Page 60 of The Second Chance Supper Club

‘Hey, Mum.’

‘Ah, hi, love.’ Aw, that was nice, Adam was calling her. She’d been trying hard not to hound him; trying to get the balance between regularly checking he was all right, but giving him the space he needed to get back on his feet for himself. ‘Everything okay?’

‘Yep, pretty good. Feeling more myself, thanks. And I got to see the doc.’

‘Great …’ She held off from saying, And ? Giving him chance to frame his response.

‘Yeah, that went fine … good, really. We had a bit of a chat. Gave me a load of helpline numbers, information, some of it looks useful. I could have gone on anti-depressants, but you know, I just want to see how I go for now. The doc was okay with that, saying that the option’s there should I need.

He was pretty cool, actually. Oh, and …’ Adam’s voice suddenly sounded more serious.

Cath found herself holding her breath. ‘I have been advised that, as lovely as it is that you’ve offered …

well, I’ve been warned against you moving down here. ’

What ? ‘You have?’ That sounded rather odd from a doctor, who didn’t know a damned thing about their family circumstances. She felt the heat rising through her.

‘Yeah, he said it might drive me to despair, having you lurking on my doorstep.’ He said it deadpan.

She finally caught on. ‘Adam … that’s so not funny.’ But she had to concede a small smile. It was nice to hear him jesting again, more like his old self.

‘Honestly though, Mum, I’ve had a chance to think, these past few days …

about a lot of stuff. And you selling up, coming back down here, it just doesn’t make sense.

You love it up there in your cottage, that little village, I can tell.

You’ve had all that shit with Dad to deal with …

it’s your time, you need this. Your new chance of happiness.

’ He paused. ‘Really, don’t let it be about me, making you sell up …

unless there’re other reasons I don’t know about.

You can come down here, make me that Sunday dinner you were promising, and I can come up and visit sometimes too.

I’ll be fine , really. We’ll work it out. ’

Could she take him at his word? Or was he just braving things out for her?

He seemed to twig her misgivings. ‘I do need my own space here, Mum. And I’ve got Dad not so far away, if I need. He came to see me last night. Brought us a Chinese takeaway, actually. Seems to be okay. Back on with Steph. So that’s cheering him up.’

‘Ah, I’m glad he’s been over.’ The two of them had spoken, and Trev had promised to look in on Adam.

He had also mentioned being back with his girlfriend now too, and that hadn’t hurt anywhere near as much as it might have done a few months back.

They could still work as a team where it mattered, she mused.

Adam then asked about the latest village antics.

She wasn’t going to delve into that particular can of worms, instead merely mentioning there was to be another Supper Club soon.

Hah, it was no way near as sleepy here as he might imagine.

But yes, this village was her lifeline, her meant-to-be place.

He was right about that. Her relief that she seemingly no longer needed to up sticks and move again was already flowing like soothing Northumbrian honey in her veins.

The conversation ended soon after, with virtual hugs and kisses, and a warm feeling that Adam was going to be all right. A little of her mother-guilt about the break-up with Trevor and the sale of the family home, the upset it had caused to all their lives, peeling away.

It was one step at a time for her son, and for her, trying to navigate their adult relationship with honesty, humour and respect, but at last she felt it was all going in the right direction.

There was another relationship that she really needed to keep steering in the right direction, too. Despite the frosty reception to her side of their youthful story from Will, Cath was determined not to duck out anymore. This was the new Cath, taking life, love and friendship by the horns.

She decided to private message Will, saying that though she’d love to come along to the next supper event, she was offering him an easy way out if he felt uncomfortable about it.

Cath was determined to keep trying hard for them to remain friends …

to give it time, but she didn’t want him to feel awkward. She was waiting for his response.

An hour after sending the message, there was a rap at her door.

Oh, Will was there, looking so damned attractive in dark jeans and a plain khaki T.

‘Hi.’ His expression and tone were gentle.

‘Hey.’ She found she couldn’t be cool with him, a hopeful smile already playing on her lips.

‘I’m sorry if I didn’t take it well … your explanation the other day …’ he started, looking distinctly awkward.

‘Hey, come on in.’ This was evidently not a conversation for the doorstep.

Both stood in her hallway now. ‘It was all just a bit of a shock … well … hearing that you might have been pregnant back then. I’m sorry if I wasn’t very understanding.’ He looked right at her.

‘It’s okay …’ She felt a calmness come over her.

He was here now, they were talking again, and that meant so much.

‘And I’ve seen the lads, they’ve actually been giving me some cooking lessons in advance of Friday …

I certainly need it. They told me about your Adam.

I’m sorry you’ve had all that worry. How is he? ’

‘Ah, he’s doing okay. Thank you. I think he’s through the worst of it.

Just hit a real low. It’s hard for them, isn’t it, youngsters today.

All those hopes and dreams after uni … and then the reality, with good jobs so few and far between.

’ She drew a breath. ‘And it really hasn’t helped him, all this stuff going on between me and Trevor these past couple of years.

It’s been a total mess and he’s been in the middle of it.

We hadn’t always noticed … Your children are still so vulnerable, even if they are grown-up adults. ’

Will was nodding understandingly. ‘There’s no magic shield when you hit eighteen is there? Life still sends in those knocks.’

And didn’t the pair of them know it.

‘The Supper Club at mine,’ he continued, sounding slightly uncertain of himself, ‘I’d like you to come along, Cath. Shall we give this friends thing a try?’

‘You sure?’

They both knew it wasn’t going to be easy for him – for either of them.

‘Sure.’

‘O-kay. Well, thank you.’

So, Supper Club at Will’s was a yes.

He gave a cautious smile, then added, ‘Sorry, but I’ve got to go, get back to the shop.

Got a delivery due at six.’ He was preparing his exit, there was of course no hug or kiss on the cheek, but at least something had shifted positively between them.

Cath still felt a whole heap of emotions when she looked at him, having once hoped for so much more.

She’d have to settle for friendship, and they’d still need to work at making that feel comfortable again, but hey, this was way better than the stalemate they’d had for weeks now.