Page 102 of The Last Train Home
‘You can’t say fairer than that,’ Abbie replies.
I’m losing her now, I can feel it, and I look at my watch. Andy and Oliver are coming round to my house to celebrate Teddy’s birthday and I don’t want to have to leave to meet them just yet.
Abbie interprets the flick of my wrist incorrectly. ‘I should go,’ she offers. ‘Let you guys enjoy the birthday fun.’
‘We’re having dinner with Andy and Oliver,’ Teddy says, in his childish innocence not realising Abbie has no idea who these people are.
‘My best mate and Teddy’s best mate,’ I clarify. ‘They’re coming round for takeaway and birthday cake.’
‘Sounds lovely. Happy birthday again, Teddy,’ she says and I know that’s it. That’s the end. ‘Bye, Tom,’ she says softly. She moves towards me and plants a gentle kiss on my cheek, and every brain cell fires up and shouts at me to keep her here a bit longer.
‘Bye,’ I say as she takes a step back, preparing to leave. ‘Come for dinner,’ I say suddenly.
‘Sorry?’
‘Come for dinner. Come for takeaway.’
‘And birthday cake,’ Teddy offers.
I silently thank Teddy, seconding my invite.
‘Um …’ She looks at me questioningly.
‘Why not?’ I ask. ‘I haven’t seen you in years. The next time we meet I may not be in a position to offer you cake.’
She laughs at this, and I wonder if I might not have lost her yet.
‘Um …’ She doesn’t want to say yes. I know she doesn’t. She settles on, ‘Where? When?’
‘My house. Putney. Now.’
She shifts from one foot to the other. Rays of sun shine on her blonde hair. God, I’ve really missed her.
‘I don’t know, Tom. It feels … odd.’
My brain screams to tell her that I know this. I know it’s odd. How else was it ever going to be? But I don’t say this. Instead I say, ‘Why? It’s just Andy and his son, and us. Small, intimate, low pressure. I’ve not seen you in so long, Abbie.’
‘It’s my birthday,’ Teddy reminds her.
‘It’s his birthday,’ I say with a grin, and she laughs again. ‘Do those big eyes you do when I say no to a second ice cream,’ I instruct Teddy and he does.
Abbie looks at Teddy’s big, sad eyes, laughs. ‘That’s low, using a child like that.’
‘Yeah, I know.’
She shifts from foot to foot again. ‘OK,’ she says. ‘Maybe just for a bit. If you honestly don’t mind?’
‘I don’t mind,’ I say.
‘I wasn’t talking to you,’ she says. ‘I was asking the birthday boy.’
‘You can come if you don’t eat all the cake,’ Teddy reasons, looking at Abbie’s stomach.
‘I promise not to eat all the cake, and I didn’t get this size because of cake,’ she says. ‘There’s a baby in here.’
Teddy’s eyes widen in happy surprise. ‘In there?’ he asks.
Abbie nods.
