Just One Year(69)

***

Caleb’s neighborhood in Stratford was really cute. It was a market town with over eight-hundred years of history and happened to be where William Shakespeare was born. It was apparently easy to get to and from London from where he lived. The downside was that it wasn’t the safest area at night. Caleb made it clear he wouldn’t trust me walking alone after dark. I wanted to tell him his concerns were probably unwarranted, but then again, I hadn’t listened to Maura when she’d warned me about Syd’s Theater and look what happened.

Caleb and Poppy’s second-floor apartment was inside a narrow brick house. My heart pounded as Caleb helped me carry my bags up the stairs to their place.

As soon as the door opened, Caleb’s mother came rushing toward us.

“My goodness, you’re back faster than I thought. I wanted to put some makeup on.” She reached out to me. “Teagan, welcome.”

As we hugged, I said, “It’s so amazing to finally meet you, Mrs. Yates.”

“Please call me Poppy,” she said.

Caleb looked a little nervous as he stood with his hands in his pockets, observing my interaction with his mother.

A few moments of awkward silence ensued as his mother took me in. I couldn’t tell what she was thinking.

Stupid American girl?

Boy, I would think my son could do better?

So, this is the girl who wanted to steal my son and keep him in the US?

Then she finally said, “I can see why my son is so smitten with you. You’re absolutely lovely.”

Caleb smiled over at me. I didn’t know what to say, but relief flooded through me.

“The feeling is mutual,” I said. “And you’re lovely as well.”

“I made some lunch, if you’re hungry,” she said.

The only thing I was really hungry for at this point was Caleb. But given that we were now home with his mother, I had no clue when we would be able to properly “reunite.” But I knew I should eat, and there was no way I could refuse her offer.

“Lunch sounds wonderful.”

I followed Caleb and his mother into the small kitchen. A large pot of something was boiling on the stove. Through a window leading out to a fire escape I could see a clothing line with various shorts and shirts blowing in the wind. Then next to the sink was the washer.

“There’s the famous kitchen washing machine I’ve heard so much about.”

His mother seemed confused. “What’s that?”

“Mum, would you believe in the States they have a designated room for laundry? It’s brilliant.”

She laughed. “I hope being here isn’t a rude awakening for you, Teagan.”

“Your place is cozy and intimate. I spend most of my time down in my basement bedroom back home anyway, so this is just my speed.”

Caleb seemed unable to stop staring at me. I, of course, noticed this because I couldn’t stop staring at him.

When his mother turned to tend to the soup, he mouthed, “I want you.”

He looked ready to devour me, which caused a stir in my body.

“I want you, too,” I whispered, certain my face must have turned fifty shades of red with his mother right there.

She interrupted our flirting when she approached the table holding two steaming bowls.

“Smells delicious.”

“It’s my mum’s famous potato and leek soup.”

“I can’t wait to try it.”

After we finished the wonderful soup, Caleb’s mother boiled some tea and put out cookies. She was doing everything in her power to make me feel comfortable, which I appreciated.

The topic of conversation turned serious during our tea, though.

“You’ve come an awfully long way, Teagan—uprooted your life. That’s a testament to how much you truly care for my son.”

“There’s no place I would rather be,” I told her. “Caleb made a huge impression on my life in a short amount of time—not only in what he taught me about appreciating what I have, but the way he’s persevered through many tough things, always wearing a smile when I know it’s not always easy for him.”

His mom nodded. “It’s been a tough year in this house. My husband and I are estranged for the first time in years, and Caleb going to rehab was not something we saw coming. It’s been very hard. But seeing the look on his face when he found out you were coming to England—that’s something I’ll never forget.”

I reached for Caleb’s hand under the table. “Thank you for sharing that. It only solidifies for me that being here is right. All he had to do was ask, honestly.”

I hadn’t expected to feel so at home here, and I must have been more relaxed than I realized as a huge yawn overtook me.

“You must be tired from the trip,” Poppy noted.

“Yeah, I definitely am.”

I had no idea where I was going to be sleeping. Caleb and I hadn’t discussed it. The apartment was small, so there weren’t a lot of choices.

I decided to bite the bullet. “Where will I be sleeping?”

Caleb looked at his mother and back at me. “With me.”

“We don’t have a lot of space,” Poppy added. “And I’m not born yesterday and thinking having Caleb sleep on the couch will change anything that happens when I’m not here.” She smiled. “Just be careful and hold my boy at night if he has a nightmare.”