Page 50 of The Second Chance Supper Club

‘Yes, of course.’ Cath gave a supportive smile. Something must have sunk in at last, workwise, and he’d evidently realised he’d lounged about for long enough.

‘And, I’m missing my mates … the buzz of city life. It’s been cool here, thanks for letting me stay. Hope you’re not too disappointed or anything?’

It would, in all honesty, be sad to see him go again, especially after their recent heart-to-heart, but the thought that her ‘old’ new life might be back, gave Cath a lift. There was in fact a mini happy dance going on inside, which Cath felt a bit guilty about. She’d so appreciate her quiet cottage haven this time round, too. Peace, space … her own place.

‘No, that’s fine, son. You go, see your mates again, make your life. It makes sense to go back to Leeds. Go for it … And best of luck with the job hunting. I do love it here, but it is a bit like the back of beyond for you young ones, I understand that.’ ‘And you’ll be okay now, Mum?’ His eyes were caring, thoughtful.

‘Yeah, yeah, ’course I will. We can chat on the phone. And hey, you can visit whenever you like. I’d like you to think of this as your home, too.’ And she meant it. Having him come to stay again, even with the mess and noise that came with him, would be a joy.

Another seismic shift was coming. Her life felt like it was happening in waves just now. Rolling on, and then on again, each time taking her somewhere new, altering things.

He was at her threshold, his canvas travel bag to hand. And the big emotional lump in her throat was back once more.

The farewell drive to Alnmouth station for the CrossCountry train to Leeds – where Trevor would be picking him up – started fairly quietly, both lost in their own thoughts. Then with ten minutes to spare they began chatting, easy-going banter, realising that time was short. Parking up. The wait on the platform. His heartfelt thank you for looking after him. The ding-dong voice of the arrival announcement. The train gliding in along the tracks, pulling to a halt. Time to move on.

‘Come back any time, love.’ And she really did mean it. ‘Will do. Love you, Mum.’ And he took her in a big bear hug.

‘Aw, love you, too.’ The platform had emptied, the guard ready with her whistle and baton. ‘Go, get on, or it’ll be going without you.’ Her chest felt tight at his leaving.

He boarded. Swallowed by the train. Then she spotted him waving at a window. She stood watching him go, waving back, the carriage disappearing into the distance. Time for Adam’s new chapter. Take care, my love.

Having her son with her always warmed her, it was the permanent living status that had been the concern of late. Her small cottage hadn’t quite been big enough for the both of them, but her heart always was.

Chapter 30

The sun was shining – yippee! – as Will pulled the car into the parking area behind the sand dunes. It was Sunday, and he’d offered to take Cath, Nikki and Lily along to the beach, to save them all separately driving the twenty minutes to the coast. He was a steady driver, experienced, and Cath had felt in safe hands in the front passenger seat cruising along the winding country lanes. Andreas, Dan and terrier Shirley were making their way in their own vehicle – which was apparently ‘loaded to the gills’ with food, drink and beach entertainment (whatever that meant?!).

Oh, crikey, she’d hoped a dip in the sea was not on the cards. As a precaution, no swimwear had been packed in her bag of beach goodies. The most she was prepared to reveal, or get cold or wet, was her ankles. This was the North Sea not the Mediterranean, after all.

By the time they arrived, the car was smelling delicious with Cath’s still-warm homemade sausage rolls (baked using fragrant sage from Reggie’s bush) and Lily’s freshly baked croissants on board. Though the lads had said they were happy to provide the whole picnic for everyone, the others wanted to help out too, bringing various snacks and drinks between them. A ‘Blooming-Marvellous Bamburgh Beach Picnic’ was the theme for today, with a non-alcoholic drinks menu in support of the drivers and a clear head.

As they stepped out, the air was a little fresh, with a salty sea breeze. The view was amazing with Bamburgh Castle standing grand and historic, guarding the sweeping golden-sand bay. Nikki pulled a tartan picnic rug out of the boot, along with a cool bag filled with non-alcoholic punch, two bottles of ‘No-secco’ and some crisps and nibbles. Cath had her non-alcoholic gin ready for cocktails by the sea. Lily had made a big flask of hot coffee to go with her croissants to start them off – mindful of the cool winds of the Northumberland coast – to be followed later with cream-filled chocolate profiteroles, her latest bake. Will, apologising for his lack of cooking skills, had brought two large punnets of juicy strawberries and raspberries – to go with said profiteroles – and a carry pack of 0 per cent lagers, which was very acceptable too, the girls had agreed.

The four of them, piled up with picnic fare, trailed their way down to the beach along a narrow track through the marram grass. Seeing them snake their way in front of her towards the sands made Cath smile; they looked kind of like a family. Lily could be her daughter, Nikki her sister, and Will … ooh, she stopped in her tracks, both physically and mentally.

She needed to stop this train of thought right here. But her mind kept on going … What if someone like Will had been her husband, what if she and Trevor had never happened? Would she have got to the same impasse with someone else, the same mid-life crossroads, her husband having a fuck-you-after-thirty-years-fling, a relationship breakdown, and a crushing sense of failure? Or, might she have had a son and perhaps a daughter too with someone else, who knew …

Okay, stop it, stop it right now. Her sensible head took over. She certainly didn’t need to be thinking about any of that. Those crazy little echoes of questions wriggling back from the past. She had her wonderful son, Adam, even if he was noisy and messy – but that was pretty much the norm for his age. And she had been happy with Trevor, for many years at least. The past was what it was. It was the future she needed to focus on. The here and the now.

And right now, with the sun warm on her back, the beach and some picnic fun with her friends were calling her. She caught up with the others on the sands, as they glanced about looking to find Andreas and Dan. It didn’t take long.

‘There they are!’ Lily pointed to their left, at a sheltered spot tucked next to the dunes just before the rock pools started. The pair of them were standing out in their brightly coloured clothes.

‘Over here,’ Dan shouted, delighted to see the rest of the gang, the lads’ sense of fun and joie de vivre so apparent. Shirley was excited and barking, spotting the group approach. The terrier then started digging, pushing up a shower of sand on the just-laid picnic rug.

‘For goodness’ sake, Shirley. You can stop that right now, madam, or you’ll be kept on your lead.’

The dog gave a haughty look but packed it in, hedging her bets on having a good time free roaming with lots of stray snacks from the group.

‘Well, we wouldn’t have missed seeing you two,’ Nikki giggled, as they arrived at the picnic spot. ‘Dan, you look like a stripy stick of pink rock, and Andreas, your T-shirt pretty much matches the bright blue-and-white windbreak.’ ‘Hey, cheeky. We’ve dressed for the occasion, haven’t we, Dan?’

‘We have indeed, even Shirley is sporting her spotted neckerchief. Coastal chic, this is. Very à la mode, isn’t it, petal?’ Dan looked to Cath, with a wink, for approval.

‘I love it!’ she agreed.

They were soon tucking in to freshly squeezed orange juice and delicious Greek-style honey cake – care of Andreas – and flakily melting mini croissants and pains au chocolat, served with little cups of strong coffee, thanks to Lily.

‘Brunch on the beach,’ announced Will. ‘This is great, thank you. I feel my offerings are a little under par,’ he apologised.