The Marriage Mender Read Online Free PDF Page B

eyes. I realised he still hadn’t seen Josh since he’d been told.
    ‘It’s OK,’ I whispered. ‘Remember, nothing’s changed. Not really.’
    He nodded, although he didn’t appear convinced.
    I followed Barbara into the kitchen. She was warming her bottom against the Aga. She had a jumper and a cardigan on. In the summer she swapped the jumper for a blouse but she never went without the cardigan.
    ‘Chris was quiet on way over,’ she said.
    I busied myself stirring the gravy while I worked out how to reply. Barbara wouldn’t eat anything without gravy on it.
    ‘It’s a big thing, your son turning sixteen. A whole new set of stuff to worry about.’
    ‘There’s no need to worry about Josh, though, is there? He’s a good lad.’
    I smiled at her and nodded. I heard Josh come down the stairs two at a time and run into a Kermit and Miss Piggy ambush. Chris was now hovering in the doorway, seemingly unsure which side was safer.
    ‘Let me see the birthday boy, then,’ called out Barbara.
    Josh came through, squeezing past Chris without making eye contact, and gave Barbara a hug.
    ‘Eeh, you definitely look older. It’s downhill from here, you know. You’ll have wrinkles like mine before you know it.’
    Josh kissed her on the cheek.
    ‘Happy birthday anyway, love,’ she said, her eyes sparkling as they always did in his presence. ‘And I’m told you haven’t opened my present yet. Must be getting old, then, if you can contain yourself.’
    Josh smiled.
    ‘It’s in the other room,’ Matilda piped up. ‘I’ll go and get it.’
    ‘It’s OK,’ I said. ‘We’ll all come through. Just for a few minutes, and then lunch will be ready.’
    We followed Matilda through to the lounge. The present was on the coffee table. I knew exactly what it was, because we’d bought it. Barbara always gave us the money and asked us to get something Josh really wanted.
    He peeled off the wrapping paper. His face lit up.
    ‘It’s an iPad!’ squealed Matilda.
    ‘I have no idea what you do with it but I were told you really wanted one,’ said Barbara.
    Josh gave her a big hug. ‘I did. Thank you. You can go on the internet and use it to take photos and all sorts. I’ll show you, if you like.’
    ‘It’ll have to be after lunch now,’ I said.
    ‘Right you are,’ said Barbara.
    ‘And this is the guitar Josh got from Mummy and Daddy,’ said Matilda, pointing to the sofa. ‘Only he’s got another one now, so he doesn’t really need it.’
    I glanced at Chris. He looked like he had been kicked in the stomach.
    ‘Oh,’ said Barbara. ‘Who were other one from, then?’
    Josh looked at me for help.
    ‘Just someone who wanted to pass it on to him,’ I said.
    ‘It was the pretty lady who came to the door yesterday,’ chipped in Matilda. ‘Mummy hid it in the cupboard.’
    Barbara looked at me.
    ‘Lunch,’ I said. ‘Lunch will be ready. I’d better go and get the roast out.’
    They followed me through and sat down at the kitchen table.
    Matilda could always be relied upon to fill any awkward silences with her chatter. Barbara suspected something. I was pretty sure of it. She might have been in her seventies but she was sharp. Pin sharp. She glanced at Chris and Josh intermittently throughout the meal. Tried to engage them in conversation. Josh at least responded to the inquiries about how his GCSE revision was going and whether he’d had any more thoughts about where to do his ‘A’ levels (he was trying to find a sixth form or college which offered music technology, art and history). But Chris remained pretty monosyllabic. There were none of his characteristic wisecracks, no egging Matilda on with her jokes. He didn’t even finish all of his lunch, and roast chicken was his favourite. Always had been.
    ‘Not hungry?’ inquired Barbara as I took Chris’s plate.
    ‘Oh, I’m saving some room for pudding,’ said Chris.
    ‘What’s for pudding?’ asked Matilda.
    ‘Well, it’s a birthday meal,