The First Mistake by Sandie Jones

Author:Sandie Jones
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pan Books

22

‘I’m sorry about that,’ Thomas said as we drove away from the care home. His jaw was twitching involuntarily, making him look like he was struggling to contain his true feelings.

‘Are you okay?’ I asked.

He bit down on his lip and turned away. ‘It’s so difficult to see her like that,’ he said. ‘She was such a different woman when . . .’ His voice cracked. ‘When she was my mum.’

I put my hand over his, resting on the automatic gearbox. There was nothing I could say, even if I could get past the lump that was lodged in my throat.

‘She was incredible,’ he choked. ‘She was the woman who remembered everybody’s birthday and had a card and the perfect present wrapped and ready the day before. She was the wife who turned heads whenever she walked into a room, on the arm of her proud husband. She was the mother who stayed up all night to make me a Gremlin costume, only to get to school the next morning to find that it wasn’t fancy dress until the following week!’

I sensed an uplift in his tone. ‘I trust she took you home to change?’

He shook his head and smiled. ‘No, she figured it would do me good – make me more aware. It was the hardest lesson I’ve ever had to learn – imagine sitting there, amongst my uniformed friends, wrapped in fur with huge cardboard bat wings for ears. I’ve never got my days muddled up again.’

‘I was speaking to my mum this morning,’ I said. ‘I don’t know if it’s of any interest, but she’s got some cognac, whisky and a few bottles of wine that she said you could take a look at – you know, if you’re free sometime . . .’

‘Seriously?’ he asked, his eyes widening.

‘Yes, maybe we can pop over there, when you next come down.’

‘Why don’t we go now?’ he asked, excitedly. ‘She doesn’t live too far away, does she? Will she be home?’

‘Well . . . yes, probably, but I don’t think . . .’ I started, as I struggled to comprehend how we’d gone from the disappointment of him not meeting my friends, to now, me meeting his mother and the possibility of him meeting mine. Things were moving at a whippet’s pace and it thrilled and terrified me in equal measure.

‘Why don’t we pop into Maria and Jimmy’s instead?’ I said, playing for time. ‘They might still have some sausages sizzling.’

‘Would you mind if we didn’t?’ he asked, his eyes on the road ahead. ‘I’m not really in the mood for a party. I can drop you off there though, if that’s what you’d prefer.’

I didn’t want to be anywhere without Thomas. ‘No, let’s go to my mum’s then,’ I said hesitantly. ‘I need to pick Tyson up anyway.’

He looked across at me. ‘We can leave it – if you think it’s too soon . . .’

How could it be, when I’d just met his mother?

I texted Mum to

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.