Chapter 28
Twenty-eight
Nash
Corey will be home tomorrow, and I’m putting the finishing touches on a project I’ve been working on this summer with my brothers. Nancy is in bed, with Wren babysitting, and my brothers and I are out in the old orangery that’s hidden away behind a line of trees towards the bottom of my garden.
The orangery is accessed by a small pathway laid with stepping stones and lit by some new festoon lighting I installed last week. The orangery is a red brick building with walls that are only about a metre high, topped with wooden-framed glass walls and a glass lantern roof.
“I’m glad we replaced that skylight,” Archer says, ever the practical thinker. “At least it can be opened now, so he won’t bake in here in the summer.”
“Yeah,” I agree.
“And I think replacing the beams was a good shout, too, the old wood was so rotten it wouldn’t have held anything, but now we’ve got those storage racks up there for his canvases so they’ll be out of his way,” Aidan adds.
The eaves space above the beams is now accessed by a sliding ladder on the one solid wall at the back of the building.
Hanging in macramé holders are a selection of lush green ferns and succulents dotted around the space, and to the left is a large drafting table with a stool.
There’s storage for Corey’s paints, brushes, and supplies, as well as a custom-built easel that Cole made for him.
“So, is this how the Fosters lure unsuspecting men into their beds now?” Cole jokes. “I mean, Aidan built the dance studio, and now the art studio… I need to find a potter or something. Or maybe a jeweler.”
I throw my damp rag at my brother’s obnoxious face.
“Fuck you. I just want him to have somewhere to paint that is free, secure, and…”
“And?” Aidan prompts. I roll my eyes.
“Fine, and close to me.”
“There it is,” Archer mumbles. “Have you told him how you feel yet?”
I shake my head.
“Are you going to? Because I gotta tell you, big bro, an art studio is a pretty big statement, y’know?” Cole’s not wrong. And I am going to tell him how I feel. Tomorrow, if all goes to plan.
For tonight, my brothers and I spend a few more hours cleaning the last of the dust and grime from the building works and setting it up so it’s perfect for Corey.
The next morning, I’m trying to be cool, calm, and collected as I sit on one of the bistro sets outside Poppy’s Café with a coffee, my daughter standing across from me, trying to teach Cole a clapping game that Wren taught her.
The flashback I’m getting to Wren at that age, trying desperately to get even one of her big brothers to play one of her so-called ‘girl’s games’.
She finally managed to get Aidan to play with her, because he has always been a giant teddy bear on the inside.
The problem is, I am very much not cool, calm, or collected this morning.
Corey is on his way back home, where he belongs. He fell in love with this place during the short time he lived here, and he deserves nothing more than to be able to build a future wherever he chooses. Am I selfishly over the moon that he chose here? Of course, I’d be a fool not to be.
I am determined to be whatever he needs right now. Friend – still not over how much I hate that fucking word – boyfriend, everything? Just like he’s become everything to me. The only way to know what he wants, though, is going to be for us to talk.
From our dozens of letters, texts, and video calls both with and without Nancy, I’ve fallen in love with the man who makes me laugh, allows me to cry, and makes me feel like the best version of myself.
He encourages me to lighten up, something that Shelley will attest was desperately needed.
He makes me want to enjoy life, every moment of it, and to squeeze every drop of joy from the projects, places, and people I love.
I just need to tell him that he is the man I want to share that joy with. He is one of the people I love, and is the only one I am in love with. I just have to hope that the direction we’ve been travelling the last seven months has ultimately been leading to the same place.
I believe it has. I just hope he’s there to meet me.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I pull it out to see a text from the man himself.
Corey: Just coming into the village now. Can’t wait to see you.
“OK, everyone,” I call out, catching the attention of my entire family, all eagerly waiting to welcome Corey and Emma to their new home.
“They’re almost here. Sweetheart, do you want to get your banner ready?
” Nancy jumps up, Archer and Cole, her loyal subjects, trailing behind her without a word.
They know their place in Nancy’s domain.
The twins unroll the banner Nancy painted on some old wallpaper Aidan gave her.
'Welcum home Bunny and Ema', it reads, each wobbly letter a different colour. Nancy refused any suggestions on spelling, claiming, “I like it like this, Daddy”, and so I’d left her to it. Far be it from me to stifle the creative genius of a four-year-old with a paintbrush. Surrounding the letters are crude flowers, clouds, three sunshines, and a seal. It’s beautiful and perfect, just like my daughter.
She puts her whole heart into everything she does, and I love watching her confidence grow each and every day.
Archer and Cole take one end of the banner each, Nancy directing them with all the grace of a fairy elephant.
“Don’t be silly, Uncle Cole, they won’t see it if I hold it. I’m only little. You’re old, so you can do it.”
“Nash, I don’t think Nance knows that height and age are not the same thing,” Cole complains.
“Just do as you’re told, and you’ll get along just fine.”
Nancy may be a bit bold with her words sometimes, but unless she’s outright rude, intentionally, I won’t pull her up.
I love the way she’s finding her own voice and personality.
Long may it continue. That said, along with her confidence, Nancy is also incredibly emotionally aware of those around her.
Sensing that she may have upset her uncle, Nancy spins around and wraps her arms around Cole’s knees.
“Love you, you’re the best uncle in the whole entire university,” she says, squeezing my brother’s legs tightly with her small arms. Cole, of course, gets a wide smile at her words.
“What about me?” Archer objects, faux-hurt on his face.
“And me?” Aidan adds.
“And me?” Rain complains.
“And me,” say Chris and Sam at exactly the same moment.
“You can be the best tomorrow, OK?” Nancy says, cocking her hip and resting a hand on it as though she’s got no time for this nonsense.
“Thanks, Nancy pants. I love you too,” I hear Cole whisper to Nancy, and she gives him an uncoordinated wink in return.
The way my brother dotes on Nancy is truly special, especially given that she adores him right back.
However, I could have done without him teaching her the fucking wink.
That level of sass could have waited until high school at least.
The sound of a very noisy engine approaches, and before long, a white Luton van hurtles around the corner, before screeching to a very ungainly stop right in front of us.
I look up to see two very pale faces in the front passenger seats, even as a portly man with a cigarette dangling from his mouth climbs out of the cab and goes to the rear of the van.
We hear the shutter door roll up, and Corey and Emma finally spring into action, diving out of the van as quickly as humanly possible. The driver is now wandering over to the duck pond as he lights another cigarette, clearly having no intention of helping unload the items in his vehicle.
“I feel like I’ve looked death in the face that whole journey,” Emma gasps, wide-eyed, and Corey laughs even as he’s tackled into a hug by Rain. He spots Nancy’s banner over Rain’s shoulder and gasps.
“Oh my goodness! Who made this gorgeous banner?” he coos, dramatically, and Nancy is delighted.
“Bunny!” she yells and runs towards him, leaping into his arms without preamble. Corey scoops her up easily and squeezes her in a tight hug.
“Did you paint this beautiful banner?” he asks, eyes wide in wonder as he gestures to it.
“Mmhm, d’you like it?” she asks, smile a mile-wide on her excited face.
She’s been so excited about Corey – Bunny – coming home.
I can’t even feel bad about the nickname derived from my own use of ‘little rabbit’, because it’s the cutest thing I’ve ever heard when she says it, and it’s something special just between them, the two most important people in my life.
Nancy gazes at Corey like he hung the moon as he oohs and aahs over every little aspect of the banner Archer and Cole still hold for inspection, two loyal Centurions standing guard, moving only for a brief one-armed hug each from Corey as he passes.
When Nancy spots Emma, Corey recoils at the squeal she lets out before wriggling to get down.
He releases her, and within a moment, she’s in Emma’s arms. I’d been unsure if Nancy would be comfortable around Emma straight away since she’d only met her at my birthday, and that was months ago.
But they talk all the time when I’m on a call to Corey, and Emma has been having some separate calls with Nancy and me to establish some plans for when she starts working with us on Monday.
I needn’t have worried. Nancy is talking a mile a minute with Emma, who listens rapt, the rest of my family smiling at how happy Nancy is at this moment.
My family starts to drift to the back of the van, creating a human chain to get all the belongings from the back of the van onto the café car park so we can decide which boxes are going into the flat, and which will be coming over to the studio.
After an hour, the van is empty, and it rattles away, hopefully never to be seen again.