We stand there for a minute, awkwardly digesting our revelations. Part of me is screaming for him to just take me in his arms and kiss me, but I know that’s not Will’s way. In fact, I realise with a shudder, that’s more the kind of thing that Luke would have done. Will needs time, and I’m going to need to learn to take things slowly and be patient. I can do that, as long as he doesn’t take forever. He’s looking at me with those extraordinary eyes, but his expression is soft. On impulse, I take a step towards him and open my arms. Another step forward and I’m closing them around his back and turning my head to the side so I can press into his chest. There’s the briefest of pauses before his arms come up to wrap around me in return, and we’re there. I can feel his face sinking to the top of my head as he breathes in, and it’s all I can do not to sigh with pleasure. His heart is thumping strongly through his coat and I’m fighting the urge to undo the zipper and burrow inside to get closer to it. Is he going to kiss me, I wonder? I’d really like him to, but I’m not going to force anything. Just being here is enough for now. The rest can wait.

28

‘Well?’ Sarah asks as I let myself into the flat late that afternoon. ‘Did it work? Did you seal the deal?’ She and Mike are sitting nonchalantly enough on the sofa, with the Sunday newspaper spread out between them, but something tells me they’ve been waiting to ambush me.

‘I’m not sure,’ I tell her honestly.

‘What? How can you not be sure? Either you did or you didn’t.’

If only it was that simple. Although Will and I held each other for ages, which was very nice, we didn’t kiss and neither of us seemed to be able to find the words to move things on either. In the end, we’d gently released each other and headed back to the house where Jonathan had wisely decided to make himself scarce. Our conversation had stuck to safe topics while Will made us a cup of tea and we drank it and then, after another admittedly lovely hug, I’d left and driven home. Although I was elated to begin with because I thought we had made a genuine breakthrough, I then spent most of the journey back second-guessing everything and now I’m completely confused.

‘It’s complicated—’ I begin.

‘It so isn’t,’ Mike interrupts. ‘If it is, it’s purely because yet another only child is showing their inability to communicate properly.’

To my surprise, Sarah is on him before I even get a chance to spring to Will’s defence.