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“Not today, Mum.”
“Bugger it. We haven’t had anything this exciting lately.”
“Mandy,” Dad scolded. “That’s not appropriate, is it?”
“I don’t know, Steve. She’s smiling, isn’t she?”
“Stop bickering,” I muttered.
Mum sighed and held me against her. “I’m sorry, honey. What’s going on? Why are you here, sobbing your little heart out?”
“Oh, Mum, it’s a long story.”
“Well, luckily for you, we’ve got a long time.” Dad nestled into the armchair opposite us. “So why don’t you humour us and tell us everything?”
***
This house wasn’t my childhood home, but it didn’t matter. It had the same furniture and ambience. The room that I’d spent many of my teenage years in had changed and grown into an elegant guest room, but there was still something about it that was familiar.
I rolled onto my side in the bed and flipped over my phone.
It was the day of Evelyn’s party. Her birthday wasn’t until tomorrow, but today was the day that had been designated to celebrate her.
I’d given my all to that party.
And it would go ahead without me.
That hurt more than it should have. I didn’t know how to cope with that feeling, but the ache that had consumed me for days was becoming all too familiar.
I opened my chat with Camilla and wished her good luck. As far as I knew, nobody knew I was in Norfolk. I’d asked my parents to keep it to themselves, and everyone else thought I was still in London.
I wanted to keep it that way.
I wasn’t sure I wanted to go home right now. I didn’t think I could see Hugo again, and it wasn’t as though there was anything keeping me in London. As Camilla had pointed out a few weeks ago, I had no job or boyfriend or ties to the city.
Maybe returning here was what I needed. A fresh start on old ground. There was always a chance I could get a job here, and the tourist season was coming. That meant there was an abundance of seasonal jobs, and if I moved back with my parents, I wouldn’t have to pay rent.
Wow.
I was scraping the barrel now.
Was I that desperate to say goodbye to the past few weeks?
I might have been. I wouldn’t be considering it otherwise, would I?
CAMILLA: Thanks. But it’s all you, really. Wish you were here to see it.
I smiled sadly at the message.
ME: Will you hug Evelyn for me? And tell her I said happy birthday for tomorrow.
CAMILLA: Of course.
ME: There’s a gift for her in the wardrobe. I think I left it.
CAMILLA: In the shiny white bag?
ME: I didn’t get to wrap it.
