Page 81 of Something Borrowed

“God, I love that sound,” he says rather wistfully. “I always wanted a cane that became a sword.”

“I seem to remember Rollo buying you one for Christmas.”

“It would have been an epic present if I hadn’t been six.”

I snort. “My mum was horrified. She took it off you straight away before we could play with it.”

“I remember. Rowena has lighter fingers than the Artful Dodger. I equally remember her pathetic excuse that she was getting it sharpened. It’s led me to a lifetime suspicion of knife sharpeners because I thought they took twenty years to do one job.”

“Well, I’m not giving you my cane,” I say lightly, glad to hear the ease in his voice. He’d been quiet in the taxi—worryingly quiet. Usually, he’s the source of all the noise, so it was alarming.

“Life is very unfair sometimes.” He taps my hand so I can grab his arm with my left hand while my right hand holds the cane. I always travel with my cane on trips abroad because it helps to clear a way through the busy airport and accounts for any clumsiness. Actually, airports remind me of a certain clumsy incident, but it wasn’t me who caused it.

“Shut the fuck up,” he says, pinching my arm. “I knowexactlywhat you’re thinking.”

“Ouch, you are vicious. I can’t help it if the memory of you taking a table of drinks out with one arm is still fresh. The irony of it happening to the sighted one of us is blissful.”

Raff has always been an arm waver when he tells a story, and he’d been enthusiastically relating a work incident to me while we sat waiting for a flight to Spain. There’d been a sudden clatter, crash, and tinkle of glass followed by a moment of silence and then an explosion of shouting.

I laugh at the memory.

He huffs. “It was very embarrassing.”

“But it couldn’t have happened to a nicer set of arsehole businessmen. I still enjoy the fact that the man using such loud gay slurs ended up with a lapful of piña colada.”

“True.”

I shift position. “Got the luggage?”

“It’s on the trolley. Yours can be seen from Mars as usual. Several people near us are now wearing sunglasses.”

My luggage is always very brightly coloured. It helps if I’m travelling alone and have someone assisting me. Telling them my suitcase is black or blue would leave us in the airport until the end of days. Being able to say it’s bright orange with a pink strap and a sticker from my shop certainly helps to narrow the field.

“What about the wedding suits?” I ask worriedly.

“On my trolley, Stanley. I have done this before, you know.”

“Do you think Hump is okay?” He’d had an appointment at the vet for his annual flea and worming treatments that I didn’t want to cancel, so we’d left him with my mum and dad. They’ll bring him with them when they fly out for the wedding tomorrow.

“He’s fine, babe.” He stops talking abruptly, and I wait. “I meanStan. Not babe. He’s fine.”

What’s wrong with babe?I think.

“The last I saw of him,” Raff continues, “he was heading out to the garden for a spot of mayhem.”

“I’ll buy him a present,” I decide.

Raff snorts. “Maybe you’ll find something in duty-free. I’m sure he likes a good brandy.”

“Shut up.”

He chuckles. “Let’s go. If we get through customs quickly, we can have a drink ourselves.”

“Perhaps we shouldn’t stop at just one drink.”

Travelling makes me so tense, and I’m not the sunniest of travel companions, but I’m savouring being with Raff today. Not only is he my favourite person in the whole world, but it also means that I don’t have to think of everything and plan ahead. When I fly on my own, I’m usually kept awake for a few nights before I leave, planning and going over the fine details.

I fall into step beside him, sending my stick sweeping out in front of me. Warm air and a wall of noise hits us when we enter the airport, and I tighten my grip on his arm.

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