The next morning she was up early, mixing pancakes for Ben.
‘You really do show your love by feeding people, don’t you?’ Daniel’s voice at the kitchen doorway startled her. The whisk jerked upwards, splashing pancake batter over the worktop.
‘I just want to give him a good breakfast before his long journey.’
Daniel sighed. ‘It’s been great having him here, hasn’t it? I’m really going to miss him.’
‘I know you are. And, yes, it has been great. I’m going to miss him too.’ Daniel didn’t know how much and Anna decided not to enlighten him.
‘You’re great with him, you know, and he thinks the world of you.’
‘He’s a good kid.’ She heard the catch in her voice and lowered her head, concentrating once more on the pancake batter. She took a few surreptitious deep breaths to calm herself down. She had to keep it together.
‘Are you okay?’ Daniel asked. ‘You’ve been a bit down since yesterday.’
‘Yes, I’m fine,’ she managed to say. ‘I’m just going to miss Ben, that’s all.’
‘Will you be here to see him off?’
‘No, I can’t. I’ve got a meeting with Eva.’ A meeting that she’d purposely arranged so she could avoid Lucinda.
‘Oh, that’s a shame.’
‘That’s why I’m making him breakfast,’ she said brightly.
Ben came stretching and yawning into the kitchen.
‘Morning,’ she said. ‘Did you sleep well?’
‘Great, thanks. Are you making pancakes?’
‘I am.’
‘My favourite.’
‘I know.’ She smiled back at him and he walked over to her, put his arms around her waist and hugged her to him. She put her hand on his head, feeling the silkiness of his hair beneath her fingers. God, she was going to miss him. ‘Come on, then,’ she said, affecting cheerfulness. ‘Let’s get this pancake show on the road, otherwise you won’t have time to eat them before your mum picks you up.’
When breakfast was over and the washing-up done, Anna made her escape, not wanting to say a long goodbye to Ben.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Eva was sitting up in bed with her make-up done, her hair tied back and a cheery smile on her face. Anna didn’t know how she managed it. She quickly took some snaps of her sitting up in bed. Later they would get to some grittier photos as Eva worked on her physio, which usually saw sweat pouring off her with the effort, but today she also wanted some happy snaps to put on Eva’s Instagram. The world needed to know how well she was adapting to her new circumstances.
‘If you don’t mind me saying,’ Eva began, ‘you look a little downcast today. It’s not something to do with Daniel is it?’
Anna sighed. ‘It’s nothing really. Not compared to . . .’ She trailed off.
‘Everyone has their problems, it’s all relative, and if it’s troubling you then it’s important.’
‘It’s just Daniel,’ Anna said. ‘I think I’ve fallen in love with him.’
Eva nodded. ‘And he isn’t in love with you?’
‘No, I think he does love me actually.’
‘So, what’s the problem?’
‘It’s his son, he lives in Cheshire, and Daniel only gets to see him every other weekend. He misses him and wants to spend more time with him, so he’s set up a project there.’
