Page 39 of His & Hers

“Yeah. I miss her too. Anyway, Steve is in the states, isn’t he? When are you guys meeting up?” he changed the subject quickly, making me squirm uncomfortably.

“Yeah, he is in New York, but he should be here tomorrow. He’s got meetings with potential employers and old friends, though, before we look for somewhere to live. When are you coming to see us?”

Dad chuckled softly. “You know it’s the money, baby. I need to book a hotel, and then there’s the flight. It’s not cheap,” he sighed.

“I’m sure you could stay with us here,” I argued, knowing the answer already.

“No, babe, that’s not an option,” he murmured sadly, making me almost growl with frustration.

“If she invited you-”

“She wouldn’t. Your mother would rather cut my balls off.” Dad laughed, and I joined in.

“Oh, Dad.”

“Hey, actions have consequences. We know this. I do miss home, though.”

“I bet. It’s lovely here. I’ll call you again soon okay, I’ve promised I’d help Mom prepare dinner.”

The door opened slightly as Harold, our cat, pushed his wiry body through. I ended the call to Dad and scooped Harold up, making him purr immediately. I jogged down the stairs as I let him go, watching as he dived through the cat flap.

Little ninja.

I padded into the kitchen, my stomach grumbling at the sight of food cooking on the stove. Mom turned to me with a smile.

“How’s your Dad?”

“He’s okay. I think he’s a bit lonely,” I admitted as I began chopping garlic and onions.

“Finn, lonely? No honey. He will never be lonely,” she said dryly, stirring the chicken in the pan. I dropped the onions in, delighting in the sizzling noise they made upon hitting the oil.

“What about you? Do you get lonely?”

Mom shrugged before sending me a sly grin.

“Not enough to want a relationship, darling. I always said I’d only marry once. Now here I am.”

We spoke about mundane things while preparing the food, and I poured us a glass of wine each as we did. I was watching Mom slice through the garlic bread when my phone rang from in the hall.

“Hello?”

“Hey, it’s me. What’s up, baby?”

Steve. I smiled as I sank onto the sofa in the lounge.

“Hey, where are you?”

“I got here a little earlier. I’m at the airport, so I need you to text me the address.” He chuckled as I inhaled sharply.

He was here?!

“Okay!” I squealed, my stomach suddenly tightening with nerves. He would be here within forty minutes if the traffic was good, so I quickly texted him the address. I popped my head back into the kitchen, telling Mom the news.

“Oh! I’ll plate him up a meal. Is he staying with you in your room-”

“Mom.No. You know this,” I sighed impatiently as she nodded quickly.

“Oh, honey, it’s fine. I’ll set up the spare room.” She smiled before turning back to the food.