Page 109 of It Had to Be You


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‘Janet is picking me up in ten minutes.’

‘Yes. It’s fine. I promise you can leave in ten minutes.’

‘What can I do?’ Jonah asked, appearing in the kitchen doorway as Isla still rang in my ears.

I tried to think. There was no way I was sending the man who Isla thought was stealing her mummy to the house when she was semi-hysterical. I would go to Silva and ask Nicky to look after the kids. Except that Nicky would already be well on her way to Brayden and Silva’s home, which was the opposite direction to mine. There was no way either of us could be there in time. I ran for my car, anyway.

Then Dad called me back.

‘Panic over. Your mum has turned up.’

I was too busy driving like a maniac back to Bigley to discuss that any further, and when I called Dad while waiting at a red light, he didn’t answer.

The only thing that got me home in one mental piece was the lingering warmth of Jonah’s kiss, pressed against the top of my head as he hugged me goodbye. For a woman who’d been trying to make it on her own for so long, the tenderness in that gesture meant so much more than if he’d kissed me on the lips or asked when he could see me again.

This man made me feel like long-lost treasure.

I didn’t know what would happen next, but I was praying I didn’t mess it up again.

I skidded into the drive and tumbled out of the car, half falling through the front door. I was greeted by the sound of Isla still squealing. I hurtled into the living room, my heart coming to a dead stop about halfway up my throat.

‘Hey, Mum!’ Finn said, curled up under a blanket on the sofa, a book resting between him and my dad.

Isla looked up from where Mum had been hiding under another blanket, using teddies as puppets. Her face crinkled with joy as she tried to explain whatever had made her laugh.

No doubt about it, my mother was a genius when it came to everyone’s children but her own.

‘Libby!’ Mum exclaimed. ‘We thought you werebusy.’

She mouthed the word busy, but my kids sprang to attention.

‘Did you find him already?’ Isla asked, eyes round with hope.

‘Not yet. I wanted to check that you guys were okay first.’

I looked at Dad, eyebrows raised in question.

‘I thought you were going out?’

He glanced at Mum, then back to me, shifting position on the sofa. ‘Um. Yes. Well. This seemed more important.’

‘Right.’ More important than keeping his word to Janet. I gave him another pointed look. It was none of my business, but we both knew what had changed his mind.

‘We’re as okay as we can be while our dad is missing,’ Finn chipped in, sounding about as old as Dad.

‘Okay. That’s good to know. I hope you’re going to bed soon, then.’

‘We’re going to bed once we’ve settled down and had another story each,’ Isla said, rolling her eyes. ‘Grandma and Grandad do know how to take care of children, you know. They looked after about fifty thousand million children before Grandma went sailing.’

‘Right. Yes. I do know that.’ I darted forwards to kiss each of my children goodnight yet again before turning to Mum, my head still spinning. ‘Thank you. I’m not sure how long I’ll be, but there’s plenty of food and Dad knows where the teabags are. Just… don’t go in the dining room.’

I was irrationally thankful for my spruced-up kitchen, given the circumstances, but enough of the house was still a junkyard.

‘It’s the least we can do.’ Mum nodded.

The truth of that made me want to kiss her then give her a hefty boot back out of the door.

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