Kitty

Moving Home

Moving Home

Kitty carefully placed the flower back into the safety of the box and nipped to the loo. It was as she made her way back to the kitchen that the telephone on the wall rang.

‘Mum? Me again, bit more time now. Sorry about before, an emergency.’

‘They all are, aren’t they?’

‘Yep, pretty much and I have to watch as much as I can, it’s how I learn best.’

‘I get that, darling. Where are you, Olly, still at work?’

‘I hate how you ask that question, it’s always with an air of hope, as if you think I might be outside or up the road to surprise you, and I know you will be planning what to feed me!’

‘That’s not true at all!’ She laughed, mentally erasing her plan to whip up an omelette and salad for her boy. ‘So I take it you are not close by and popping in?’

‘No. I’m working a double-shift.’

She heard him yawn. ‘Poor darling. Are you tired?’

‘I’m always tired! But it’s my own fault this week, lectures, studying, rounds at the hospital and I’ve been burning the candle at both ends, big time.’

‘Well, don’t! You can’t do good studying and partying, they don’t mix!’

‘All right, Mum, you win. I shall give up studying and concentrate on good partying.’

She laughed. ‘Yes, that’s exactly what I was driving at.’

‘Soph texted to say she feared you were stalling in the packing department and were being far too airy-fairy about the whole thing.’

‘Guilty as charged! I’m flitting from box to drawer and getting lost in some lovely memories, and some not so lovely ones. But it feels a lot like saying goodbye. I’m really very happy.’

‘It’s exciting.’

‘It is. It’ll be weird though. As I say, so many memories here, the place where you were a baby.’ She swallowed the lump that rose unexpectedly in her throat.

‘Have you spoken to Dad?’

‘No, why? Everything okay?’

‘I think so. Well, last I heard they’ve had a fight.’

‘Again?’

Olly laughed down the phone. ‘I know, right? Anyway, Mum, got to go. I’ve got a lecture. See you soon.’

‘Hope so. Take care, Olly. Love you.’

‘Love you too.’

A burst of happiness filled her chest at his sign-off.

Kitty sent out a silent prayer that Olly would settle down soon. It was at times like this that she especially missed Anna. They would have had a good old natter about Olly’s love life, and, knowing Anna, she would have come up with a hare-brained scheme for finding him the perfect girl. She could picture her drawing up a list of their friends’ daughters and inviting everyone round for an introductory tea. It was one of Kitty’s many sadnesses that Anna had never got to meet Sophie’s Greg. She would have loved the man.

Kitty smiled, remembering the day Sophie had been due to bring Greg home for the first time. She could tell that this was different. Every other boyfriend of Sophie’s had suddenly appeared at the kitchen table without fanfare and it was always obvious from her daughter’s casual behaviour that she was rather indifferent. But this one…! Kitty laughed at the memory of the telephone conversation prior to their arrival, the semi-formal plan for dinner.

‘Make sure Olly is there too, Mum.’

‘Will do.’

‘And don’t mention Angus and Nikolai. Or Theo and Anna. Or your views on veganism.’

‘God, Soph, you are making me nervous! You can’t hide your family away!’

‘And I wouldn’t want to. It’s not that they’ll always be off-limits, but I’m trying to ease him in gently…’

This told Kitty two things. Firstly, that Sophie envisaged spending time with him in the future, and secondly, that she was bothered about what he thought of her.

This for Sophie was a first.

Kitty had felt nervous and excited all at once. All she knew was that the young man in question was a lecturer in modern languages at King’s College, was originally from Belfast and that his name was Greg.

Please, God, may we like him.

Please, God, may he like us.

Please, God, may he be kind to Sophie.

Please, God, may any feelings she has for this Belfast man be reciprocated. Don’t let her get hurt.

That’s all!

Thinking about it now, she should have added an extra prayer: Please, God, make him a good cook, but on no account make him an experimental one.