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“And that’s bad?”

“It’s just, public might not be the best place for Mum’s dramatics.”

I try not to be hurt by that. It’s reasonable to think her parents might need time to adjust, after all. “Do you want me to come?”

She looks up at me and she must see some of my feelings in my expression. Tossing aside her phone, she climbs across the bed and jumps into my arms. I’m lucky I catch her in time.

Her legs wrap around my waist, and she kisses my cheek. “Of course, I want you to come. I just hope she’s not awful to you. Mum has a way of being cold even when she likes someone. Heaven help you if she actually dislikes you!”

“Well, now I’m scared,” I joke.

She pulls back to look at me. “It’s no laughing matter! Your family was so lovely to me when I met them. I wish you were going to have the same experience.”

I snort. “Yeah. Noah was real lovely.”

She laughs. “OK, well he took a while to warm up, but you know what I mean.”

“Yeah. I know what you mean. But I’m a big boy. I can handle it.”

She kisses my nose in a ridiculous gesture I find adorable. “Thank you. You always know just what to say.”

I’m not sure she’s got that right. I usually say the wrong thing, particularly around new people. I figure I’ll just keep my mouth shut around her mother, and smile and agree with everyone. Hopefully I can’t cause too much trouble.

TWENTY TWO

Mia

“What the hell is a chia seed?” Luke mumbles under his breath as I gaze anxiously out the window trying to spot Mum and Dad.

I laugh despite my nerves and he gives my leg a squeeze under the table. “Nah, I’m only kidding. I know what they are. They’re those little black things that look like ants and taste like shit.”

I snort into my glass of water just as Mum walks through the door of the cafe and spots us. She narrows her eyes and purses her apricot-coloured lips. God, she looks just as fashionable as always. She’s dressed in a tightly fitted knit dress in white, with a caramel-coloured jacket draped over her shoulders. An Oroton handbag is slung over her arm.

She glances behind her at my father, who enters the cafe pushing his designer sunglasses onto the top of his head, and points to us like he can’t work it out for himself.

I stand for the customary kiss on the cheek. Luke stands beside me and holds out his hand.

“Mum, Dad, this is Luke Wilson—”

Mum’s thinly threaded brows shoot up and she takes his hand with the most brittle, forced smile I think I’ve ever seen on her face. “Oh! The builder. I thought we were having a family catch up, darling.”

She gives Luke her full attention and I can’t help cringing as she sweeps a critical eye from the top of his beach-blond hair to the thongs he has on with his jeans. He told me this morning it was that or work boots, and I told him to wear those, but now I’m second-guessing.

“Mr Wilson. There was no need to drive all the way up to Sydney. I’m afraid you won’t get a different answer from us than you’ve had from Mia about the renovations. They’re on hold for now until we take care of some family business.”

Now I’m really cringing. I should have told her what was going on before we had to all meet awkwardly in person. “No, Mum. I invited Luke to join us as a... friend.” I chicken out of saying more until I’ve gone over the way things are with Oliver, but instantly regret it when Luke shoots me a hurt look. I’ve already bungled this and we haven’t even sat down.

Mum looks at Dad, but they say nothing. Instead, we all sit, and I fidget with my menu in the uncomfortable silence.

At least Dad’s a talker. Right now, I couldn’t be more grateful when he taps his menu on the table decisively and turns to Luke. “Can’t go past the Eggs Benedict. Best thing on the menu.”

Luke smiles. “Ah, I can never say no to a classic bacon and eggs myself.”

I can’t help comparing his response to what Oliver would have said. It feels awful to be doing it, but the fact is it’s such a different dynamic that it actually throws my dad off a bit. Oliver would have agreed with Dad, ordered the Eggs Benedict, and spent the rest of the morning crawling so far up Dad’s arse an extraction procedure might have been necessary at the end of brunch. I always used to wonder why he did it. I’d never seen him be like that with anyone else.

I love that Luke hasn’t let my dad sway his order. I also love it when he slides his hand onto my knee under the table and gives it a squeeze, despite what I said before.

It gives me the courage to speak up. “Actually...” I clear my throat and wait until Mum and Dad both look up from their menus. “I have some news.”

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