Five
‘Good morning, my beautiful daughter, how are you today?’
Matt walked into the kitchen to find Flora already sitting at the table. He dropped a kiss on her head as he walked past and chuckled when she rapidly turned over her phone so he couldn’t see the screen.
‘Oh, err… morning, Dad. I didn’t hear you get up.’
‘You must have been quite engrossed in your phone to have missed hearing the boiler go when I was having my shower.’
‘Ah, I was out in the garden doing a spot of yoga and communing with the elements.’
‘And how are our elements today?’
‘Cold!’
He grinned as he replied, ‘Well, now that I’ve had my weather report, how about sharing your intentions for the day.’
‘I’m visiting a new client in Oxford just after lunch.’
‘On a Saturday?’
‘Yeah. The lady in question works full-time but has a sideline in homemade soaps and lotions which she’s trying to develop and hopefully grow into a proper business. She needs a company logo designed and has invited me over to see her range of products. She thinks this will give me a feel of what she’s trying to achieve and I can create accordingly.’
‘I hope you’re charging double-time with it being a Saturday.’
Flora laughed. ‘Don’t be silly, Dad. I’m developing my client list – I can’t afford to be a diva just yet.’
‘One day, eh! What about this evening – am I cooking for one or two?’
‘Ben’s away this weekend but I was going to pop in and visit Uncle Craig and Essie on the way home. They’ve returned from their road-trip around Ireland and I want to catch up with how it was.’
‘Oh, right!’
‘Daaaaaaaaad! Behave!’
‘What? I didn’t say anything…’
‘You didn’t have to – your voice gave you away. Look, when are you going to get over yourself and realise that Uncle Craig is still part of our family? It’s not just you and me. You almost never visit him or Grandpa Archie.’
‘You know how I feel.’
He ignored his daughter’s sigh as he turned away and refilled the kettle.
To avoid souring the day, he changed the subject, ‘Where’s Ben this weekend?’
‘Down Bournemouth way. They’ve been asked to play at a wedding.’
‘It’s a bit of a trek, is it not?’
‘Apparently the groom is friends with the drummer’s brother.’
‘Fair enough. I suppose a gig is a gig when it comes to these things.’
‘That’s how they’re looking at it. So, how come you’re stopping in tonight? No hot date?’
‘Well, you know how it is. I’ve had that Kylie woman on the blower again, begging me to show her the finer points of the village but I just had to tell her, Ms Minogue, I appreciate you’re a lovely lady an’ all but you really need to accept that we’re just not meant to be together.’
‘I hope you let her down gently…’
‘I did what had to be done.’
‘It’s a tough life!’
‘Sure is!’
Matt put his coffee mug on the table as they both laughed at their absurd conversation.
‘Since the little blonde bombshell is off the cards, any other offers worth considering?’
‘Well, I’m sorting out Hilda Brown’s garden wall later…’
‘Senior or junior?’
‘Senior.’
‘Nope! Don’t fancy your chances there. She’s only got eyes for Fred the butcher.’
‘Then it’s definitely a meal for one tonight.’
‘Again!’
Matt said nothing and took a slug of his coffee. He really hoped the conversation wasn’t heading down the same old path previous ones had taken a number of times over the last year.
‘Dad, you need to find someone.’
‘No, I don’t.’
‘Yes, you do. I’m not going to be living here forever and I don’t want you to be all on your own. You might end up marrying some atrocious old bitch like Uncle Craig did and that would never do.’
‘Flo, if I’m not interested in meeting anyone while you’re here, it’s highly unlikely I’ll want to meet someone when you’re not.’
‘You say that now but loneliness is a funny thing.’
‘I’m not lonely, Flora. Now will you please leave this be.’
‘Sorry, Daddy dearest, no can do.’ She waved her phone at him. ‘I’ve just set up an account for you with an online dating site and I’ll be monitoring the responses.’
‘You’ve done WHAT?’
‘It’s okay, it’s a respectable one – I checked it all out first.’
‘Flora, no! Take it down. I am not interested in dating.’
‘Dad, it’s been over twenty years since Mum died – how many women have you dated in that time?’
Matt was too angry to answer.
‘Exactly! None! It’s not healthy. You’re a good-looking bloke, even if it does feel weird saying that about my father, and I want to see you with someone who is worthy of you.’
‘And I’ve told you I don’t want— wait! Hang on a minute… Are you planning to move out?’
He felt his blood run cold at the thought. Okay, Flora was now in her twenties and she’d been away to college followed by a house-sitting stint for her Uncle Craig for a few months but she’d always come home. Her bedroom had still been waiting for her. This, on the other hand, would be a very different type of “moving out” and he certainly wasn’t ready for that.
‘No, Dad, I’m not. Well, not yet. But Ben and I have talked about it. It may not be happening tomorrow but it’s going to happen one day and that day may not be as far away as you think.’
She pushed her seat back, got up and placed her mug and plate in the dishwasher. As she walked past him, Flora returned the kiss on the top of his head that he’d given her earlier.
‘I’ll see you later, Dad. Have a good day and please, think on what I’ve said.’
She walked out, leaving him gripping his coffee mug tightly in both hands. The thought of trying to meet someone new turned his stomach. There had only ever been three women in his life – the schoolboy crush which had gone nowhere as the girl had moved away before he’d plucked up the courage to ask her out. Flora, his wife, whom he’d met when he’d just turned nineteen. Even though she’d been several years older than him, it had been love at first sight for them both. And then, his little Flora. After her mother’s death, he’d focused everything he had on ensuring she grew up knowing she was very much loved.
No, trying to find a new woman to fit into his life was never going to happen, no matter how hard Flora pushed for it.