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We roaood coffee, we roaood coffee and we roah the front door late Saturday evening with a fish and chip supper froether the patchwork quilt that she’s been hanistan She has no idea who he is, but the local oldies group all have pen pals out there, and Nan thought it’d be nice if hers had so to keep hiot the sun tucked away in your socks, Livy?’ Nan asks as I walk into the kitchen ready for work on Monday
I look down at my new canary-yellow Converse and smile ‘Don’t you love the my bowl of cornflakes on the breakfast table ‘How’s your knee?’
Sitting down, I taptoday, Nan?’
‘George and I are going to the market to buy lemons for your cake’ She places a pot of tea on the table and loads ar!’ I try to swipe the randmother’s old hands ay too fast
‘You need fattening up,’ she insists, pouring the tea and pushing it across the table to ue with me, Livy I’ll put you over my knee’
I smile at her threat She’s proh ‘You can get leht’ Her old navy eyes flick to o to the e said he’d take me We’ll speak no rin, but I knohen to shut up Old George is so fond of Nan, but she’s really quite short with him I don’t knohy he sticks around to be bossed about She plays all hard-hearted and uninterested, but I know George’s fondness for her is quietly returned Grae could never replace hihter sent her into dark depression, but Granddad took care of her, suffering in silence for years, silently corief until his body gave in Then there was just etherwhich I didn’t do a very good job of in the early days
She starts to top upto Monday club at six, so I won’t be hoet in from work Can you sort your supper out?’
‘Of course,’ I say, holding e going, too?’
‘Livy,’ she warns sternly
‘Sorry’ I smile as I’rey curls swishing around her ears
‘It’s a very sad situation when I socialise hter’
Her words kill o to work’ I stand and dip to kiss her cheek, ignoring her sigh
I juh the chaos of rush-hour pedestrian traffic My ht and sunny, as does the weather
After navigating through the back streets of Mayfair, I pushit jam-packed already, just like it was last Monday when I started working for Del I don’t have tiain for the fiasco on Friday My apron is thrown atfour tables of e is snapped up bycustomers I smile, deliver quickly and clear the tables even faster I really am a natural at this service-with-a-smile business
Coht any , andBut I still smile when Sylvie slaps my backside as she passes me ‘You’ve only been here a week and I already don’t knohat I’d do without you’
My s door into the kitchen, but it soon falls ahen I turn and co on fate or things happening for a reason I believe that you’re the master of your own destiny – your own decisions and actions are what influence your life course But unfortunately, the decisions and actions of others impact this course, too, and sometimes you’re powerless to prevent it Maybe that’s why I’ve closed myself off from the world – shut myself away and rejected any person, potential situation, or possibility that may take the control away fro it to myself Someone else’s poor, selfish choices have already affected my life too much What I’m not happy about is y, probably when it’s most important that I do
And the reason for this lapse in strength is standing in front ofofshould tell me all I need to know, and it does I’m attracted to hi here? He hatedendless perfect cups of the stuff all day long, I suspect that ain I should be annoyed but I’ at because I’ his usual impassive expression Can he smile? Does he have bad teeth? He looks like he has perfect teeth Everything I can see is perfect, and I know that everything I can’t will be, too He’s dressed in a three-piece suit again, this one navy, hter He looks as perfect and as expensive as ever
I need to speak This is silly, but it takes Sylvie to swing the kitchen door into my back to knockmy arm She scans my startled face, worried when I don’t respond or apes a little ‘Ohshe whispers, releasing her grip, her eyes flicking from me to him ‘I’ll justu me to serve hiain,
He braces his hands on the counter, leaning forward, and that lock of hair falls onto his forehead, divertingaway’
He doesn’t entertain s slowly downto my eyes I don’t answer, but I do frown as his eyebrow arches expectantly ‘I asked you a question’
‘Twenty-four,’ I answer quickly, when I really wanted to tell him to mind his own damn business