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‘Do you sleep up there in the pop-top with Oliver? Is that the bedroom?’
‘No, this seat’s a rock-n-roll bed. It turns into a double bed at night-time. I couldn’t share a bed with Oliver, he’s all arms and legs. I’d be black and blue by the morning. I set this up every night and pack it away before breakfast.’
She glanced over the back of the seat and saw the well behind it was full of dull but expensive looking white cotton bedding, like Oliver’s.
‘It’s ingenious how everything folds out and folds away again. You can fit so much in the tiny space, can’t you?’
‘I’ve always wanted one. Used to have an old Beetle, it was my first car. I loved it. Stella wasn’t so keen. She never liked camping, but she did it for me and Olly. When we bought this it was amazing — still had the original interior in its full 1970s glory, right down to the green plaid seat covers, but Stella said the only way I’d get her in it was if I got the interior modernised. She wanted clean and streamlined. She only camped in it once.’ He drifted into silence.
What could she say? Best to keep talking about the campervan, perhaps. ‘The design is amazing. I mean, you’ve got a whole tiny kitchen in that one cupboard, haven’t you? A place for everything.’
‘Yes. Yes, there is, isn’t there?’ he said, snapping back into the world.
‘So what do you do if you want to go out for the day? Do you have to pack everything away?’
‘No, the awning’s a drive-away one. We shove everything in there and take off in the campervan. I thought we might have a trip to Keswick tomorrow, take Oliver to that dratted chocolate shop he keeps going on about and get him some pizza before he starves to death. He won’t eat anything I’ve brought, except cereal, and I don’t know how long he can survive on Coco Pops.’
‘We’re heading out tomorrow, too. I want to take Harry over the Kirkstone Pass and down to Windermere. It used to be one of our favourite days out when I came with mum.’
‘I’m struggling to get Oliver enthusiastic about anything other than sweets. I know how difficult it is for him, of course, I do realise that, but it’s so hard to be here, surrounded by all of this …’ He gestured out of the window at the sheep field and the shadows of the fells behind ‘… and all Oliver wants to do is go to the chocolate shop.’
‘Were you and Stella keen hill walkers, then?’
‘I was a fell runner. Stella used to take Oliver shopping with her while I would go running, and lose myself up in the hills. There’s no better feeling than that, being alone and free. The fells draw me, every time we come here.’
‘I think I —’ she began, but there was a sudden rustling above them followed by almighty clattering as first Harry and then Oliver appeared from the pop-top, climbing down via the kitchen cupboard.
‘We’re going to the toilet,’ Harry announced proudly.
‘Okay. Will you be all right on your own?’ Amy asked.
‘It’s not dark,’ Harry said. ‘Come on, Olly!’ and with a lot of shuffling as they put their shoes back on in the awning, and a lot of giggling the minute they stepped outside the awning, they were gone.
‘They’re up to something,’ Amy said.
‘Probably trying to catch another glimpse of the couple over there rocking the Kasbah.’
‘Probably. Although I think it’s all quiet out there now?’
They listened hard.
‘Yes, think we’re safe. I’ll follow the boys up in a couple of minutes and make sure they’re not up to any mischief and then take Harry back to our tent. It’s time he was getting ready for bed.’
‘And some more of the Titty book?’
Amy laughed.
‘I must stop him calling it that, it sounds so dodgy! But yes, some more of the Titty book. Thanks for the beer.’
‘Any time. It’s nice to have some adult company. I love Oliver more than anything in the world, but his conversation’s limited.’
‘There’s only so much of that you can take?’
‘Exactly.’
‘Tomorrow night, why don’t you come round to ours,’ she said grandly, as if their tent was a marquee ‘and I’ll provide a bottle of wine?’
‘Or even better, why don’t we all head to the pub?’
‘Sounds great. It’s a date!’ she said, and then realised what she’d said to him. ‘I don’t mean a date date, just a … you know …’
‘I totally understand,’ he said.
For a fleeting moment she felt disappointed he was so quick to agree with her.
