The Friends We Keep(111)

“It’s a compliment. We were having supper the other night and I know he’s been pretty angry with you, which hasn’t been helped by the fact that he has clearly put his father on a pedestal. I didn’t want to speak ill of the dead, but it was wrong to let him carry on thinking that you are the one at fault when his father was perfect. So I told him about Ben’s other side. The alcoholism. The lies. I told him that none of us is perfect, that we are all doing the best we can, and that yes, you have made some huge mistakes, but so did his father. So did I.”

“Okay,” said Evvie. “Thank you. How did Jack take the news?”

“I suspect it was hard for him to hear, but it’s not right that he blames you completely for this. And I don’t think it’s right that I blame you completely for this either. Ben was amazing when sober, and made terrible decisions when he was drunk. I’m not saying I can forgive you completely, because you were equally culpable, but I’m trying. I want to try. I’ve been thinking about nothing else since Jack showed up, and the one thing I’ve realized is you don’t get to make these kinds of friendships at this stage of life unless you are very, very lucky. I don’t want to take a chance at making these kinds of friendships again. You and Topher have brought a happiness and contentment to my life that I didn’t think I’d ever have again, and now Jack . . .” She trailed off, smiling as she thought of Jack. “Jack has brought me peace. Getting to spend time with him has got rid of the bad memories and brought back so many of the good.”

Evvie was smiling as tears ran down her cheeks. “Does this mean we can still be friends?”

“I love you, Evvie. I always will, and I want us to try. Does that sound okay?”

“It does.” Evvie nodded. “It does.” And as the tears streamed down her face, she took Maggie’s hand gently, tentatively in her own. Maggie smiled and waited patiently as Evvie cried.

But eventually, Evvie took a deep breath and wiped her eyes. She looked at Maggie adoringly and said, “And now that we’re friends, will you come and see Ye Olde Tea Roomes with me?”

“Why? It’s not for sale, is it?”

“Not yet. The agents are going to see it next week. We could get in tomorrow morning. If you still want to?” She took Maggie’s hand again and looked at her.

Maggie took a sip of coffee as she thought, and then nodded. “No commitments,” she said. “But let’s look. Just for fun.”





fifty-four


- 2019 -



Topher was gathering up his things at the end of class. The others were going to the pub for a drink, but he couldn’t join them tonight. He promised Maggie and Evvie he’d help with the styling (he’d also done the painting, but, it transpired, painting was not a skill at which he particularly excelled).

There was a guest lecturer today, Roger Eaves, a well-known gardener who had a number of television shows and was currently hosting a gardening program on Radio 4. Topher was the only one who wasn’t terribly excited about him, only because he wasn’t a big television watcher, and he didn’t know who Roger Eaves was. The rest of the class—a mix of middle-aged women and retired men, with four very handsome younger men who Topher was somewhat fascinated by, even though they were all resolutely straight, with girlfriends and busy social lives—had spent the past week twittering with excitement about actually meeting Roger Eaves.

Roger had walked in this morning, terribly attractive, with thinning sandy blond hair and craggy, weather-beaten looks, and Topher had sat up a little straighter in his chair. Hel-lo, he thought. I wasn’t expecting this. And then: Might he bat for my team? he thought, for there was something about the way he moved, the way he spoke, and the way his gaze kept alighting on Topher, that was, Topher thought, curiouser and curiouser.

“Are you joining us at the pub?” Topher looked up to find Roger at his desk, the others all moving toward the door in a large crowd.

“I can’t,” Topher said regretfully. “I promised to help out a friend with something.” Damn, he thought. This was the first man who had stirred his interest in years, the first man who might actually, possibly, be interested in him, but Topher had no choice but to blow him off.

“That’s a pity. I know I’ve been teaching you all day but we haven’t been formally introduced. Roger Eaves. How do you do?” They shook hands as Topher introduced himself. “I can hear you’re American,” said Roger. “Are you here temporarily to do the course?”

Topher shook his head. “No. My parents lived here when I was young, so I went to university here, many, many lifetimes ago. My mother is living here again, and getting older, so I decided to follow her over.”

“You’re living with your mother?” Roger raised an eyebrow.

Topher laughed. “Most definitely not. She wouldn’t have me. Her social life is far too busy. What can I do?” He shrugged as Roger smiled.

“I know this may sound strange,” said Roger, “but there’s something terribly familiar about you. Is it possible that we would know each other from somewhere?”

Oh, I wish, thought Topher, realizing that Roger was becoming more and more attractive as he spoke. Topher shook his head before pausing. He didn’t usually mention this, certainly not over here where it meant nothing, but it was possible that Roger may have caught him in something, seen him on television.