Eve tried to think when she had last felt that. Years ago when she and Zara went on a holiday to Ibiza. Zara had danced all night and Eve read by the pool all day. It was a perfect time for both. She really needed a holiday, she thought.
Eve turned the radio to a station with popular music and she sang along as they drove.
At times she saw Myles’s fingers tapping the beat on his knee and once she was sure she heard him sing a few words.
The drive was not as long as she thought it would be and in an hour, they were in Leeds.
‘What is in Leeds?’ he asked as they passed a post office.
‘You’ll see,’ she said and they drove through the streets.
Finally she stopped the car and looked at the semi-detached house with aBeware of the dogssign on the gate.
‘Let me send a text to Edward,’ she said. And she quickly typed.
Out with Myles. Back later.
That’s all he deserved, she thought as she opened the car door.
‘All right, let’s go,’ she said and she waited for Myles to come round to her side and follow her to the gate.
She unlatched it and immediately heard dogs barking and she walked up the path and then knocked on the door.
The sound of the dogs barking was thunderous and Myles looked worried.
‘They’re fine – all filled with bullshit and bluster like Edward.’
Myles laughed as the door opened and there was her mum.
‘Pet,’ cried Donna and she reached out and pulled Eve into a hug. ‘What a lovely surprise.’
Eve hugged her mum for longer than usual and then pulled Myles into her side, her arm around his shoulder.
‘Mum this is my friend, Myles,’ she said.
‘Hello, Myles, how great to meet you. Eve says such good things about you. Come in, come in.’
Inside, Donna took their coats and they followed her into the kitchen where a dog gate held back a number of dogs of various sizes.
‘Mum rescues dogs,’ Eve told Myles who was looking at them curiously.
‘How many do you have now, Mum?’ Eve asked as they sat down in the lounge room.
‘I have eight but I have two puppies who I am rehoming.’ Donna went into the kitchen and returned with the two small dogs in her hands.
‘I have a home for this one.’ She held up the bigger one. ‘But I don’t have any takers for this one. His mother didn’t want him and I’ve hand-raised him. He needs some work to trust people.’
She put the dogs down on the floor and the bigger one immediately did a wee on the floorboards.
Donna pulled tissues out of the sleeve of her cardigan and mopped it up.
‘This is why I don’t have carpets.’ She laughed at Myles who Eve noticed smiled back.
‘What will happen to him if you can’t find him a home?’ Myles asked, watching the small dog wander unsteadily around the room.
‘I don’t know. I really can’t have another one here.’ Donna looked around. ‘I already have too many. Your dad will kill me, Eve.’
Eve shook her head at Myles. ‘Dad’s just as bad as Mum,’ she said. ‘He’s a big softie at heart.’