AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I still can’t make this guy out, but I can’t deny that I find him attractive. And it’s clear Finn likes him.
And that’s when I hear warning bells.
“Actually, we’re busy this weekend,” I say as graciously as I can. “But thank you for the offer.”
“Aw, Mum.”
“We should go now. Thank you all for your help.”
They all say goodbye. I don’t meet Alex’s eyes as I turn Finn and take him out through the door and head for the lobby.
It’s raining lightly outside. Finn is quiet, and I know he’s disappointed. I feel a tug of guilt. The boy’s been through so much, and Alex was offering him what might be a once-in-a-lifetime treat. Have I made a mistake?
But I know Finn. The accident obviously had a huge physical impact on him, but what we’ve been through with his father took an even greater emotional toll. He feels betrayed and abandoned, and he’s going to gravitate toward any male who shows him kindness and friendship. I must be careful that he doesn’t get too attached to Alex. The guy is obviously thoughtful and kind, despite his stern visage, but he’s only doing his job.
I also have a lot of therapy to go through before I can put my ghosts to rest. So it’s best that I keep my distance from any man who gives me anything approaching the feels.
I head back to the car, telling myself to concentrate on the fact that Finn’s about to start his therapy. Alex’s promise that Finn should be on the way to being back to his old self in a year feels realistic and achievable, a goal we can both work toward.
And that’s all that matters.
Chapter Four
Alex
Finn’s program begins on the third of April. That first day, Missie stays with him, but once she sees there’s little she can do, and that he’s fine staying with us, she begins dropping him off and coming back to pick him up when the hour is done. It gives her time to finish off her day at school or have a little time on her own, and it encourages Finn to take responsibility for his own rehabilitation, too.
Whenever I’m in the office, I try to make sure I’m present when Finn’s there. He’s not the only youngster in the trial, but he was the first to start, and I want to keep an eye on his progress. Plus, I like the kid. He reminds me a lot of myself. He’s tall, and starting to be all elbows and knees. He’s better looking than I was at his age, but he also has a neat fade haircut, and I can tell by the way he’s styling it that he’s trying to copy mine, which is kinda sweet. He’s adventurous and funny, and he gets my sense of humor. He loves computers, and he’s fascinated enough by what I do to suggest he could be a computer science engineer himself one day.
And being there with him, especially at the end of the session, when we try to finish with a fun game, has the added bonus that he’s happy to chat. Without me having to ask, as the weeks go by, Finn gradually reveals details about his life and his mum. Nothing too intimate—guys don’t normally talk about feelings. But enough to begin to form a picture.
I discover that Missie’s mum is alive, but her dad died three years ago of a “substantial homatema,” which I interpret as a subdural hematoma. She’s an only child. Finn says his grandma is “like mum with the weird bits taken out.” She lives with them and helps out with the cooking and cleaning, because his mum is “untidy and scatterbrained.”
Despite these obvious flaws, “she knows every famous artist that’s ever lived,” and she likes to drag him around the art gallery and point out interesting (Finn’s expression suggests he’s being sarcastic) things about each painting.
She loves to dance, especially to ABBA, and she’s seenMamma Mia“at least a billion times.” She complains about her hair and spends too much money on conditioner, trying to tame it (“and it never works.”) She loves seafood, fudge, and lemon meringue pie, and the other day she ate a whole box of Jaffa Cakes by herself and put on five pounds. She adores fairy lights, and her favorite color is yellow.
He says the other teachers at the school call her Miss Sunshine, and that everyone thinks she’s the most positive person they know.
“And Alex is the grumpiest,” Juliette tells him. “Sounds like they’re perfectly suited for one another.”
Finn just laughs, but I glare at Juliette, and later, after Missie has collected Finn and left the building, I take Juliette to one side and say, “I’d appreciate it if you refrained from making comments like that to a boy about his mother when she only lost her husband four months ago.”
Juliette studies her feet and looks appropriately remorseful. “Sorry.”
I inhale deeply, then blow out a long breath. We’ve been friends for a long time, and I know she means well. “Missie has just been widowed,” I say more gently. “She has a whole world of grieving to do before she’ll be ready to date again. The last thing she needs is a guy coming on to her. And Finn’s lost his father. I mean, Jesus, he’s only ten. There’s no good age to lose a parent, but he’s heading toward puberty at a rate of knots, and he’s going to be filled with all these conflicting emotions.”
“He likes you,” she says.
“I know, and that’s why I have to be extra careful.”
She looks up then and meets my eyes. Slowly, her lips curve up.
“You’re quite gorgeous when you’re telling me off,” she says.
“Stop it,” I scold.
“I mean it. I have no idea why you’ve been single for so long. You should be on Tinder, shagging your brains out.”
