Page 163 of Brighter Together

Tommy squeezes my fingers.

“Good.”

I lean over and kiss him.

Just because I can.

The front door opens before we reach it.

Nick stands there holding a wooden spoon.

I stop.

“Do you live here now?” Tommy asks.

“No.”

“Then why are you answering the door?”

“Because Alex is having a disagreement with the oven.” Nick grins at us just as a shout comes from somewhere inside.

“Fuck!”

Nick looks over his shoulder. “See?”

Tommy walks straight past him.

“What’s he done?” he says

“Nothing serious,” Nick replies.

Smoke drifts into the hallway.

Tommy pauses.

Nick shrugs. “The potatoes may be a bit overdone.”

We follow him into the kitchen and are greeted by chaos.

Complete, ridiculous chaos.

Alex is pulling a roasting tin from the oven.

Emma is opening a window.

Christina is stealing cheese from a platter.

Phil is attempting to stop Lilly doing the same thing.

Through the open archway chaos has spilled into the living room where Rob is stretched out on the sofa with his injured leg propped up, Olivia beside him.

Chris is building something on the floor with Max while Suzie watches from an armchair, one hand resting over her stomach.

A tall guy with arms covered in tattoos stands near the kitchen island holding a bottle of wine and looking like he hasn’t quite worked out what he has walked into.

Emma turns towards us.

“Perfect timing.”