‘Whoops.’
‘But in a way it was nice, because it meant I could ask him about the anxiety and that. I mean, he knew what I’d been through, so I think it helped.’
‘And…?’
‘And I think he’ll be OK. He’s missing you of course.’
‘Well, yes,’ she’d said. ‘I know, but…’
‘Sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it. I just felt sorry for him I guess. I mean, if he’d told you he was going through all that, you’d have understood why he didn’t want to move right then – maybe things would have been different…’
Lily had been silent. ‘Well, maybe,’ she’d said at last. ‘But you know… everything’s changed now.’
Then they’d changed the subject and spoken about Ty, and decorating the house and Lily’s idea for a house-warming party.
‘I hope I’ll be getting an invite?’
‘Well, of course, if you want to come all that way just for a little gathering.’
‘You know me – never say no to a party,’ Emily had joked.
‘You’re on then,’ Lily had replied. ‘And you know what? I might even have a proper spare bed by then.’
‘Oh, I was so hoping to sleep on that leaking airbed again.’
Lily made it to and from the p?tisserie in record time and was soon sitting opposite her son watching him put away pastry after pastry with a combination of fascination and envy. Oh, for a teenage boy’s metabolism – he had no need to eat slowly or concentrate on his food. He simply shovelled it in with no thought of the bottom line.
‘Nice?’ she asked once or twice.
‘Glub,’ he replied, nodding.
She tried not to get emotional as she watched the clock count down the time until her son would have to leave. After all, he’d be back at some point. Perhaps for longer next time. Even so, she could feel the tug on her heartstrings as each minute went past and his flight approached.
At 10 a.m. it would finally be time to start the trip to the airport. With ten minutes to go, they began to gather things together and do the obligatory passport, ticket, phone, wallet checks that precede each trip. It would only be the second time Ty had flown by himself and she was determined that it would go smoothly. She wanted him to want to come back; wanted to minimise any stress.
‘Right, I think we’re all set!’ she said brightly at 9.58 a.m.
At 9.59 a.m., there was a knock on the door.
‘Don’t worry. It’s probably post or something,’ Lily said. She’d ordered a few things online recently and had begun to welcome the morning knock from a postie with a parcel. It was kind of like receiving a present – albeit one you’d paid for.
But it wasn’t the postie.
‘Bonjour, mon coeur!’ Frédérique appeared on the doorstep with an enormous bunch of flowers. ‘You are looking so very beautiful this morning, eh?’ He was smartly dressed in black jeans and a white shirt, his hair glistening with gel.
‘Oh, Frédérique,’ she said. ‘I’m sorry, we’re just going…’
He stepped into the house, and held out the flowers for her to take. ‘They’re beautiful,’ she said, giving them an obligatory sniff. They were freshly cut white lilies, scattered with another pink flower she didn’t recognise. ‘You really shouldn’t have.’
‘I don’t understand,’ he said, his brow furrowing. ‘You want that I don’t bring you flowers? Per’aps you have le hay fever?’
‘Oh, no. I was… it’s just an expression,’ she said hurriedly. ‘I love them. Thank you.’
‘Ah, but you are welcome, my love.’ He looked at her affectionately.
Ty wandered through with his bag, his face visibly dropping when he saw who the visitor was.
‘And it is the son!’ Frédérique exclaimed. ‘He, er, il s’en va… leaves, oui?’
‘Yeah, don’t worry,’ grunted Tyler. ‘I’m off.’
‘Mais non, I am ’ere not because you are leaving! I am not trying to – how you say – make love to your mother. But to ’elp ’er,’ Frédérique said. ‘She need transport back from the airport and I can drive, non?’
‘Oh, it’s so kind of you,’ said Lily, setting the flowers down on the side and hoping the plastic reservoir of water at the base of the cut stems would be enough to stop them dying while they were out. ‘But honestly I’m fine…’
‘Mais non, what kind of man would I be if I let my lover travel alone?’ Frédérique said, smiling fondly and not really getting the hint. ‘And I fink too, that Tyler ’e will be ’appy to know that ’is mother is safe, oui? Not on a train alone? It is no place for a beautiful lady.’
‘Honestly, I’m perfectly capable of taking a train,’ Lily interrupted, slightly affronted.
Tyler’s neck had reddened at the use of the word ‘lover’ but he stayed silent.
‘Oh, mais oui! Of course! But it is far nicer to sit in a car, eh? To ’ave – how you say – door-to-door service! Today I am not your lover. Think of me as your chauffeur! I am sure your son will be ’appy for this.’
He looked at Tyler, who seemed preoccupied with the zip on his bag and said nothing.
Undeterred, Frédérique turned back to Lily with a smile. ‘So I follow you in the car, yes? And zen I can bring you ’ome after? I take the day off my work to ’elp.’
There wasn’t really much to be said.
On route to the airport, Frédérique drove so closely to the back of the Nissan that every time Lily glanced in the rear-view mirror their eyes locked. Or at least, it felt as if they did.
She tried to concentrate on her son but it was hard to ignore the green eyes boring into her from the reflective surface.
‘Sorry,’ she said. ‘Frédérique… well, he’s being nice. But I had hoped it would just be us…’
‘It’s OK.’
‘It’s not though, is it?’ she said. ‘Look, I know Frédérique has said some… well, some things that sound like we’re serious; but honestly, we’ve only actually been out once or twice. I mean, I like him. But it probably won’t go anywhere really.’ She nearly added it was just a bit of fun, but realised Tyler might find this just as horrifying. ‘It’s the language, I think. We’re not… we’re not lovers, not like that. I think… I’m pretty sure it’s a translation thing.’
Tyler visibly paled. ‘It’s OK,’ he said. ‘Really.’
She briefly lifted her hand from the steering wheel and lay it on his. He was grown up now, but still very much her child. She’d read that even when people were well into adulthood, their parents splitting could stir up all kinds of emotions. She couldn’t put her life on hold to spare him, but at the same time she hated the fact that something she was doing was making him so miserable.
It certainly wasn’t how she’d have planned to introduce Frédérique to Tyler. If they’d still been seeing each other when Ty next came, she might have suggested a drink or a meal. Something gradual, subtle.
Frédérique didn’t have any children. Perhaps if he had, he’d have realised that barging into their time together right now hadn’t been the right call. That seeing her son off was something she’d rather do alone.
Perhaps he could have picked her up from the station if he’d wanted. But following them all the way to the airport felt a bit intrusive. It would have been nice to say goodbye to Ty without an audience. But Frédérique just didn’t realise how tricky the situation was for her – her separation from Ben so new, Tyler unused to his mother dating. It wasn’t Frédérique’s fault that he had made things more difficult than they would have been otherwise.
At least, she thought, as they arrived at the airport and she pulled up in the car hire drop-off point, popping the paperwork and the keys into the designated letterbox, she’d be able to say goodbye and reassure Tyler privately before he left. But the minute they exited the car, Frédérique appeared by her side so instantaneously she wondered for a moment whether he was able to teleport.
‘Ah, so ’ere we are,’ he said, gesturing with his arms. ‘Like a leetle family, eh?’
‘I’ll walk you into the building,’ Lily said to Ty. ‘See you off. Say goodbye properly.’
‘Nah, you’re all right,’ he said.
She wasn’t sure whether this brush-off would have happened anyway, but suspected it had a lot to do with Frédérique’s presence. ‘Are you sure?’ she said.
‘Yeah.’
‘Well look,’ she said, putting her arms around him and giving him a squeeze, ‘I’ll miss you.’
‘Thanks,’ he said.
‘And you know… I’ll be in touch with… your dad.’
‘Uh-huh.’
Tyler was about to turn towards the terminal when Frédérique stepped forward and gave him such an enormous pat on the back, Lily worried he might get sued for assault. ‘And,’ Frédérique said. ‘I only just meet you, but I also will miss you too, eh?’
‘OK?’