Page 128 of Mistaken Intention

“No. I decided that, if she couldn’t see you, then she couldn’t see Ella, either. Ella doesn’t even know Mom was here. I assumed you’d recover and meet Ella before meeting Mom, and I didn’t think it would be very helpful if Ella blurted out that Mom had been visiting.”

“You mean you sent her away again?”

“I told her I’d call her if the situation changed,” he says and I nod my head, although he just stares at me. “I won’t be calling her just yet, Drew. You’ve got too many other things to work out in your head before we bring our mom into the equation.”

“You don’t think that’s a little unfair? She obviously wanted to see us all.”

“Maybe she did, but she’s the one who left.” He sits up, his back straight, his shoulders square. “We didn’t hear a word from her for over twenty years, and while she may have a good reason for that, I’ve yet to hear it. I’ve always tried to see things from her side, Drew, even if I don’t know why she left us, but if she wants back in, she’ll do it on my terms.”

“Your terms?”

“Yes. It’s not just about you, Drew. It’s about Ella as well. I have to think about how she’s gonna react.”

Something sparks in my memory… something distant, shadowy. I can’t work out what it is, but I feel safe and comfortable with the thought, and I smile across at him.

“You’ve always been protective, haven’t you? Of me and Ella, I mean.”

His face lights up. “Yes. Why? Have you remembered something?”

“Nothing specific. It’s just a feeling, that’s all.”

He smiles. “Then hang onto it. You never know where it might lead.”

He’s not wrong. I feel the need to clutch a hold of every little taint of memory, just in case it takes me on to something else… something more tangible.

“Is Ella married?” I ask.

“No. She’s engaged… to an English guy called Mac. Remember him? You met him the other day. He helped me to lift you up the stairs.”

“I wouldn’t say I met him. I glimpsed him when I was brave enough to open my eyes.”

“Hmm… well, he was useful to have around.”

I’m not about to disagree. I can still remember how easy he made it look, carrying me up to my room, when my legs wouldn’t work. Obviously, I didn’t realize he was engaged to my sister… but I guess I didn’t know I had a sister at the time, so…

“That building on the far side of the grounds… is that where Pat and Mick live?”

“No. They’ve got an apartment above the garage.”

“Is it for Ella and Mac, then? Do they need somewhere bigger now they’ve got a baby?”

He shrugs his shoulders. “To be honest, I don’t know. They seem happy where they are right now. Henry’s still tiny, and two bedrooms are enough for the time being. If they needed more space, or wanted to have more kids, they could build something larger here, or they might move to another house sometime. I don’t know what their plans are. We haven’t talked about it.”

“Because of me?”

He smiles. “We have been kinda preoccupied with you, yeah.”

“Sorry about that.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” he says.

“Are we sure about that?”

“Absolutely.”

“I definitely wasn’t driving the car? You’re not just saying that to make me feel better.”

“You weren’t driving, Drew. You’d arranged for Lexi to pick you up in her car and bring you here.”

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