Page 32 of You Lied First
‘What was that about?’ I ask Celine after Margot stalks off. ‘She seems upset?’
Celine shakes her head. ‘She’s supersensitive sometimes. Doesn’t want to hear the truth. It’s nothing.’
I don’t want to pry so I just say, ‘Are you two good? Or do you need me to mediate?’
Celine laughs. ‘Don’t waste your energy. She’ll get over it.’
We sit with our drinks as the light starts to turn from orange to a hazy apricot. The sun grows larger and redder as it slips slowly downwards and then, eventually, the kids reappear on the quad bike, looking windswept and sandy. They get off and Guy climbs on.
‘Shotgun! Or whatever you call it!’ Celine shouts and jumps on behind him, throwing her arms around Guy’s waist. I steal a look at Margot but her back is turned as she’s fixing something on the table.
‘Do you want a go, Margot?’ I call over to her.
‘Later!’
‘Oh my God, Mum, that was so much fun!’ Liv says. Her face is radiant with excitement. ‘Can we go quad-biking back home?’
‘What, to Tesco?’ I say.
Liv tuts. ‘I’m sure they have places in the country where you can ride on tracks. I bet there’s one near us.’
‘I’ll look into it,’ I say. And I will, because Liv’s happiness is my priority. Every weekend she spends with me, we try to do something special. Quality over quantity, that’s what I tell myself. It’s the only way I’ve been able to get through her living with Michael and Nancy.
I step closer and drop my voice so Margot won’t hear.
‘So, err … how am I doing? With the Forrests, I mean. I’m not embarrassing you or anything?’
‘No! You’re doing really well.’
‘Really?’
‘I mean – yeah! And Guy’s so impressed withSara Says.’
‘That was cool, wasn’t it?’
‘Cold. Oh, and I meant to say, I had a message from Sophie.’
‘Sophie, as in …?’
‘Yeah, Sophie from school. Look.’
Liv opens her phone and navigates to a message, which she shoves in front of my face. I squint and push the phone away, the black letters a blur at such close range. Sophie is a friend of Liv’s, who came to me as a client for some help dealing with her parents’ acrimonious divorce.
‘What did she say?’
‘Oh my God, she thinks you’re amazing. You’ve really helped her. She was saying that the techniques you taught her have been so useful.’
‘That’s so good to hear. Thank you.’ I beam at her.
‘It makes me feel really proud. Everyone’s jealous that I have such a cool mum.’ She winds her arm around my waistand rests her head against mine. My arms snake around her, too. ‘I’m sorry,’ she says.
‘For what?’
‘For being so awful when all “that” happened. For moving out.’
There’s a lump in my throat. These are words I’ve waited to hear for so long. I thought I never would.
‘It’s okay,’ I lie. ‘All that matters is that we’re in a good place now. And that we’re here together, having fun. Okay? It’s all water under the bridge. Gone.’
