Page 42 of Clara's Secret Garden
I’d been planning to go downstairs at the same time, act allnatural as if I was on my way to the kitchen, and wave them off. But when pushcomes to shove, I find myself frozen to the spot with last-minute jitters.
So instead, I call out a goodbye to Lois and stand at thewindow, covertly spying on them, which feels bad but I can’t seem to help it.
It’s not too horrific, as it turns out. No massive snog oranything. They just get in Rory’s car and drive off, and I think to myself thatif I can get through tonight, it’s sure to get easier.
‘Is Rory Lois’s boyfriend?’ asks Bertie, appearing in thedoorway, each hand clutching several models of dinosaurs.
‘Well, they’re going on a date. So maybe.’
‘Will she kiss Rory?’
‘She might.’She definitely bloody will.
He frowns, thinking about this. ‘When a person gets kissed,they fall down and they don’t get up for a very long time.’
I laugh. ‘Is that right? And how do you know this?’
‘I saw it on YouTube.’ He runs off and I call, ‘Time to getinto your pyjamas.’
Later, when Irene comes back from her date, I’m watching TVin the living room.
‘Hello?’ I call, glancing at the time. ‘You’re very early.’
She comes in and slumps down on the sofa beside me. ‘I thinkI’m getting too old for partying.’
I smile. ‘How about having fun with someone younger? Bertiewould love it if you took him somewhere like Alton Towers.’
She shudders. ‘Hate those places. And it always ends intears.’ She heaves herself off the sofa with a sigh. ‘Is his lordship in bed?’
‘Of course. Out like a light.’
‘Better not wake him up, then.’
‘He wouldn’t mind,’ I call, hearing her in the kitchen,opening the fridge. But there’s no reply. And when I go upstairs a momentlater, she’s already in her bedroom with the door shut.
Sighing, I pop my head round Bertie’s door and watch him fora moment.
Why do kids look so angelic when they’re sleeping?
I go into my own room and sit on my bed with my book. But Ikeep thinking about Lois and Rory, wondering how it’s going, which means I keepreading the same page over and over again. So in the end, I throw the book downand go for a soak in the bath instead.
I’m convinced I’ll be awake until they get back, listeningfor the car like an anxious parent. But the drama of the past few days hastaken its toll, and mercifully, I’m out for the count almost as soon as my headtouches the pillow...
*****
When Lois is happy, she sings around the house. Loudly andvery out of tune.
She used to sing when she was going out with Ronnie (Irenegot so fed up, she introduced a ban on all performing arts before midday), butsomehow, it didn’t bother me as much then.
These days, though, the effect of Lois’s happy, tunelesswarbling is like nails scraping down a blackboard. Her current favourite is‘Symphony’ by Clean Bandit, featuring Zara Larsson, and when she’s in full‘X-Factor’ mode, screeching that word at the top of her voice, theneighbourhood dogs are so shocked, they forget to howl along.
Her first proper date with Rory was two days ago, and Loishas been exercising her vocal cords ever since. They’re going out again tonight– to a new restaurant which opened last winter and has a reputation for beingthe best in the area.
I’m happy for them. I really am.
After everything Lois went through with Ronnie, she reallydeserves some happiness, and now that I’ve got over the humdinger of a shock atrealising she and Rory are an item, I’m determined not to let them see that I’manything but delighted for them.
‘Symphonyyyyyy!’ She dances into the kitchen, where I’mmaking pasta for Bertie and Luke. ‘Ah, ah, ah, ah-ah, ah, ah, ah, ah!’
