Page 21 of Never Too Late
‘Flats?’
‘Yes. That’s what you meant when you said about going back, isn’t it? To stay for a while?’
‘I…’Had I?
She waited.
‘I don’t know really.’ I tried again. ‘I’m not sure I’d got that far. I was probably thinking a week or so.’
I got another eye roll. ‘Mum. This is your time. Dad’s off doing his thing. You’ve got a good settlement with the divorce and house money and those investments that matured last year. Why not use some of it to go back to Paris and do it properly?’
A thrill chased through my body. And let’s face it, it was a long time since that had happened either! However, it was immediately followed by Inner Me, clomping along in terribly sensible shoes, chasing it down and squashing it flat. It was ridiculous to even consider. I was far too old for such silliness!
‘Oh, no.’
‘What?’ I asked. ‘I didn’t say anything.’
‘No. But you’ve got that look.’
‘What look?’
‘The one you get when you’re about to tell me why what I’ve suggested or asked to do is a bad idea. Like when I wanted to go to the festival with Carly.’
‘You were fifteen.’
‘Her dad was going.’
‘Her father had even less sense than any of you. And, if I’m not mistaken, Carly ended up in hospital after a reaction to taking drugs some stranger gave her.’
‘Not the point,’ Sasha mumbled, having clearly forgotten that bit.
‘Exactlythe point. It wasn’t a good idea.’
‘Fine. Then don’t take any pills strangers give you.’ She grinned.
‘Very funny.’
‘Oh, come on, Mum. What is there to lose?’
‘What would I do?’
Sash smiled at me. ‘Whatever you wanted. Now before you jet off to Paris, I think we ought to go and get our nails done, like we said we would on holiday.’
13
I lay in bed that night with a highlight reel from the evening running on a loop through my mind, preventing me from sleep. Although who am I kidding? Since the menopausal years had hit, sleep and I had had a somewhat turbulent relationship. But Sash’s words were still echoing in my brain.
Whatever you wanted.
The next morning, as I checked I had my keys and opened the front door, it was to find Sash standing there, tears streaming down her face.
‘Whatever’s the matter?’ I asked, pulling her close, but she stepped back, a smile breaking on her face along with the still-streaming tears. She reached into her oversized canvas tote and pulled out a metal plaque.
‘I got it!’ she said, half-laughter, half-choked tears. ‘I got my Silver Play Button, my YouTube 100,000-subscribers plaque! It came this morning.’
‘Oh! Oh, Sash! That’s wonderful!’ I pulled her back in for the hug. ‘Oh, darling, I’m so proud of you! Congratulations!’ My tears joined hers and neither of us cared about the mess our make-up was now in.
Hugh and I had made no secret of the fact that we had both had concerns when our daughter had given up a well-paid job in marketing to focus on her lifestyle YouTube channel, but our first priority was her being happy and it was easy to see the enthusiasm and passion she had for creating content.
