Page 103 of The Happy Hour
‘Years?’ Edie’s eyes widened.
‘I’m sorry, I—’ What could she say? There was no other option but to plough through it. ‘You were talking about me, and I heard you say,It’s hard tofeel loved when you’re not wanted or needed.’Both her mum and dad opened their mouths to reply, but she had to get it out. ‘Lola said you were talking aboutyou,that I didn’t love or need you, but I...’ She couldn’t, in the end, get the words out.
There was a heavy pause, then Edie said, ‘Oh my darling. You thought I was saying I didn’t love or wantyou? Jess, you are the person I love most. Ofcourseyou are.’
‘And me,’ Graeme added. ‘You’ve thought that all this time?’
Jess could only nod, and a moment later her mum’s arms were around her, her dad’s too.
‘It breaks my heart that you could have thought that for a minute, let alone two years,’ Edie said.
‘I’m sorry,’ Jess managed.
‘You should have talked to us,’ her dad said. ‘You should have confronted us, but I –I’m sorry we let it happen.’
‘You didn’t. I guess I interpreted it like that so I could build my walls higher.’ She let out a watery laugh. ‘Lola’s been trying to get me to talk to you about it this whole time.’
‘That girl knows what she’s talking about,’ Graeme said gently. ‘But we do understand, Jess. You’ve always gone out on your own, and I suppose we just told ourselves you were living your life howyouwanted to.’
‘I am so sorry that I did anything to make you think I didn’t care.’ Edie sniffed loudly.
‘No, Mum. It was me. It was all me, and I want – I’m going to be better.’
‘It’s not about being better,’ her dad said. ‘Just talk to us, OK? You couldn’t do or say anything that would stop us loving you.’
‘We love you more thananything,’ Edie added.
Jess wrapped her arms around them and held on tightly, while the clock ticked on in the background.
‘Was that your thing?’ Graeme asked when they’d untangled themselves, and Edie had found a tissue to wipe her eyes.
‘That wasn’t it,’ Jess said. ‘That was something I should have said – asked you about –ages ago. And I... My thing was actually a guy, so it’s probably unfair to call him a thing.’ She laughed, and it only sounded slightly flat.
‘You’ve met someone!’ Her mum gave a final, loud sniff, then clasped her hands together. ‘Oh darling, I’m so happy for you.’
‘It’s not gone so well,’ Jess said, and wondered how she’d ever thought Edie Peacock was anything less than the best mum she could have hoped for.
‘Oh.’ Edie’s face fell. ‘This isn’t some wild and wonderful romance, then?’
‘More a bitRomeoand Juliet?’ Graeme suggested.
‘God.’ Jess’s laugh was louder this time. ‘It wasn’tthatbad.’
‘No, of course not.’ Graeme shook his head. ‘I’m not entirely up on my Shakespeare, as you know, and I fell asleep during that strange modern film.’
Edie patted the back of his hand. ‘I’m sorry, Jess. It hasn’t worked out?’
‘No.’ She swallowed, because this was the hard part. ‘I’d like to tell you about it – abouthim, though, if that’s OK?’
‘Of course!’ Her mum couldn’t hide her happiness, and Jess couldn’t blame her. It had been years since she’d willingly volunteered information about a boyfriend to her parents – if she ever had. Now she’d spoken to them, got the confirmation that Lola had been right all along, she was going to do better: work harder at being a part of this family. Telling them would prolong Ash’s presence in her life, but she didn’t think that mattered. Over the last week she’d had to accept that he was going to hang around, making a nuisance of himself in her thoughts on a daily,hourly, basis.
‘We’d love that,’ Graeme said. ‘And we’ll help if we can.’
‘Thanks Dad, Mum.’ She took another sip of wine, then put her glass down. ‘I met him at the market, after he chased a shoplifter who’d stolen a watch from Roger’s antiques stall. One of the first things we talked about was train sets. I told him you had one in your garage.’
‘Studio,’ her mum and dad said in unison, because you couldn’t keep a train set somewhere as lowly as agarage, even though that was technically what it was.
Jess laughed. ‘Of course. Studio – I’m sorry. We got talking, and he asked me if I wanted to go for a coffee. He was at the market every Sunday, but only for an hour.’
