Page 23 of Don't Believe A Word

Matthew started. ‘What did he just call me?’ he demanded.

‘And the spag bol was my idea,’ Aiden continued. ‘I was planning it as a surprise for you tonight, Mum, but then Dad rang so I got enough for three. Six probably, looking at it, but we can always call a few mates.’

‘He’s not a bad cook,’ Matthew told her, pressing the wine into Cristy’s hand. ‘I had no idea, did you?’

Deciding not to share the fact that David’s mother had taught Aiden her bolognese recipe while he and Hayley were in Guernsey over Christmas, Cristy looked at the wine, then back to Matthew, and almost laughed when he ducked.

‘Please don’t,’ he implored. ‘It’s a really good vintage and think of the mess.’

Still not sure what to say, or do, she followed him into the kitchen-dining-sitting room to discover that candles had been lit, the table set for three and right next to her usual place was the sweetest little bunch of snowdrops in a glass jar. It was as though her mother had prompted someone to put them there specially.

‘I got them because I know you love them,’ Aiden said, coming to embrace her with a wooden spoon in one hand, and a pepper mill in the other. When had he suddenly become taller than her? Surely he couldn’t have grown that much in a day, and she was sure she’d still had the edge this morning.

Since he wasn’t in the habit of buying her flowers, she gazed into his faintly bearded handsome face (far too like his father’s) and said, ‘You are the most adorable person I know, Aiden Jennings. Thank you.’

Shrugging, as if his thoughtfulness simply went with being him, he returned to his cooking saying, ‘No rows tonight, OK? I’ve had a tough first day back at school and I don’t need to be refereeing you two.’

Cristy laughed. ‘Who are you and what have you done with my son?’ she teased.

‘Yeah, funny. Dad, can you grate some more Parmesan, I don’t think there’s enough, and if you’re serious about making Mum feel special tonight you can start by pouring her a glass of wine. Oh, you already have. Good man.’

Avoiding Matthew’s eyes, Cristy sat down at the table and took out her phone.

‘Expecting a call?’ Matthew asked, going to deal with the cheese.

She wanted to say, yes, from David, if only to remind him that there was someone else in her life now, but how was she going to explain it if the call didn’t come? He’d notice, because Matthew was like that – or he’d become that way since deciding he’d made the biggest mistake of his life in ending their marriage. His vigilance, his concern for her and interest in anything she did, were all about trying to win her back, and though it might be the last thing she wanted, right now she realized she was almost starting to feel glad he was there. At least it would distract herfrom thoughts of David, and his apparent reconnection with Juliette. Not that he’d admitted to anything rekindling between them, but something was going on there, she could sense it as surely as she’d seen it when they’d disappeared for at least two hours on New Year’s Day. And with a bottle of wine.

‘Aiden tells me you’re about to kick off a new series,’ Matthew said chattily. ‘Am I allowed to ask about it?’

Reminded of the easy domesticity they used to enjoy at the end of most days when they’d discussed various projects while one of them cooked and the other kept the wine topped up, she began telling him about the curious case of Sadie Winters.

‘That sounds a good title for the series,’ Aiden commented, setting a steaming bowl of pasta in front of her. ‘Will you dish up? Or shall we help ourselves?’

‘Bring me some serving spoons,’ she instructed, ‘and we’ve already got a title.Who’s That Girl.’

‘The Eurythmics, 1982,’ Matthew informed them, untying his pinny and taking more wine from the fridge.

‘1983,’ she corrected, and winced as he began singing the song.

‘Can you do that?’ Aiden asked, shoving a spoonful of bolognese sauce into his father’s mouth to shut him up. ‘Pinch someone else’s title?’

‘That’s hot!’ Matthew protested.

‘You can’t copyright a title,’ Cristy replied, reflecting on how relaxed and actually happy Matthew seemed given the mess he’d left in LA. ‘And it’s not the actual title anyway.’

‘Still thinkThe Curious Case of Sadie Wintersis better,’ Aiden decided, and bringing spoons along with the main dish to the table, he sank down in his usual chair leaving Matthew to sit at the end in much the way he always had over the years.

‘OK, bon ap,’ Aiden said, getting stuck in as soon as Cristy finished serving. ‘Any complaints, don’t bother talking to the chef.’

‘Wow, it’s good,’ Matthew told him after the first taste. ‘Since when did you know how to pull together more than a sandwich?’

As Aiden’s eyes came to hers, Cristy said, ‘My son has many hidden talents …’

‘Our son,’ Matthew corrected.

Wanting to get off the subject before it reached David’s mother, she said, cheerily, ‘So how’s Bear?’

She hadn’t meant to laugh, hadn’t even realized it was coming until Aiden sniggered and she spluttered an undignified guffaw. It wasn’t funny, it really wasn’t, and yet apparently it was, for the next thing Matthew was struggling to hold back his own mirth, and before they knew it they were in the grip of uncontrollable laughter.

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