She put her arms out and we hugged. What a fool I’d been to miss out on this but, as I’d promised myself, no regrets – just focusing on the here and now and a positive future.
When Dad returned, I chatted to them for a little longer but some of their friends appeared so I left them to it.
An hour or so later, Dad joined me and announced that they were heading home. He went outside to turn Mum’s mobility scooter round while Georgia and I helped Mum into her coat. I picked up her walking stick and bag and we took an arm each to go outside.
‘I’m so sorry for leaving early,’ Mum said when we had her settled on the scooter with a blanket over her knees. Although it had been a gorgeous day, there was a chill in the air this evening which she’d feel even when travelling a short distance.
‘It’s been such a nice evening,’ she said. ‘They make a lovely couple.’ She smiled at Georgia as she added, ‘Nearly as lovely as you and Mark.’
Georgia laughed and hugged Mum goodnight. As I leaned in for a hug next, Mum tightened her hold on me and whispered in my ear, ‘And nearly as lovely as you and Flynn were and still could be.’
My stomach flip-flopped at the suggestion. Had she really just said that?
‘He’s your magnet,’ she whispered.
Magnets again? I wanted to ask her what she meant by that but I didn’t want to detain her when she so clearly needed to get home for some rest. I’d ask her on Tuesday instead.
When Mum released me, she looked me deep in the eyes. ‘Think about it, Mel.’
‘Think about what?’ Georgia asked.
‘Whether she’d like to go into town for lunch on Tuesday for a change,’ Mum said, super-speedy with her response. ‘I’m off home to bed. You two girls look after each other. I’m so proud of you both, you know.’
‘Have you been on the wine tonight?’ Georgia quipped.
‘Not touched a drop, but I’ve realised I don’t tell you things like this often enough and now’s as good a time as any. Both of you give me one more hug for the road.’
I was closest so I hugged her again, still feeling thrown by her comment about Flynn. ‘I love you,’ she whispered. ‘I’m so glad you came home.’
‘I love you too,’ I whispered back. Another thing I couldn’t remember her ever saying to me. Not that I didn’t know it – we’d just never been a family who outwardly declared our love for each other.
She hugged Georgia too and I heard her whisper the same thing.
‘Come on, June,’ Dad said as a cold breeze ruffled Mum’s hair and blanket. ‘Let’s get you home and warm.’
He hugged Georgia and me and we waved them off.
‘Did she tell you she loved you?’ Georgia asked.
‘Yeah. I wasn’t expecting that.’
‘Me neither. Nice to hear, though.’
We returned inside just in time to catch Autumn and Dane each making a short speech. The pair of them looked so happy together and perfectly suited. I’d noticed earlier how good they were at working the room, making sure they spoke to all their guests, but how they’d glance across at each other every so often and smile that secret smile all couples seemed to share. Would I ever exchange a smile like that with someone special at some future point? Did I even want to? I had to acknowledge that I did, but I couldn’t ever see it happening. There was far too much going on at the moment to even think about dating again. And, even if I did go on a date, could they ever compare to Flynn? I frowned. Flynn? Why was he in my head? Because Mum had mentioned him outside, of course! Why had she done that? If she and Dad had stayed in touch with him, they had to know he was married. Was she suggesting I should break up a happy marriage? My stomach lurched as it struck me that theirs might not be a happy marriage. Although they hadn’t looked on the verge of a break-up when I’d seen them kissing on the beach the other week. And even if they were, Flynn and I could never go back. After how I’d treated him, there was no way on this earth he’d possibly want to.
If I ever felt ready to date again, I’d have to be really careful. The last thing I wanted to do was break someone’s heart like I’d broken Graeme’s. Poor man had never stood a chance with me. He wasn’t Flynn. Simple as.
The party wrapped up at nine o’clock – no late night planned with it being a Sunday. Mum and Dad had missed the cutting of the cake so Autumn handed me a box containing a slice for each of them.
‘I think Dad was a bit disappointed at leaving early,’ Georgia said as she pulled her coat on. ‘I’ll ask if he wants a cuppa and some company with his cake. Fancy joining me?’
I’d arranged to walk back with Alice and Xander so I said goodnight to them and assured them that Mark would drop me back at the hall later.
Rather than knocking on the door at Derwent Rise and risking waking up Mum, Georgia let us in with the spare key she always had in her purse, and Mark, Georgia and I crept into the lounge.
‘We come bearing cake,’ Georgia said, passing Dad the takeaway box as I closed the door behind us. ‘And our company if you’d like it.’
He lifted the lid and smiled at the contents. ‘I was just thinking I fancied something sweet but we don’t have anything in the house, so this is perfect. And yes, please, to the company.’
