Page 74 of A Change of Heart

“Busy, as always, but he seems happy.”

Seren went to the freezer to unload her shopping bag. “I couldn’t decide which flavours to get, so I bought three different ones.”

Mirren sat at the table, her lips pulling to a frown. “I should have baked a cake, shouldn’t I? Did I bake a cake for his birthday last year?”

“I’m not sure.” Actually, Seren clearly remembered there being chocolate cake last year and the year before – Terry’s favourite. “It doesn’t matter though. We’re all together, remembering him, that’s the important thing.”

“I don’t have time to start baking a cake now.” Mirren took a deep breath and sat up straighter. “Can you do me one more favour?”

Seren nodded as she closed the freezer. “What is it?”

“Could you check on Kit?” Mirren lowered her voice. “He’s in the living room. He’s not coping well today, but he won’t talk to me. See if you can get him to open up. It’d do him good to talk.”

“I’ll try,” Seren said before going in search of him.

Sprawled out on the couch with his eyes closed, Kit looked fast asleep, but she assumed he wasn’t. When she perched beside his hip, he blinked his eyes open.

“You again,” he said with a lazy smile.

“Me again.” She felt a pang of guilt at enjoying the closeness to him, which was only happening because he was feeling so down. “Your mum’s worried about you.”

“I’m okay.” He slung an arm behind his head and gazed up at her.

“I never asked how Lowen was when you saw him … I’m surprised you went over there.”

“I woke up feeling like crap, and I called Trystan.”

“How’s he doing?”

“He sounded okay, but he was worried about Lowen, as usual. I said I’d go and check on him. It seemed like a good way to keep my mind occupied. Then I saw Dad’s boat, and it seemed like a nice idea to take it out.”

“Is Lowen okay?”

“I don’t think so, no. It’s hard to tell because he hardly speaks anyway, but he seemed more subdued than usual.”

“I’ll bet he was glad to see you.”

He gave her a look as though she’d told a bad joke. “I don’t think so. Especially since I ended up having a go at him.”

“How come?”

“I tried to get him to come and have dinner with us. Then I got annoyed when he refused.” He rubbed at his forehead. “Dad would hate how he’s distanced himself from us. I told him as much and he snapped at me. Said it didn’t matter what Dad would think since Dad’s dead.”

Seren shook her head. “I’m sure he didn’t mean it.”

“I don’t understand him. He’s the eldest, so I feel as though he should be looking out for us. But he acts more like a teenager than a forty-year-old man.”

“I get annoyed with him too sometimes, but I’m not sure it’s right to expect more from him because he’s the eldest. He’s also missing his dad.”

“I guess you’re right. It’s difficult to have a lot of sympathy for him when he’s so grumpy and self-involved. It’s as though he thinks he has a monopoly on grief. Like he’s the only one hurting.”

“It was good that you went to see him anyway.”

He shrugged and looked at her intently. “I need to ask you something,” he said, sitting up.

With an inkling what his question would be, Seren’s heart rate picked up but she forced her smile to stay fixed.

“On the boat earlier …” His cheeks pinked slightly. “You kissed me.”