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And Hope would be there as always. Ava had a sudden image of herself clinging on to Hope’s legs as she shuddered on a ladder and took a large gulp out of her glass. Okay, a glass and a half then, she thought, topping her drink up.

Chapter Fifteen

Caz was shelling peas at the kitchen table and Hope watched her hands with their long fingers and knobbly knuckles.

“You know they make frozen peas nowadays,” she said. “No shelling involved.”

“I’m not a fool. These ones taste nicer,” Caz said comfortably.

“I feel like I’m in a Victorian novel.”

“Cheeky,” said Caz. She sniffed. “So, the other day, we were talking about something and then I fell and hit my head on that water you so cleverly spilled.”

“I apologized,” Hope said, pulling a face. “It wasn’t like it was intentional. And you said something about going out.”

“That’s right.” Caz threw a pod into the bag and a handful of peas into the pan. “I’m going out. Tuesday night, as it happens now.”

“Fine by me,” said Hope. “Not that you need my permission, as we’ve already established.”

“Neither do you.”

Hope pulled a pea pod out and chewed on the end of it. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Just what I said. If, say, you wanted to go out, you wouldn’t need my permission.”

“Right,” said Hope. She didn’t quite know what her mother was saying. That or she didn’t want to think too carefully about what she might be saying. “So who’re you going out with then?” she asked, trying to steer the conversation away from herself. “Bingo?”

“Not bingo,” said her mother.

“Girls’ night out then,” grinned Hope. “We’ll leave an aspirin and bottle of water by your bed.”

“Nope,” said Caz calmly shelling peas. “Not girls.”

“Well, who then if it’s not— oh.”

Caz looked straight at her daughter. “Oh indeed.”

Hope took a breath and tried again. “I mean, that’s nice, mum. It’s good. You’re, um, you’re getting out and, uh…”

“And dating,” filled in Caz. “At least that’s what I heard you youngsters call it nowadays.”

“Dating.” Hope felt a little faint. Not that she wasn’t happy for her mother, but she’d never considered Caz actually dating before. She’d always seemed happy alone, which now that Hope thought about it, was sad.

“He’s a nice man. I met him at the shop the other week. We’ve run into each other a few times now, actually. He’s just moved into a place over by the church.”

“Right, okay, sounds… good.”

“Not that I need your permission,” Caz said with a smile. “But my point still stands. If you wanted to go out at all, if you wanted to date, then you should go ahead and do it.”

Hope snorted a laugh. “And who exactly would I date then?”

Caz shrugged. “That Ava Stanford seems alright now that she’s calmed down about our Rosie.”

Hope inhaled so fast she almost choked on her pea pod. “Ava? Are you serious?”

“Why not?” Caz said, dumping another handful of peas in the pan. “She’s attractive. Single. She must like children if she’s a teacher. You could do worse.”

“She’s…” Hope struggled with the many reasons that she shouldn’t be going anywhere with Ava Stanford. “She’s annoying,” she said finally, unable to put anything else into words.