out in the middle of a teaching session – her cottage didn’t feel her own any more. The house wasn’t big enough for the both of them, but Cath couldn’t voice that. How could she even think it? That was downright mean. After all, she, no, they’d taken away his real home – his own bloody parents. It was just frustration zipping through her veins.

‘Bet it’s nice to have him back though, after all that time.’ ‘Ah, it is. It is, of course.’ It was good to have his company again. She’d missed him, she really had, but he seemed to have reverted to teenage Adam very swiftly.

‘Shall we just leave it a bit, then?’ Susie suggested, bringing Cath back to her reason for calling. ‘I’d much rather stay with you there, and see the cottage properly. It’s no problem, I can look to take a few days off again, pretty much whenever.’ The image of the ‘sofa-loafer’, plus having the experience of teenage kids of her own, had evidently been enough to put her sister off. ‘It’s just, I was hoping for a bit of chill time, that’s all, and some girlie chat.’

‘Ah, okay, well let’s give it a couple of weeks, and I’ll keep you posted.’ Cath paused. ‘Everything okay there?’ Did her sister need to talk something over? Was there something on her mind? Was the ‘girlie chat’ just a catch-up, or something more important?

‘Yeah, yeah. Nothing that can’t wait.’

‘You sure?’

‘Yep, no worries, and we’ll catch up properly soon, sis.’

Cath felt a little uneasy, but her sister obviously didn’t want to expand just now, so she led the conversation to easier territory, asking about her girls, then, telling her about her new hairdo, and the latest antics at the fun-filled Seventies supper club.

‘Ah, that sounds such fun. And it’s great that you’re settling in well.’ Susie sounded so pleased for her.

And it was great. She really was beginning to find her feet in this new rural life. But a dart of fear hit home. What if Adam wanted to settle here too? Might he want to stay on with her long term? What would her new life be like with a messy, noisy twenty-two-year-old son in tow? But equally, how could she say no to that? He was her son, and had no real home of his own. She didn’t voice those concerns to Susie. Even in her own mind, they sounded wrong, selfish. She was his mother. She loved him. He was just being a normal lad, after all.

‘Well, I’d better go,’ said Susie. ‘Got yoga class tonight, and Mark will be home soon on a quick turnaround before a five-a-side footie match he’s refereeing.’

‘No worries. Say “hi” to Mark from me. And enjoy your yoga.’

‘Will do. An hour of stretchy peace. Bliss. You take care.

Give my love to Adam. Love you. Bye.’

‘Bye. Bye. Bye …’ Cath sounded distant, thoughts of a future twenty-two-year-old lodger son sinking in.

And there he was. Adam appeared, sauntering into the kitchen like a just-waking bear in the search for honey.

‘Hey, what’s for tea, Mum?’

Cath couldn’t help the irritation rising within. Jeez, he’d been lying about on his arse all day, whilst she’d sorted his washing, cleaned the bathroom – his towel left in a heap on the floor! And she’d cooked and prepared all the meals since he’d arrived back.

‘Whatever you’re making … ?’ She threw back at him, to test his reaction. She had in fact planned some cheesy jacket potatoes and a salad.

He looked a bit confused; this wasn’t what normally happened at home. ‘Ah, right.’ Then he went quiet.

Cath let the silence sink in for a bit. Mum did not mean ‘mug’. And yes, whilst it had been lovely to spoil him those first few days, if he was planning on sticking around for a while, he’d need to help out sometimes at least. New rules would soon be coming into play.

Chapter 28

Adam was up by 9 a.m., relatively early for him, and as the milk and bread were about to run out (supplies weren’t lasting long with his youthful bottomless pit of a tummy in the house), he’d offered to nip to the shop.

Cath relished a few quiet moments, sat peacefully in the kitchen, nursing a cup of coffee. No noise but the twitter of birdsong from the garden. Hmm, perhaps she could put her son to good use cutting the grass later. He was soon back, sauntering in with the provisions. ‘Hey, Mum, just met this really cool guy in the village … runs a bike shop. Had a bit of a chat. He said he knows you. Might get Dad to courier up my road bike, says he’ll service it and everything. Reasonable prices too.’

Ah, so he’d evidently bumped into Will. Cath felt slightly flustered.

‘Yeah, it’d be cool to do a bit of cycling around here,’ he continued. ‘There’s the hills to challenge me, and the coast is pretty stunning. It’d be epic.’