Page 175 of The Puck Stops Here

‘I’m okay, just that crappy time of the month.’

Which wasn’t a lie. Though she had a feeling the overwhelming depression had little to do with her PMDD and everything to do with Blake.

‘Oh darling, I wish you were here so I could give you the biggest hug and feed you sticky toffee pud.’

She gave a choked laugh. ‘That does sound great.’

‘Do you think you’ll come home soon? John would love to spend some time with you properly. Christmas was all a bit of a blur and I miss you, love.’

‘I miss you too. Things with John still good?’

‘Better than good. And stop avoiding my question.’

‘I wasn’t, I was just?—’

‘Just marvelling at how long I’ve kept this man for…’

Her mouth twitched. ‘Something like that.’

‘Darling, I’m telling you, this is the one. It may have taken several wrong turns and a good few years to find him, but when you know, you know.’

She smiled. ‘I’ll take your word for it, Mum.’

‘One day you won’t have to take my word for it, you’ll find it too.’

That was just it, Astrid was pretty convinced she already had, and she’d ruined it before it even had a chance.

‘Oh love, I didn’t mean to make you feel worse, I was only trying to say?—’

‘It’s fine, Mum, honest. And I’ll be home soon. I have a party Friday for my friend Bella and then I’ll wrap things up here and fly back.’

‘Oh, that would be great! I’ll make sure I’m stocked up on black treacle.’

‘You mean you’re going to make sticky toffee with a fresh tin, rather than one from last century? I really am being spoilt.’

‘That only happened once, darling, and it tasted fine.’

‘Reckon we’ll all be eating stuff like that come the apocalypse.’

‘It’ll make the cockroaches taste better.’ John appeared on the call, his smile warm and engaged. ‘How’s the work going, Astrid?’

‘It’s all good, thanks.’

‘Glad to hear it.’

Astrid looked at her mother and John together with fresh eyes; they really did look good together. At Christmas she’d been too busy avoiding the relationship drill and putting a smile on her doubts about them, but now…

‘I’ll send you my flight info when it’s all?—’

She broke off as the doorbell rang through the apartment. A sound she rarely heard without a warning from the doorman first.

‘Sorry Mum, I need to go, someone’s at the door.’

‘No problem, darling. Keep your chin up and we’ll see you in a couple of weeks.’

‘Will do. Love you.’

‘Love you too.’

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