I hug Terry goodbye and he promises to be in touch. It’s so nice making these random connections. Whatever happensnext, I want to do that more. I want to stay connected with the world around me. Strangers have so much to offer.
Inside the airport, I find a quiet corner and fire off a message to Eva.
Her reply is fast: ‘YESSSS! I’m here!!! Waiting by the computer.’
I fire up Skype and the oxytocin floods me as we connect and her lovely round face fills my screen.
‘Oh my God, Eva!’ I say,laughing. ‘You’re pregnant!’ She laughs too, and stands back, a bit awkwardly, away from the screen so I can see how her body has filled out in the last few weeks. Guilt flashes through my brain, realising how much I’m missing.
‘Mum says I’m going to be huge,’ she says, laughing, as she sits back down. ‘She says she’s very disappointed in me, as it’s not the Slate way. We’ve been dainty pregnantwomen for generations apparently.’
‘Dainty can eat my shit,’ I say, smiling. ‘No one has ever made a human being inside them elegantly.’
She laughs again. ‘I think Mum did. She was still throwing tea parties for Mags a week before she had me.’
I cock my head. ‘Mags?’
‘Auntie Margaret.’
‘You have an auntie Margaret?’
She looks sheepish. ‘Sorry, I meant Princess Margaret.She was one of Mum’s besties. They got up to all sorts. She saysThe Crowndoesn’t know the half of it.’
I snort. ‘God your family is weird.’
She goes red. ‘Anyway, you look amazing. You’re actually a bit tanned!’
I shake my head, gesturing around me. ‘I’m not, I think it’s just the lighting in here.’
‘It’s good lighting then,’ she says, studying me closely. ‘You really do lookgreat. How is it over there? I thought you were leaving Thailand this week? Where are you now?’
‘I’m still in Thailand,’ I confirm with a nod. ‘I’m flying north today for one last week and then I will have to move on for my third and final trip.’
‘Where to?’
‘Not sure yet,’ I hedge, looking away.
‘If you’re heading back to Europe, Cousin Penelope’s Lake Como lodge is probably free?’Eva says eagerly. ‘What does Mark think? Surely he has an opinion on your next adventure? Mark has never not had an opinion.’
I hesitate. Here we go, I guess.
‘Actually, um, Mark’s gone now,’ I say casually.
‘Oh?’ she says, not looking too concerned. ‘Did he have to get back to work?’
‘Um, well, actually,’ I take a deep breath. ‘We kind of had a big fight and he stormed off withJoe. I haven’t spoken to him in two weeks.’
She puts her hand to her face, looking upset. ‘Oh Ali, I’m so sorry, that’s so sad. Are youOK? What on earth happened? Oh no, it wasn’t what me and him talked about, was it ...?’
I wave my hand dismissively. ‘It’s not your fault, Eva. You know what he’s like. He’s such a dick. So sure of everything and always bossing me about, thinking heknows what’s best for me. And yet heaven forbid he actually lets me into his personal life, or tells me anything about what is happening in his head.’
Eva looks at me sadly. ‘I’m really sorry.’
I sit up straighter. ‘Honestly, Eva, it’s actually been great without him. I was upset for, like, a hot minute, and then I got back out there and started having fun again. My friend Clara helpedput things in perspective, and so did a coach driver called Terry. People are amazing. And I’ve seen so many beautiful, stunning things, I can’t even tell you. I feel so light and free.’
She smiles but looks a bitmisty-eyed. ‘That sounds so nice,’ she says, but she sounds weird. ‘I’m sad I never got to do anything like that. I could do with an escape from life myself.’ She laughs now, a littleshakily.
‘Well, why don’t you?’ I say, inspiration suddenly striking. ‘You could fly out here for a week. I could stay on an extra few days up in north Thailand. I’ve already changed my flight a bunch of times, they don’t seem to mind that much. And it’s not like I’m ready to move on to the next place yet anyway, so we’ll have a holiday together. Come. Please Eva. Why not?’
