BooksBarbecue
Back Just Say Yes Save as PDF
Chapters (47)
  1. Dedication
  2. PRONUNCIATION GUIDE
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. EPILOGUE
  44. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  45. MORE FROM MAXINE MORREY
  46. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  47. About Boldwood Books

‘My mum was killed in a car accident the night of my graduation from university.’

34

I felt Lorcan shift beside me. ‘Maddie, you don’t have to tell me this if you don’t want to.’

‘I want to,’ I said, turning to face him. The scarf had already slipped but I tugged it down further so that he could see my face properly. Or read it, whatever it was he did.

‘OK.’

I swallowed and studied my feet for a couple of minutes. Lorcan didn’t hurry me, or say a word. He just sat there, as solid and as present as the stone boulder beneath us.

‘They were so excited about the day and I was too. I’d worked hard on my degree and got a First and had all these dreams and plans. My parents were really supportive and always ready to listen to an idea, support me in it but also give me good, down-to-earth advice. We talked a lot. I knew some of the students didn’t talk a lot to their parents, but I’d ring mine often, even if it was just for a few minutes to say hi, and speak to my little brother. He was a bit of an oops moment so there was quite an age gap between us. At twelve, he was still just on the cusp of wanting to chat to his big sister, which I loved. I had no idea what he was talking about sometimes but he was always full of enthusiasm for it, whatever it was.’

‘Sounds like a family trait.’

I looked round briefly and smiled, feeling the overwhelming wave of sadness in it. ‘Yes. We had a wonderful day. I didn’t trip on my gown, so I’d called that a win, and then we went out for a lovely meal at this fancy restaurant Dad had booked as a surprise. We had champagne, although Dad only had a sip because he was driving. He’d put another bottle in the fridge for when we got home so that he could toast me properly. Even my little brother, Henry, tried a bit. Not that he liked it,’ I said, laughing at the memory but feeling, and hearing, the fracture in my voice. ‘So basically, Mum and I got to polish off a bottle, which we didn’t complain about.’

Lorcan moved his gloved hand so that it butted up against my mittened one on the rock. It was the simplest gesture but I felt a wave of gratitude towards him. It was enough. Just enough to say, ‘I’m here.’