Page 97 of Power Play
I sigh. “Probably.”
She makes a humming sound that’s far too smug. “Alright then. Spill.”
I swirl the tea bag in my mug, watching it bleed colour. “Murphy wants me to move in with him.”
A pause.
“Well, bloody hell.”
“Yeah.”
“Didn’t waste time, did he?”
“Not exactly.”
“And you’re not jumping for joy because…?”
I take a breath. “Because I’m still trying to figure out if it makessense forme.”
“Sweetheart, sense doesn’t always come into it when it’s love.”
“Oh God, please don’t say things like that. I’ll combust.”
“Fine, I’ll keep the romance to a minimum. But youdolove him?”
“Yeah. I do.” I rest my chin on my palm, eyes drifting to the window. “It’s just everything’s moving so fast. And now he’s asking me to give upmyplace, my independence, and move into his. As though it’s the obvious next step.”
“And it’s not?”
“It is. Kind of. But also no, because I like my space. I like knowing where my socks are. I like having control of the thermostat. And Murphy’s flat is chaos.”
Mum laughs. “Socks and thermostats. The true pillars of a stable relationship.”
“Don’t mock me. I’m trying to be logical.”
“Sophie, you can be in love and still want to keep a piece of your life to yourself. That’s not selfish. That’s human.”
“Exactly,” I say, grateful she gets it. “And then there’s this weird thing where I asked him, half joking, whyhecouldn’t move in withme. And he just ducked it. As though I’d suggested burning his entire music collection or murdering his dog.”
“He doesn’t have a dog.”
“He would have reacted better if I’d murdered an imaginary one. That’s how it felt.”
“Hmmm.”
That’s Mum-code for ‘I’m thinking and you’re not going to like what I’m about to say.’
“You have a theory, don’t you?”
“I always have a theory. Murphy sounds like a man who’s used to his space too. Maybe it’s more than just liking the flat. Maybe it’s part of how he defines himself. His independence. His pride.”
I frown. “So what, I just move in and learn to live with crusty mugs in the sink and the smell of gym gear?”
“Darling, no one’s saying you have to compromise everything. Living together should be building something new, not squeezing your life into someone else’s.”
I nod slowly. “I think I need to say that to him.”
“Yes. And maybe figure out what you’re actually afraid of. Is it his messy flat? Or the fact that moving in means this is it.”
