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“Do you need help cooking?” I glance up at Isaac leant against the kitchen doorframe, his sandy hair flopping in his eyes, and offer him the bravest smile I can muster.
“Isaac, I always need help cooking, you know that.”
He nods and shuffles into the room, his iPad still in his hand. It makes me grouchy. “Do you ever put that thing down?”
“Yes, when I sleep.”
I pull a face.
“Very grown-up,” he retorts. Coming over, he slides the iPad onto the counter and gives me a big hug, the first one he’s given me in days since I suggested the sudden move to the country. I lean in and smell his hair, relishing the wave of memories which accompany the scent. “What is that?” He peers into the frying pan.
“Bolognese sauce.” I give it a stir.
“That looks nothing like Bolognese.”
I peer at it too. “Yeah, I know. I think I’ve forgotten something.”
“Tomatoes?”
“Shit! The tomatoes!”
Isaac frowns at my profanity and I offer him a helpless shrug. The kind of helpless shrug I’ve been offering him for years as I’ve bumbled from one disaster to another. One day he is going to cotton on to the fact I’m not very grown up at all, and then I will be in the shit.
The bell rings again, calling our attention away from the terrible sauce. “Bloody hell,” I mutter, a flustered panic washing over me that Freddy Bale may have come back.
“I’ll go,” says Isaac, as he walks towards the hallway.
“No, no, no,” I practically screech. “I’ll get it, it’s probably another annoying neighbour checking on Mum.”
I needn’t worry too much as Isaac has already turned his attention to his iPad.
The whole way to the front door I try and get myself to calm the fuck down. If he has come back, then he clearly didn’t get the message I was trying to give.
He won’t come back.
If he has come back, maybe I should see what he wants instead of slamming the door in his face?
I inch the door open, peering my nose outside.
“What are you doing?” It’s Dani, standing on the front step with a bottle of wine in her hand.
“What areyoudoing?”
Dani gives an elaborate sigh. “Jesus, Amber. You’ve been gone for ten years. You never said goodbye. You never got in touch with me. I have no idea why you’re back, not really. I thought I would come and check on you. Is that okay?”
I let out a deep breath. “Yeah,” I give her a small smile. “I guess that’s fine.”
“Well, so long as you’re sure.”
Grabbing her hand, I pull her in before I check to see if Freddy is loitering down the driveway.
“It’s okay, he’s left.” She smirks.
“Left what, the village?” My heart squeezes and despite trying my best to ignore it there’s a ringing in my ears.
“No, you div, the vicinity of your house.” Dani spins in the hallway and folds her arms across her chest, evaluating me closely. “You’re still in love with him then?”
“No!”
She raises an eyebrow but doesn’t comment. Tapping one teal-polished fingernail against her arm, she contemplates what to say next. “So, what’s all this bollocks about you being married?”
“What’s all this bollocks aboutyoubeing married, especially to the world’s most annoying bloke?” I fire straight back.
Before either of us has a chance to warm up to our familiar war of comebacks, Isaac walks through from the kitchen, looking expectantly at me through his sandy hair, which he blows off his brow with a practiced gust of air. “The Bolognese is burning.”
“Oh, fuck!” I exclaim. Isaac looks shocked and with good reason. I glance between Dani and Isaac. My oldest friend and my most important person ever. “Isaac, this is Dani, a very old friend of mine.” He rolls his eyes in greeting. “Dani,” I continue. “This is Isaac. My son.”
