Page 57 of Textbook Romance

I don’t quite know how to answer that. That could be the stress of this morning or the orgasms. ‘It’s the change of the seasons, isn’t it?’ It was definitely the orgasms. ‘Were they OK on the drive?’ I ask her.

The kids get inside the house, disappearing to the loo and to take their bags upstairs, and I follow, watching their tired bodies mooch around the place.

‘Quiet. I think Brian’s been trying to text and plead his case. I could hear them conspiring in the back of the car. He’s been attempting to make them feel guilty about the concert tickets and Lottie told him where he could stick them.’

‘Sometimes I do think she’s your child,’ I tell her. She replies with a smirk. ‘I had a screaming session with Brian before. I can’t believe he did this…’

I lead her into the kitchen and Kate stops in her tracks as she takes off her coat. ‘Hold up. You screamed at Brian?’

‘Yeah?’

‘You’ve not done that yet. You’ve been all reserved and upper hand. Good for you. You needed to do that.’

As I fill up the kettle, I glance at myself in the reflection of the window. I did do that. I gave that man both barrels and I did not hold back, and I wonder why. What changed? What gave me the confidence and the power to do that?

‘He’s driving back tomorrow morning,’ I tell Kate. ‘For “crisis” talks.’

‘Well, I’m not going to talk to him,’ Lottie tells me as she enters the kitchen, going through the cupboards on the hunt for biscuits and snacks.

‘Can I stay?’ Kate asks. ‘I can give him a crisis worth talking about.’

Lottie laughs at her aunt and comes to snuggle in next to me. ‘You look different, Mum.’

‘I thought that,’ Kate says.

‘I did one of those nice Korean face masks last night whilst I watched Reacher,’ I tell her, swallowing hard to have to lie. ‘Anyway, we still need to talk about you wandering around the North of England and getting trains on your own.’

‘Are you angry?’ she asks me. ‘Dad was pretty furious.’

I look at her face, thinking about all she’s been through in the past day, all the emotion that bubbles away inside her and I’m not sure how my fury will help. ‘I’m just… I don’t know… Relieved that you’re safe.’

‘I did everything you’ve ever taught me to do. I sat next to an old woman who smelt of soup. I kept a key in my hand in case I needed to stab someone.’

I turn to Kate. ‘It’s like your genes literally jumped into my child.’ I bundle Lottie into my arms. ‘But you also abandoned Dylan…’

‘Yeah, I felt bad about that,’ she admits.

‘How is he?’ I ask her.

She shrugs, and I can hear echoes of him crying again on the phone. It brings a lump to my throat.

Dylan enters the room. ‘I’m fine. I just don’t walk to talk to him for a while. Is that OK?’ I nod and he puts an arm around me, grabbing my shoulder. He also clutches a large brown paper bag. ‘I don’t need anything else. But this was an excellent idea, Mum. Love you.’

He puts the bag down on the counter. Nando’s? I check the receipt in case Dylan has just accepted delivery of a neighbour’s dinner. Right address and by the looks of it, a fair bit of wings – all at differing spice levels. My phone pings, and a message from The Anti-Wanker appears with a chicken emoji. I laugh out loud and Kate narrows her eyes at me. The kids scurry around the kitchen, getting plates, locating phones and washing hands whilst Kate comes and stands next to me.

‘What’s the deal with this chicken? This better not be from Brian,’ she whispers.

I shake my head. She looks down at my phone, opening it up to see the notification on my screen. Her jaw slackens.

‘You weren’t at school today, were you? When I called?’ she whispers.

I side eye her. ‘Later. I’ll tell you later.’

She widens her eyes at me, and I can’t tell if that emotion is horror, surprise or happiness.

Jack

‘Uncle Jack!’ the boys scream as they see me, thundering down the stairs. ‘Did you bring food?’ they ask me.

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