Page 55 of The Missing Ingredient

“Sex?”

“That’s generally how it’s done.”

“Of the baby, smartass.”

“We don’t know yet. But we’re hoping for a girl.”

“A little Tina. Brilliant. And perfect timing. Because I was going to ask if you needed me to hire you an assistant to help you with everything. You’ve been so overloaded of late. Now it’ll be a must and you’ll even have time to train them up.”

“Uh, Marcus,” said Michelle, the head waiter, standing in the doorway, looking puzzled. “Sorry to disturb. But there’s some big guy out front, says he needs to speak to you. Urgently.”

Marcus and Tina looked quizzically at each other.

“Couldn’t be, could it?” asked Marcus.

But it was. Tom stood in the middle of the restaurant. He appeared not only lost, but also terrified. Togged out in a donkey jacket, a yellow-and-mauve striped rugby shirt, and jeans, hands shoved in his pockets, he had clearly gotten there in a hurry. And the way his eyes darted fearfully around the remaining guests, he looked like the accused. Maybe against his better judgment, Marcus wanted to go up to him and give him a hug.

“Come through to the kitchen,” said Marcus, beckoning him over.

“No,” said Tom firmly. “I need to do this out here. In public.”

“Are you absolutely sure?”

“Yes.”

“Okay.”

After a long pause, during which Tom’s brows repeatedly scrunched together and his eyes brimmed wetly, he finally uttered one word, one single word.

“Anything.”

“I’m sorry, Tom. I don’t understand.”

“I’ll give you anything. Anything you want. If you can just love me. What I did was unforgivable, I know, pushing you away again. Yet here I am asking for a forgiveness that I don’t really deserve. But I’m prepared to do anything you want to bring you back.”

Diners at two of the tables had stopped talking and were watching them with interest.

“Tom, we can take this out back.”

“No,” he said firmly, still unmoving. “I don’t care if people hear. Iwantthem to. I don’t care anymore. I love you. And I hurt you. But I meant every word I said on the radio. I need you, Marcus. You’re my soul mate. I’m nothing without you. But I can’t move forward until you tell me—”

But Tom couldn’t get the words out and broke down, bowing his head. Marcus strode forward and pulled Tom’s head onto his shoulder, barely hearing the round of applause that went up from the tables. When Marcus cupped Tom’s chin in his hand and raised Tom’s head, he brought their lips together and tasted salty tears. Slowly, Tom’s dangling arms came to life and wrapped snugly around Marcus’s waist.

“Of course I forgive you, you pillock,” said Marcus, kissing the soft skin of Tom’s neck that he had always loved. By now he had forgotten the audience. “Hey, who’s looking after the girls?”

“Jeanette. I’ve made my peace with her too. You were right on all counts.”

“What if Katie has another episode?”

“All taken care of,” said Tom, smoothing his cheek against Marcus’s chin. “With the help of the hospital, we’ve bought a portable device that helps clear the lungs in an emergency, and I’ve put simple instructions how to use it up on the fridge door for anyone to read.”

“Even me?”

“Yes, even you,” said Tom, a hint of a smile rubbing against Marcus’s cheek. “See? Your message finally got through my thick skull. I also came clean to Jeanette about us. Only fair, really. And she’s been a star. So anyway, I told her what I needed to do tonight, and she said she’d stay until we got home.”

“We?”

Tom pulled his face away from Marcus and stared deep into his eyes.

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