‘I think I’ll send it to Don,’ Sandra said. ‘Show him what a good time I’m having so that he stops worrying. I’ll write “Having a great time. Currently watching the sun go down over the sea. Isn’t it beautiful?”’ She looked pleased as she sent it.
The reply shot back. Sandra opened it and frowned. ‘Well, that didn’t work. He’s replied “Mum, you shouldn’t be out so late. It isn’t safe”. It’s only 8pm in the UK, for heaven’s sake!’
‘I’m sorry to say it, but I really don’t think you should move near your son if he doesn’t want you out after nine pm! You’ll have no life,’ Mary said. And under her breath she muttered, ‘Like me.’
She desperately wanted the old, fun-loving Keith back. She missed his company. She was bored and lonely, and if it wasn’t for Leo, she’d have gone out of her mind.
30
PATTI
‘Want one?’ Sandra asked, holding up a mug as Patti padded barefoot into the kitchen of the casita on Sunday morning, yawning and still wearing her nightshirt. Yesterday had been fun but tiring, Patti had zonked out with exhaustion as soon as her head hit the pillow and had only just woken up, whereas Sandra looking bright and breezy in a floral sundress and had obviously been up for a while.
Patti instinctively ran a hand over her cropped hair to flatten it. ‘Please.’ She perched on the nearest chair. ‘Our posts are getting us a lot of interest. Did you see how many comments we got on our Insta this morning? We’re getting quite a following now.’
Sandra nodded, her back to Patti as she made the tea. ‘I think it turns out there’s a lot of people who secretly have a bucket list. Hopefully we’re inspiring some of them to have a go at doing the things on it.’
‘It seems that we’ve inspired Kit too, in a way. I woke up to a message from her telling me that she and Carly have decided they’re going to take a gap year when they get their degrees anddo some voluntary work.’ She stretched her arms lazily. ‘I’m so pleased.’
‘The girls today have got more about them than we had,’ Sandra said as she added milk to both mugs. ‘We were brought up to think that we had to marry, and we had to do what our husbands wanted. Thankfully it’s different now.’
‘Do you regret marrying so young?’ Patti asked. She knew that Sandra had been barely out of her teens when she married Brian, whereas Patti had been in her mid-twenties when she and Adrian married. ‘You both seemed happy together.’
‘We were – mostly. And no, I don’t regret it. It’s what we did back then. But I am glad that things have changed and it’s accepted for girls to have a life before settling down, or even to not get married at all.’ She put a mug of steaming tea on the table in front of Patti. ‘And I’m really pleased that my granddaughters will have the chance to travel, and to have a career, even if they do get married.’
Patti nodded. ‘I agree. The world’s the oyster for them now, isn’t it? I’m afraid that most of the load still seems to fall on the women when they get married and have a family though. My poor Amanda is run off her feet, Jake helps out around the house, but it still seems to me that Amanda’s expected to do the most.’ She picked up her mug and blew softly across the surface to cool the tea down then took a long gulp. ‘Oh I needed that. Thank you.’
‘You’re welcome. I think I’m going to take mine outside. It’s such a lovely morning.’
‘I’ll join you… unless you want a bit of alone time?’
‘Goodness no. I have plenty of that at home.’
They both carried their mugs outside and sat chatting, enjoying the warm sunshine and the gorgeous view.
‘This is just what I needed,’ Patti said, lifting her head up to the sky so she could feel the morning sun on her face.
‘Me too,’ Sandra agreed. ‘I think we’re both going to go back feeling very relaxed.’
A little while later Mary appeared, once again in shorts but this time with a vest top. ‘Want to join us for breakfast?’ she called. ‘We’ve got fresh orange juice and croissants.’
Patti and Sandra both looked at each other and nodded.
‘Sounds great! Thanks,’ Patti replied. ‘Just give me chance to shower and get dressed.’
‘Half an hour?’
‘Perfect!’
They all sat outside on the terrace, eating butter croissants and jam – Keith had his dry – and drinking freshly squeezed orange juice.
‘It’s a beautiful day,’ Sandra said. ‘I can understand why you’ve both moved over here to live. It would be wonderful to have such gorgeous weather and spectacular views.’
Mary dipped her finger in a blob of jam that had escaped from her croissant onto her plate and licked it before replying. ‘It is, but after a while it gets a bit samey when you’re in all day. And you miss your family and friends.’
Keith shot a look at her but didn’t say anything.
‘I get that. I vid-chat to my daughter in Australia regularly but it’s not the same as a chat over a cuppa, is it?’
