Page 62 of The Promise of Tomorrow
She’d not replied.
‘I won’t come to the party. I’ll take Dad, Jenny and Julian out for a meal instead.’
She’d not looked up from her book when she replied, ‘Mum and Dad will ask questions. Tahoor too, Gayle maybe, and everyone from the office, especially Gary. It’s probably best that the four of you just come.’ Despite everything, she’d love to meet his father and the girlfriend.
‘You’re sure? Okay. Whatever’s easiest. Shall I come early and help arrange?—’
‘I don’t need any help, thank you.’ This was true. She’d cracked on with organising it the last couple of days, and, begrudgingly, admitted Rory’s email had helped. Elena Swan would see her twenties out with a bang.
Yesterday Rory had approached her once more and asked about Brandy and Snap. Again it was lunch time and she was reading. Books had always been her safe place when the real world got too scary. She’d dived into a new story today, a light-hearted romance by a favourite author, who focused on the journey, not the destination, of the story, understanding that her readership liked a predictable ending, because life is so often not like that. Knowing what was going to happen, at least in fiction, offered security at a hazardous time.
Elena suggested Rory take Brandy and Snap home after the party. Truth is, she was hoping he’d somehow forget. She’d apologised to them as soon as she got home after the quiz night for asking Rory to take them away, and for swearing. She’d never normally refer to them with the f-word. They were beautiful and clever, merging in with their leafy background, and she admired the contented life they led, a life humans might consider boring. Snap looked especially clever lately, hanging upside down.
The sharp December air brought Elena back to the present as she opened the car door. Tahoor came out and hurried over as sporadic snowflakes tumbled down.
‘Now, I certainly have not been curtain-twitching and waiting for you to return…’ he said, a guilty look on his face.
She couldn’t help smiling.
‘But I was hoping you’d come in for a cup of tea and try a samosa. I made a batch for the party tomorrow. Young Sharnaz encouraged me. Isha always did the cooking. I didn’t want to come empty-handed. She wouldn’t have approved of that.’
No thanks. I just want to go into my house and lose myself in a novel.
‘How lovely! Sounds great, Tahoor. I didn’t have time for lunch, so a samosa will hit the spot.’ Didn’t have an appetite, more like.
She followed him inside, telling herself to cheer up for her neighbour’s sake, and sat in the lounge that looked more like it used to when Isha was around. Half-heartedly, she scrolled through her phone until Tahoor came in, looking proud of himself, carrying a tray with a teapot on it, with two cups, milk and sugar.
‘I feel like a queen,’ she said to Tahoor, and beaming he went back into the kitchen. Elena thought of the card Morag had given her, the king of hearts.
He came back with a bowl of samosas, handed her a plate and she helped herself to one. He sat down in the armchair.
‘They are vegetarian,’ he said. ‘Just in case. You never know what anyone is these days. Sharnaz has one school friend who is gluten-free, another is vegan. I can’t keep up. In my day, you ate what was on your plate or you got nothing. This is one of Isha’s recipes. I hope I’ve done her justice.’
Elena took a bite. Wow. Those flavours. Subtle but zingy.
Tahoor held his breath.
‘It’s delicious! Any chance of another?’ Elena asked, realising how hungry she was.
Tahoor’s chest plumped out and he beamed again. ‘No Rory with you tonight? Has he gone off on some sports expedition? Take a couple back for him. I never realised how relaxing cooking was.’
She choked on the flaky pastry and had a coughing fit.
Tahoor put down his plate. ‘You okay, lass? What’s up? You look as if I’ve made those pastries sour, not savoury.’
‘Oh… it went down the wrong way.’
He tilted his head. ‘That’s all?’
‘I’m tired, to be honest – drank a bit too much earlier in the week, what with the Christmas staff night out.’ She told him about the pub quiz questions, but eventually he put up his hand.
‘Elena. What’s up? I may be a silly old man, but I can tell when someone’s sad. I’ve seen that look enough in the mirror these last months. You might try to hide it, but I can also see through the bluster. Have you and young Rory argued?’
‘What makes you say that?’
‘Because you’ve been so happy these last few weeks, since he moved in.’
Like popping candy, Gary had said. Her shoulders bobbed up and down. Tahoor folded his arms.
