A year to the day later, Drew proposed to her on that exact same bench.
Eleven years after that, the most patient man on the planet finally got to marry the love of his life.
‘Even if he was flirting,’ I said, focusing my mind back on the present, ‘it’s irrelevant, isn’t it?’ I paused for a couple of seconds, before asking tentatively, ‘Is it?’
‘For now, then one hundred per cent yes!’ Steph replied firmly. ‘You can’t abandon the No-Man Mandate every time one bats his eyelashes at you. Short-term pain for long-term successful relationship gain, remember?’
‘Yes, sir!’
‘Having said that…’ Her voice softened. ‘It is going to be completely relevant once you’ve finished that list. It’ll be far easier to ask him out now you know he’s interested.’
‘Um, what?’ I retorted. ‘I wasn’t planning on asking him out, and I still don’t know if he’s interested. Even if I’m interested, which I don’t know yet, because I still don’t know what or whom interests me, hence the No-Man Mandate, remember?’
Steph burst out laughing. ‘Whatever, darling, you keep telling yourself that. For now.’
10
The rest of the week was fairly uneventful in comparison to the weekend. Of course, for me, simply waking up in my own house, and getting on with my own life was eventful enough. From Monday to Wednesday, it rained almost continually. I scurried through the woods with my hood up while Nesbit tumbled and sniffed and wagged his tail beside me, and stood huddled for hours under an umbrella while waiting for him to earn a sticker.
It was working, though. Between us, Joan and I had taught him to sit and wait, to answer to his name and to do what he was supposed to do where he was supposed to do it.
On Thursday, I woke up to another note:
Trampling about a lawn in wet weather destroys the grass. Please stop.
I posted one back later that day:
Thank you so much for erecting the shelter so I don’t have to stand in the rain! That was unbelievably thoughtful of you. Please accept my small gluten-free token of appreciation.
This time, the cinnamon muffin didn’t arrive back on my doorstep.
One consequence of the weather was that instead of hanging about outside with me, Joan called round to End Cottage once I was home from work and she had finished school. This felt more of a big deal than simply being in our joint garden together. While she was here mostly for Nesbit, I also knew she was bored and lonely at home. As the week passed, my growing unease at becoming her impromptu childcare provided enough courage to call round and talk to Leanne.
I’d positioned myself in view of the window, Ebenezer style, so I could spot Leanne coming home from work and catch her before she went to bed. I waited a courteous five minutes then went to knock on her door.
Joan answered, the traditional eon later. ‘Hi, Ollie,’ she said, glancing behind her as she spoke.
‘Hi, Joan. I was hoping to speak to your mum.’
‘Ummm…’ Joan’s eyes flickered side to side a few times. ‘She’s resting now. She’s not feeling good today.’
I sent a shooting-star-style prayer skywards that ‘resting’ wasn’t a cover-up for something far worse.
‘Could you ask her if she wouldn’t mind anyway, please? I’d really like to have a quick chat.’
Joan’s mouth drew into a thin line as she pushed the door until it was only open by the merest crack, and disappeared into the house. If it had been any other house, I’d have given up and gone back home long before the door finally creaked open. Leanne looked… well, like she needed a rest.
The contours of her face were stark against the purple shadows encircling each eye. A white tracksuit only highlighted skin that was sagging and sallow. She raised her chin, pale lips twisting. ‘What?’
‘I wanted a quick chat about Diamanté Butterfly, if that’s okay?’ I was relieved to see that, while bloodshot and lifeless, Leanne’s eyes appeared focused. I took a slow, subtle breath in but detected no whiff of alcohol. She’d only been home a few minutes, though.
Leanne folded her arms, lips pursing in annoyance. ‘What’s she done now?’
‘Nothing! Well, I mean nothing she shouldn’t have. As far as I know.’
‘That makes a change.’
‘Really?’
She raised one eyebrow in a question. ‘What, then?’
‘Do you mind if I step inside?’ While the unrelenting downpour of the past few days had eased, it was still drizzling, and it was hard to remain composed while droplets were running down my face into my mouth.
Leanne glanced behind her, in a startling imitation of her daughter earlier on, and sighed before turning and disappearing through a doorway a couple of steps down the hallway. Taking that as an invitation, I followed her into a mirror image of my living room.
That is, in basic layout only. I tried my utmost to keep my face pleasantly neutral, but it was not easy. Leanne and Joan were living in a giant bin. A ratty sofa covered with a musty blanket and two battered end tables were the only furniture, apart from an old wine crate acting as a television stand. Every available surface, including the windowsill and empty fireplace, were crammed with dirty pots, empty cartons and other mess. The room stank of stale food, unwashed bodies and worse. The floor was covered in mismatched pieces of lino that looked as though they’d never seen a mop. The walls were a dank beige lined with boxes and plastic bags bursting with clutter.
It was without doubt the most depressing room I’d ever set foot in. Leanne nodded to one end of the sofa, perching herself on the other. I took a swift visual sweep of the rubbish as I sat down, but spotted nothing concerning. Having said that, I had been left waiting on the doorstep for a good five minutes. Plenty of time to hide any bottles or other incriminating evidence. Leanne picked at a nail, leaving me to resume the conversation.
‘She’s probably told you that I’ve been taking care of the dog she found.’
Leanne gave me a sharp glance. ‘That’s your decision. I ain’t paying for it.’
‘No! It’s not that. But Joan – Diamanté Butterfly—’
‘You can call her Joan,’ Leanne muttered. ‘I’ve given up arguing with her. Might as well fight a brick wall.’
‘Right. Well, she considers Nesbit to be partly hers, which is fine, so she’s been spending a lot of time with him in the garden after school, and on Saturday. Only, this week, while the weather’s been so bad, she’s come to see him in my house every day.’