Page 65 of The Loneliest Number
“I know you do. You’re always welcome to visit,” I suggest.
“I’d love to come down and see it. Thought I could bring your mother down for her birthday next month. We can see you, see the building, and go to a show.”
“She’ll love that. And I’d love you both to see the building.”
“Abby’s nice,” Dad says with enthusiasm. “Just a friend, your mother tells me.” I glance over at him, trying to get a read on him. He folds his arms across his chest and stares me down.
“We’re friends. That’s all she wants at the moment.” That’s as much as I’m comfortable discussing with my family.
“But you want more?” he prods. I was expecting this from my mum at some point during this visit. Coming from my dad, it’s a surprise.
“Did Mum put you up to this?” I ask, washing the last pan and emptying the sink before drying my hands.
He chuckles. “She has your best interests at heart.”
“So she did, then.” I lean on the opposite counter to him, folding my arms to mirror his position.
“I’m guessing you don’t want to talk about your love life with either of us. I said I’d talk to you and check you were okay. Is it fair to say you are okay and I don’t need to intrude any further?”
“I’m perfectly fine. Thanks for stepping up, so I didn’t have to answer thousands of questions from Mum.”
“You’re welcome, but she’s had Abby to herself for at least ten minutes now. You might want to think about going to rescue yourfriend.”
“Fuck,” I exclaim before heading through to the lounge.
“So yeah, it’s just my mum, but I’ve always found myself being more of an adult in that relationship than her.” Abby’s spilling her guts to my mum as I stroll in. Surprise skitters through me; my mum has a tendency to get people talking, but I’d been certain Abby would be a tough nut to crack. As much as I want to hold back to hear more, it only seems right that I offer her a rescue.
“I’m sorry to hear that. Ah, here are the boys.” Mum says as she tracks my and Dad’s entrance from her seat in her usual armchair. I catch Abby’s eye, silently checking in with a quirked brow. She doesn’t look harried or like she’s being interrogated, and yet my mum appears to have her spouting her family history within ten bloody minutes. Abby pats the chair beside her, andI take the offer before she changes her mind, settling in close at her side.
Mum clocks our proximity with a sparkle in her eye.
“Has Mum been dragging your life story out of you?” I ask Abby.
“No,” Abby chuckles. “Although I do seem to have been spilling all my family secrets. Becky, are you some kind of expert in questioning people? I don’t know how you did it.”
“I’m just interested in people. Love getting to know what makes people tick, and I’m not a huge fan of small talk. I’d rather get straight to the heart of it.” Mum says in an earnest tone. Dad has perched himself on the arm of her chair, stroking his hand in circles on her back.
I never thought about how tactile my parents were until a friend pointed it out a few years ago. It’s just the way they’ve always been. And it wasn’t something I ever saw for myself, intent instead to have plenty of fun, but lately I’ve been craving the closeness that has been present in my parents’ marriage for as long as I’ve been aware of it. Before, it would have felt at odds with the lifestyle I was pursuing, but as I spend more time with Abby, I crave that intimacy between the two of us and I’m starting to believe it’s possible to have it just for us, even when we choose to invite others to play with us.
“So what’s the deal with Auntie Ruth? She said you’d asked her for a meeting?” Mum asks.
“I want to see if she knows anything about The Juniper and how it came to be in Gran’s possession.”
“The letter was a real mystery, wasn’t it?” Abby adds to the conversation and then covers her mouth with her hand as my mother’s brows knit together with confusion.
“What letter is that?” Mum asks in bewilderment.
“I’m so sorry, I just assumed you knew.” Abby turns to me, her eyes wide with panic. “I didn’t know it was a secret.”
“Abby, it’s okay.” I reach out my hand and rub her shoulders. “It’s not a secret. I was just hoping to find out the answers and then speak to these guys about it once I knew more.” Abby’s chest rises and falls, and she clasps her hands together on her lap. “Hey, I promise, it’s okay. I should have explained to you who knew what.”
“Cam, what’s going on?” Worry tinges Mum’s tone now.
“There was a letter in with the deeds for the building. From this William guy who gave Gran the building.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Mum asks, leaning forward, like she’s caught the scent of something and needs to chase it.
“You and Dad were busy after Gran’s funeral when the solicitor got in touch about it. To be honest, after the initial surprise, I kinda forgot about the letter and just focused all my efforts on working out if the renovation was possible. Saff mentioned the letter to Abby, and then I realised I always meant to try and speak to Auntie Ruth to see what she knew and see if we can get to the bottom of it.”
