Page 110 of The Romance Library

When we arrived at High Street Kensington Station, the penny started to drop.

‘I think I know where we’re going.’ Theo squeezed my hand.

‘You okay?’ I looked up at him.

‘Not sure.’ His voice cracked a little.

‘I’m here, okay?’ I kissed his cheek, then rubbed his back.

As we walked through the gates of Kensington Gardens, I felt Theo tense.

‘It’s been so long since I’ve been here,’ he said gently. ‘But in some ways it feels like it was only yesterday.’

‘Time’s funny like that,’ I said. ‘This is where Princess Diana used to live, right?’ I pointed as we passed the grand palace.

‘Yes. I think we even saw her once. But it’s hard to remember if that happened or it was just a dream. It was a long time ago.’

‘Yeah. So, do you think you’d be able to show me some of the places your mum used to take you?’

‘Okay.’ Theo nodded.

We walked through the busy park and Theo led me towards the lake, which had green-and-white-striped deckchairs resting on the lush grass.

When we reached the edge of the water, he stopped.

‘This is where we used to watch the ducks,’ Theo said.

‘It’s lovely.’ I fixed my gaze on the ducks, then my eyes followed the tall, elegant white swans as they glided across the water. ‘I can see why you liked it here.’

‘We used to sit on the grass there too.’ He pointed.

‘You want to go there and sit for a while?’

‘Yes.’

I pulled the blanket I’d brought out of my rucksack, laid it down, then sat beside Theo as he faced the lake.

‘How are you feeling?’ I touched his knee.

‘Good, actually. When we first arrived, I thought it would be hard, but now, I know it sounds weird, but being here makes me feel closer to her.’

‘It doesn’t sound strange. I know exactly how you feel…’ My voice trailed off. I didn’t mean to say that. The words just came out.

‘You do?’ Theo frowned as he turned to face me. ‘You never did tell me about your family.’

‘Not much to tell.’ I blew out a breath. ‘I have no idea who my dad is and I’m an only child.’

‘And your mother?’

I paused. I didn’t like talking about her at the best of times, but definitely not on a day which was supposed to be all about Theo remembering his mum. Today wasn’t about me.

‘It’s a long story. Don’t worry about it.’

‘I don’t mind. We’ve got time. I’d like to know more about you. If you want to share, of course. It’s just that you said you knew how I feel, so I wondered if—’

‘I lost my mum too,’ I blurted out. Theo had opened up to me and I felt bad that I hadn’t been honest about what I’d been through too. Maybe it might help him to know I understood what he was going through. ‘She died when I was sixteen.’

‘I’m so sorry.’ Theo rubbed my shoulder. ‘What happened?’

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