Page 109 of The Reno
My eyes caught on the pictures hanging in the hallway of shoes and coats. In mismatched frames were photographs of Lydia at school and on holiday and wedding photos of Sandra and Brian from the 1980s, everyone decked out in big, puffy hair and dresses. I spotted my dad with his ginger mop of curly hair.
I couldn’t stop the morose thought popping into my head.
He’ll never come to my wedding, my brain muttered quietly.
Liam stepped closer, tucking an errant curl behind my ear.
Are you okay?he mouthed.
I nodded, unable to untangle my complicated emotions, even if I wanted to.
He dropped a quick kiss on my cheek. “We can leave whenever you want. If it’s too much.”
I wanted to squeeze him. “Thank you.”
“Come on, I’ll get you a drink.”
We walked into the kitchen, and there was a pop of a confetti cannon.
“Happy birthday!” my aunt, uncle and cousin shouted, along with another grey-haired man who had to be Liam’s dad. A crooked birthday banner hung above the patio doors to the garden. A huge table with mismatched chairs was set up for dinner.
Sandra hugged me, and then Brian kissed my cheek, sweat forming on his brow. “Happy birthday, love.”
Lydia handed me a glass of something fizzy.
Brian dashed back to the oven, staring through the glass as the pale batter puffed up. “I gotta keep an eye on these Yorkshires.”
“He burnt them last time,” Lydia whispered to me.
“I heard that!” Brian shouted from the kitchen.
Across the room, Liam and his dad were engrossed in conversation. Their eyes came to me, and I flushed. But Liam smiled, and Liam’s dad headed for me. My stomach swooped. I’d never met the parents of someone I was… well, whatever we were.
“Dad. This is Kat. Kat, this is Kevin,” Liam said, gesturing to me.
Kevin Hunter had grey hair, a strong, square jaw, and twinkling blue eyes. He was shorter than Liam and had one of those smiles you could feel in the room. I could understand why so many people asked him for help. Kevin struck me as the kind of man you wanted when your car broke down or you had IKEA furniture to assemble. He looked strong, sturdy and capable.
“Lovely to meet you, Kat. I’ve heard a lot about you.” Liam’s Dad smiled and went to hug me. Everyone was very… tactile. “I’m Kevin,” he said. “I heard you’ve been causing my son grief.”
My eyes widened. “Oh.”
Liam rolled his eyes. “He’s pulling your leg, Kat. Ignore him.”
Kevin’s eyes twinkled. “He probably needs it.” He looked at his son. “Someone to shake things up, huh?”
A silent conversation was shared between them.
“So, what do you do, Kat?”
“I’m a graphic designer.”
“And you live in London?”
“For now,” I said, keeping my voice light.
Liam’s eyebrows shot up.
“How’s it coming along with the house?” Brian asked whileopening the oven and checking the chicken.
