would need for the meal. My father had informed me that he would be eating out with Sheri tonight, and with Caiden now gone Gemma and I would just cooking be for the two of us.
We still made a full three course meal, although as always most of our attention went into the dessert. Baking was by far my favourite type of cooking, and it was just a fortunate coincidence that desserts were also my favourite type of food to eat.
“How are you handling the news?” Gemma asked. “I mean, I guess having a fine specimen like Caiden around helps, but are you okay with your father marrying another woman?”
“It doesn’t bother me that much. I know it’s supposed to, but Dad moved on a long time ago and Mum’s in a difficult place right now. Have you spoken to her recently?”
Gemma paused and didn’t answer immediately. She found it difficult to talk about Mum’s condition and often got teary-eyed when I brought it up. She could talk about Mum in the past tense and was always happy to give me information about what she was like before the accident, but everything after that was difficult.
“Not recently,” Gemma replied quietly without looking at me.
“I haven’t spoken to her in a couple of weeks either,” I said. “But I’m speaking to her tomorrow. It’s all organized. Apparently our discussions leave her feeling upset and emotional, so we have to limit them to once every two weeks. I do hope she gets better soon. I want to tell her about Cambridge. Do you think she’ll be pleased to hear about me going there?”
“She’ll be very proud.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
“Victoria, your mum wants you to live your life. Your own life. So long as you are doing what you want to do she will be proud and happy for you. Do you want to go to Cambridge?”
“A degree from the University of Cambridge will set me up for a great career,” I replied.
“That’s not what I asked,” Gemma said, parroting my words back to me.
“You think I’m just going because of Dad, don’t you?”
“You know how I feel about your father.” Gemma could be polite and cordial to my dad when she had to be, but she always asked me whether he would be at home when we were spending time together because she would rather not see him if she had a choice.
“I think Mum regrets going to Cambridge.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because that’s where she met Dad. I don’t think she was ever entirely happy with my father. They made a great couple on paper, but I’m not sure they really ever loved each other.”
“They had an unusual relationship,” Gemma admitted. “But if your mother hadn’t met your father then she would never have had you. I guarantee you, no matter how difficult it was for her at times, she wouldn’t have swapped it for the world. You meant… mean everything to her.”
“I just wished she could have met someone that really kept her happy. She still might of course. The doctors say she is getting better, and fingers crossed she’ll regain all her mental faculties one-day. I just hope it’s not too late by that point. Do you think Dad cheated on her?”
I’d suspected as much for years. Although I had been too young to understand at the time, my dad had often stayed overnight in the City because, according to him, he finished work too late to come home. I knew solicitors worked long hours, but most of them still made it home at the end of the day.
“It’s not my place to say,” Gemma said.
“It’s okay, you don’t have to say anything. It’s not like I could hate my dad much more than I already do right now. Mum deserved better that’s all.”
“She did,” Gemma replied. I caught her wiping a tear from the corner of her eye, but carried on chopping carrots so as not to embarrass her. “Promise me one thing,” Gemma continued, “don’t settle. Don’t end up with someone convenient or someone who is a good fit on paper. And certainly don’t put up with cheating. Your mum
We still made a full three course meal, although as always most of our attention went into the dessert. Baking was by far my favourite type of cooking, and it was just a fortunate coincidence that desserts were also my favourite type of food to eat.
“How are you handling the news?” Gemma asked. “I mean, I guess having a fine specimen like Caiden around helps, but are you okay with your father marrying another woman?”
“It doesn’t bother me that much. I know it’s supposed to, but Dad moved on a long time ago and Mum’s in a difficult place right now. Have you spoken to her recently?”
Gemma paused and didn’t answer immediately. She found it difficult to talk about Mum’s condition and often got teary-eyed when I brought it up. She could talk about Mum in the past tense and was always happy to give me information about what she was like before the accident, but everything after that was difficult.
“Not recently,” Gemma replied quietly without looking at me.
“I haven’t spoken to her in a couple of weeks either,” I said. “But I’m speaking to her tomorrow. It’s all organized. Apparently our discussions leave her feeling upset and emotional, so we have to limit them to once every two weeks. I do hope she gets better soon. I want to tell her about Cambridge. Do you think she’ll be pleased to hear about me going there?”
“She’ll be very proud.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
“Victoria, your mum wants you to live your life. Your own life. So long as you are doing what you want to do she will be proud and happy for you. Do you want to go to Cambridge?”
“A degree from the University of Cambridge will set me up for a great career,” I replied.
“That’s not what I asked,” Gemma said, parroting my words back to me.
“You think I’m just going because of Dad, don’t you?”
“You know how I feel about your father.” Gemma could be polite and cordial to my dad when she had to be, but she always asked me whether he would be at home when we were spending time together because she would rather not see him if she had a choice.
“I think Mum regrets going to Cambridge.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because that’s where she met Dad. I don’t think she was ever entirely happy with my father. They made a great couple on paper, but I’m not sure they really ever loved each other.”
“They had an unusual relationship,” Gemma admitted. “But if your mother hadn’t met your father then she would never have had you. I guarantee you, no matter how difficult it was for her at times, she wouldn’t have swapped it for the world. You meant… mean everything to her.”
“I just wished she could have met someone that really kept her happy. She still might of course. The doctors say she is getting better, and fingers crossed she’ll regain all her mental faculties one-day. I just hope it’s not too late by that point. Do you think Dad cheated on her?”
I’d suspected as much for years. Although I had been too young to understand at the time, my dad had often stayed overnight in the City because, according to him, he finished work too late to come home. I knew solicitors worked long hours, but most of them still made it home at the end of the day.
“It’s not my place to say,” Gemma said.
“It’s okay, you don’t have to say anything. It’s not like I could hate my dad much more than I already do right now. Mum deserved better that’s all.”
“She did,” Gemma replied. I caught her wiping a tear from the corner of her eye, but carried on chopping carrots so as not to embarrass her. “Promise me one thing,” Gemma continued, “don’t settle. Don’t end up with someone convenient or someone who is a good fit on paper. And certainly don’t put up with cheating. Your mum
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