Page 137 of The One That I Want

‘Lovely to meet you, Ewan.’

Dad gives Ewan a warm smile, his eyes creased at the corners, and they shake hands. Witnessing this exchange sends a ripple of joyful tingles through me, like a goose walked over my grave, only far more pleasant.

Ewan is meeting my family.

‘Ooh, looks like you brought a good one there, Tiggy,’ says Dad, eyeing the red wine she’s carrying.

‘I can’t take credit,’ she says, handing it to him.

‘Er, I chose that for us – it’s a favourite of mine,’ says Ewan modestly. ‘From Piedmont – in Italy.’

‘Ewan knows a lot about wine, Dad,’ I say. I can tell Ewan’s still nervous, but I’m hoping this will help set him at ease.

Dad looks up from the bottle. ‘Do you now? Well, you’ll fit in brilliantly here,’ he says, clapping a hand on Ewan’s shoulder.

My heart might explode with how much I love my dad right now.

‘Now, you two go on through,’ he says to me and Ewan. ‘Tiggy, you give me a hand with the wine.’

‘Sure thing, Mr D.’

‘And your brother’s on his way,’ he says to me. ‘He was at a friend’s house this morning.’

‘Thanks, Dad.’

Tiggy follows Dad into the kitchen, carrying a bottle of rosé for Mum, and I take Ewan and Remy into the front room. Remy finds a corner and flops down, resting his chin on his paws – adorbs.

As Ewan looks around, I see the room through fresh eyes.

It probably looks like millions of other front rooms around England, only it’s steeped in our family history – including the photos of me and my family sitting on the fireplace mantle. Of course, Ewan spies them immediately and beelines to the other side of the room. I follow. He’s quiet as he inspects the family gallery, leaning in to look closer at some of the photos and smiling, especially at the ones of me on my own.

‘You were a sweet little girl.’

‘Hah!’ I laugh. ‘I was a little terror at times. Mostly when Dad was in charge. With Mum… Let’s just say she was way scarier than Dad. I’m sorry she called you Harrison, by the way.’

He turns back to me.

‘It’s fine. Just her sense of humour. And he is one of my closest friends – it’s not an insult or anything.’

‘I forget that sometimes.’

‘You know, wewillhave to see him eventually,’ he says.

I suck air in through my teeth and he laughs.

‘It can’t possibly induce the same degree of squidgy bum that coming here did.’

I step closer. ‘They already adore you,’ I say.

‘Still early, yet.’

We exchange smiles and I stand on my tiptoes to kiss him.

‘Eww, gross!’

Ewan and I spring apart. What is it with the people in my life catching us kissing?

‘Hello, Ru,’ I say to my brother as Ewan clears his throat. ‘This is Ewan.’

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