to find a good way tophrase it. ‘I was wondering if you might be able to repay some of the money we lent you. It’s just—’
‘Costs a fortune moving house, doesn’t it? Solicitors’ fees and all that. Yes, sure love. I’ll be right on it. You’ll see the cash within the month.’
‘Thanks, Dad,’ I said, sighing with relief. That five grand meant we could finally stop losing sleep over paying the solicitors, and it would help towards the stamp duty.
‘No worries, sweetheart.’
‘How’s Mirabel doing?’
‘Don’t ask, Amelia. That girl. She’s refusing to go to sixth form, says she doesn’t care what results she gets. I mean, I know she’s seen her dad make a good living without much of an education, but I’m always telling her it’s not me, it’s your sister you should be looking at for a good example.’
‘I don’t know about that,’ I said, laughing.
‘Seriously, though. Teaching college, a steady job for … what? Ten years is it now?’
‘Seven,’ I said, thinking back to the conversation I’d had with Lewis, how little that time had suddenly seemed to matter.
‘She could do with a good dose of your self-discipline, really. Nothing Caitlin and I say seems to be getting through to her at all. And this guy she’s going out with—’
‘Mirabel’s got a boyfriend?’
‘Boyfriend, girlfriend … I don’t know. With jeans that tight it’s hard to tell.’
‘Dad!’ I said, smiling.
‘Anyway, love, I’d better go. Kettle’s boiled and I’m gasping. Good to talk to you, though. Love you, sweetheart.’
‘Me too, Dad.’
I hung up and put my phone down on the bed.
I looked round at our bedroom – overflowing laundry basket, Saturday papers on the side table, my bra hooked over the end of the bed, and Jack’s stinking football boots up on the windowsill.
The place was in a complete state. I grabbed the laundry basket and tipped the contents into the washing machine. Pulling on marigolds and switching on the radio, I got to work doing the washing-up and then scrubbed the kitchen surfaces. While I was working, the prospect of school on Monday, and at some point having to tell my classes I wouldn’t be teaching them any more, seemed to fade slightly. Dexter watched me, his head following my movements as if I were a tennis ball at Wimbledon.
I mopped the floors, then cleaned the oven and the bathroom cabinets until they gleamed. The hours flew by, and it startled me when I saw Jack in the doorway, mid-afternoon.
‘Wow,’ he said, looking around the flat in disbelief. ‘What have you done to this place?’
‘Hi,’ I said, giving him a kiss. ‘Just thought it could do with a tidy-up.’
‘OK,’ he said. I knew he could see right through me. He’d known me long enough to see that periods of emotional upset tallied with spotless surfaces.
‘Thanks for doing it,’ he added. ‘How about we get out of here and go to the pub?’
‘Sure,’ I said. I grabbed my wallet and followed him back out of the front door and down the stairs.
We walked over the footbridge, crossing the canal. On the other side, cars passed with loud music blaring on the hot summer’s day.
In the Florence, Jack ordered a couple of pints at the bar.
‘Thanks,’ I said, taking a sip of the cool beer.
I noticed Jack had caught the sun a little bit: his forearms and face were tanned. ‘It’s nice to be out just the two of us, isn’t it?’
‘Yes. I’m so confused, Jack. On the one hand I’m really excited about the cottage, our new life together – and on the other I feel like my professional life has hit a real wall.’
Jack took my hands in his. ‘You know I’ll support you, whatever you decide to do.’
‘Thanks.’ It didn’t fix things, but it did make me feel stronger.
‘Have you thought about looking at the schools near the new cottage?’
‘Yes. I had a quick look online this morning, just to see what was there.’
‘And?’
‘They look nice,’ I said. ‘I
‘Costs a fortune moving house, doesn’t it? Solicitors’ fees and all that. Yes, sure love. I’ll be right on it. You’ll see the cash within the month.’
‘Thanks, Dad,’ I said, sighing with relief. That five grand meant we could finally stop losing sleep over paying the solicitors, and it would help towards the stamp duty.
‘No worries, sweetheart.’
‘How’s Mirabel doing?’
‘Don’t ask, Amelia. That girl. She’s refusing to go to sixth form, says she doesn’t care what results she gets. I mean, I know she’s seen her dad make a good living without much of an education, but I’m always telling her it’s not me, it’s your sister you should be looking at for a good example.’
‘I don’t know about that,’ I said, laughing.
‘Seriously, though. Teaching college, a steady job for … what? Ten years is it now?’
‘Seven,’ I said, thinking back to the conversation I’d had with Lewis, how little that time had suddenly seemed to matter.
‘She could do with a good dose of your self-discipline, really. Nothing Caitlin and I say seems to be getting through to her at all. And this guy she’s going out with—’
‘Mirabel’s got a boyfriend?’
‘Boyfriend, girlfriend … I don’t know. With jeans that tight it’s hard to tell.’
‘Dad!’ I said, smiling.
‘Anyway, love, I’d better go. Kettle’s boiled and I’m gasping. Good to talk to you, though. Love you, sweetheart.’
‘Me too, Dad.’
I hung up and put my phone down on the bed.
I looked round at our bedroom – overflowing laundry basket, Saturday papers on the side table, my bra hooked over the end of the bed, and Jack’s stinking football boots up on the windowsill.
The place was in a complete state. I grabbed the laundry basket and tipped the contents into the washing machine. Pulling on marigolds and switching on the radio, I got to work doing the washing-up and then scrubbed the kitchen surfaces. While I was working, the prospect of school on Monday, and at some point having to tell my classes I wouldn’t be teaching them any more, seemed to fade slightly. Dexter watched me, his head following my movements as if I were a tennis ball at Wimbledon.
I mopped the floors, then cleaned the oven and the bathroom cabinets until they gleamed. The hours flew by, and it startled me when I saw Jack in the doorway, mid-afternoon.
‘Wow,’ he said, looking around the flat in disbelief. ‘What have you done to this place?’
‘Hi,’ I said, giving him a kiss. ‘Just thought it could do with a tidy-up.’
‘OK,’ he said. I knew he could see right through me. He’d known me long enough to see that periods of emotional upset tallied with spotless surfaces.
‘Thanks for doing it,’ he added. ‘How about we get out of here and go to the pub?’
‘Sure,’ I said. I grabbed my wallet and followed him back out of the front door and down the stairs.
We walked over the footbridge, crossing the canal. On the other side, cars passed with loud music blaring on the hot summer’s day.
In the Florence, Jack ordered a couple of pints at the bar.
‘Thanks,’ I said, taking a sip of the cool beer.
I noticed Jack had caught the sun a little bit: his forearms and face were tanned. ‘It’s nice to be out just the two of us, isn’t it?’
‘Yes. I’m so confused, Jack. On the one hand I’m really excited about the cottage, our new life together – and on the other I feel like my professional life has hit a real wall.’
Jack took my hands in his. ‘You know I’ll support you, whatever you decide to do.’
‘Thanks.’ It didn’t fix things, but it did make me feel stronger.
‘Have you thought about looking at the schools near the new cottage?’
‘Yes. I had a quick look online this morning, just to see what was there.’
‘And?’
‘They look nice,’ I said. ‘I
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