Page 31 of The Long Walk Back

‘I have something to tell you,’ she started.

‘Is it about you and Dad, or you and Cooper?’ he asked, his face neutral. Kate suddenly felt like a naughty teenager, caught by her father kissing behind the bike sheds, but she continued.

‘Well, it’s about both, but they’re separate things. Dad and I are divorced now, the papers have come through. You understand what that means, right?’

‘It means you won’t be fighting any more.’

Wow. That felt like a slug to the chest. This poor kid deserved so much better.

‘Right. Well, you know I went to our old house the other day, to get our things? The agent told me that the house is going to be sold soon, so I thought we should think about getting our own place. Separate from here. Somewhere you can move around in your chair really easily, just like here. A new home.’

‘And will Cooper be coming to live with us?’ he asked, again, holding back no punches. Kate blanched a little at the question.

‘Why would you think that?’ she asked, realising that her son already knew more than she thought. She didn’t give him enough credit for how grown up he was. She tried to tell herself it was only a good thing, but she knew his childhood had been accelerated far too much recently.

‘I think he likes you,’ Jamie said, reaching for the saltshaker as his mother had. ‘I know he does, actually. I think you like him too. You aren’t as sad any more.’

Kate glanced around the thankfully quite busy and noisy cafeteria, and was satisfied that no one was listening in.

‘Well, Cooper and I do like each other, but right now we’re just friends. Would you mind if we were more than friends, later on?’

Jamie shook his head. ‘No, I like him, Mum. He makes me laugh.’

Kate flushed with colour and, getting up slowly, she went to her son’s chair, kneeling beside him.

‘When did you grow up, eh?’ He grinned at her, and she savoured every second of it. ‘It’s still you and me, okay? Nothing has to change till you’re okay with it.’

He nodded, a sly grin creeping in. ‘Does that mean I don’t have to do physio if I don’t want to?’

She laughed, kissing him on the cheek. ‘Nice try, but no. Let’s get you some lunch, before George comes to take you back.’ He groaned, and the normality of his pre-teen grumbling warmed her heart.

He was still eating lunch when Cooper came in, coming over to them when Kate gave him a little nod.

‘Hey,’ he said, pushing himself into the spot next to her chair. ‘Good day?’

Jamie shot him a little grin. ‘Yeah. Mum says we’re moving soon, but I get my own ramp, and I can decorate my bedroom just how I want it.’

‘She did, huh? That sounds awesome. How did physio go?’

Jamie’s face was comical. ‘It sucked.’

‘Yeah,’ Cooper agreed. ‘It does suck, pal. Stick at it though, eh? Then maybe you can come to the gym with me.’

‘Can I?’ He looked to his mum for permission. She raised her hands, laughing.

‘Hey, you’re all grown up now. If you want to, I think that would be great.’

George came over then, and Kate could see he was steeling himself for Jamie’s reaction.

‘You ready to go back?’

Cooper leaned forward, holding out a fist. Jamie bumped it. ‘You got this, kid. Go kick some ass, and I’ll come play video games later. Deal?’

Jamie high-fived him. ‘Deal. Bye, Mum!’

The pair of them watched him push himself out of the cafeteria, George’s surprised gaze before he turned to follow him out.

‘He seems brighter. Everything go okay?’

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