Page 95 of Fe
Fen was on the verge of sleep when he heard the door open. Ripley climbed into bed pulling Fen close, pressing his face to Fen’s neck and holding him tight, his hand resting over Fen’s heart. Ripley’s shaky exhalations warmed his skin. Neither of them spoke or moved. Eventually, Ripley’s breathing settled and when he slept, Fen did too.
In the morning, Fen woke alone and if it hadn’t been for the rumpled pillow, he might have thought he’d dreamt sharing a bed with Ripley. There was no sign of him downstairs and no note, but on the kitchen worktop was a little flower in an egg cup. A cyclamen from the back garden. Fen smiled. It was a good start to the day.
Cleaning the summer house didn’t turn out to be a big job. Fen couldn’t help wondering what it had been used for. It was warm in there. The electric heater was on a timer. The only thing it didn’t have was running water so when Fen needed a drink, he had to go back to the house.
His mum had texted to say they’d be there around eleven and when his phone rang at twenty past, he pulled it from his pocket. “Hi, Alistair.”
“We found a parking spot a few doors away.”
“It’s a miracle!” Fen heard his mum say.
Alistair laughed. “Want to come and let us in?”
By the time Fen opened the front door, his mum and Alistair were outside with boxes in their arms.
“Hi, sweetheart,” his mum said.
Fen kissed her and took the box from her.
“There’s a few more,” Alistair told him as he put his box inside the house.
“Shall I help?”
“We can manage,” his mum told him.
The next thing she brought to the door was wrapped in foil. “Dinner,” she told him. “Enchiladas.”
“Ooh thanks, Mum!” Fen slotted it in the fridge.
The last box out of the van held pieces of wood and between the three of them, they moved everything to the summer house.
“Thanks so much,” Fen said as they went back into the kitchen.
“No rush on anything. You’ll work out what needs doing.” Alistair looked around. “Nice house.”
“My goodness, Fen,” his mum whispered. “This place must be worth a fortune. It’s lovely.”
“Ripley’s a barrister.”
“He must be a good one,” Alistair said. “It’s only the ones at the top who earn big money. Oh look. Your kintsugi globe. So that’s who this guy is. We wondered.”
It was never Fen’s globe though he’d always cast longing looks at it. He hadn’t realised anyone had noticed. Then again, he did bend Alistair’s ear about Japanese ceramics.
“Would you like a drink?” he asked.Please say tea.
“Coffee?” His mum shot him a smile.
Fen sighed when he looked at the coffee machine, but he did his best. In a few minutes they’d find out if it was drinkable.
He dropped down on the couch and Alistair and his mum sat on the one opposite. Fen sensed they had something to tell him and he waited.
“How are things?” his mum asked.
“Good. Did the move go all right?”
She nodded. “I was ruthless. I threw quite a lot away.”
Alistair rolled his eyes.
