Page 74 of Just Do It
‘He has apologised for going overboard.’
Inis laughed. ‘I hope you told him he had no need to. This is absolutely joyful!’ She turned back to me. ‘Don’t you think?’
Inis had hit upon the right word. That was exactly it. Joyful. Just as Finn’s appreciation and excitement about the season appeared to be. And it wasn’t just Christmas. It was his approach to life, something he appeared to share with his family and I loved how it was infectious and bringing out a side of me I hadn’t even known existed. He was considered but also impulsive. Serious when he needed to be but silly when he wanted to be. His job meant a lot to him but it wasn’t his entire world. When he wanted, he could switch off. I’d thought talking about work and my field of interest with my partner was the ideal but now I was beginning to question that. That wasn’t the only thing I was questioning. I’d thought archaeology was the most important thing in my life – if not the only thing I needed, then very close to it. But Finn was opening doors that not only had been locked, but that I hadn’t even known were there.
‘Am I dull?’ I asked Colette that night when we got together for a meal and a catch up.
‘What? No! Not at all.’
‘Even before I met Finn?’
‘No.’
‘But?’
‘But what?’
‘I can see there’s a but there.’
‘I don’t know what you mean,’ Colette replied, her face a picture of pure innocence. I had, however, known my friend for far too long to be lulled into the sense of reassurance she was obviously hoping for.
‘Tell me.’
‘Merde,’ she mumbled. ‘You know there are distinct disadvantages to having known people for as long as we have.’
I shrugged. ‘Spill the beans.’
‘First, no, you’re not boring. But you have been, at times, rather singular in your focus.’
‘Work you mean.’
‘Not just work, but the subject itself. I mean, I know that it’s your passion but until recently, I have wondered at times if it was to the detriment of other aspects of your life.’
‘Ah.’
‘And of course your parents didn’t help.’ Colette, having at first been reluctant to say anything at all now seemed disinclined to stop. ‘I always thought it was a bit unfair that you didn’t have any Christmas decorations up but that they wanted you to be there for Christmas.’
‘We did exchange gifts. They just didn’t go in for the whole decoration thing. I don’t think it was a failing. And I wanted to be with them.’
‘No, but I wish you’d come to France and celebrated with us when you were younger. It might have made you more inclined to come when you were older rather than always making excuses not to.’
I sat up. ‘I haven’t made excuses.’
Colette speared a fried halloumi stick and bit into it, fixing her eyes on me as she did so. The expression in them suggested that she and I had differing opinions on this.
‘Is that what you think?’
She gave me a maybe yes, maybe no look as she drowned another stick in chilli jam and popped it in her mouth.
‘I know you didn’t like Friedrich and I felt I ought to spend it with him too when we were together. The last thing you would have wanted was for me to ask you to invite him.’
‘You’re right, he would definitely not have been invited. I’m just glad you didn’t marry him. That would have been awkward.’
‘He wasn’t quite as bad as you think he was.’
‘Lizzie, I met him enough to form an opinion and I didn’t care for his attitude on a lot of things, including the way he always stole any glory he could from you.’
‘I’m not sure he did, Col. We’re just in the same field so there are going to be comparisons and linked stories.’
