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“Would you like to stay for dinner, Francesca?” Leah asks.
I freeze as Leah pats, then squeezes the hand still wrapped around her waist. I retract it, the sense of loss immediate. Having Leah in my space is playing havoc with my senses.
“Oh, I don’t want to intrude,” Mum says, although her eyes tell a different story. If I know my mother, she wants all the gossip. This is her dream come true. Finding her youngest, socially awkward son, me, with a woman in his house, cooking him dinner.
“It’s no trouble. There’s plenty,” Leah says, turning off the stove.
She turns towards me and raises an eyebrow, her eyes full of mischief. She’s telling me two can play at this game.
“Gabriel, lay a place for your mum.”
Mum looks over, her grin reminiscent of the Cheshire Cat in the Alice in Wonderland book she read to us when we were little. I do as I’m told and lay an extra place.
“Oh, Leah, this is delicious,” Mum says on her second helping. “It’s amazing you come home after working such long hours and cook for my son.”
I roll my eyes. Mum never approved of my restaurant-supplied diet. She’s probably fallen in love with Leah purely because she knows how to cook.
“It’s no trouble. I enjoy cooking, and I’d rather know what I’m eating,” Leah says. “I grew up cooking alongside my mum. She taught me everything I know.”
“How lovely,” Mum says. “It’s a skill so many of the younger generation are losing.”
“To mum and I, it was a bonding session. We still cook together when I visit.”
Mum clasps her hands in delight, holding them to her chest. “That’s lovely. Do you see them often?”
“Usually once a month. They’re currently travelling around Australia. I miss them,” Leah says.
“Then Gabriel, you need to bring Leah home one weekend. She can have some family time at our house,” Mum says shooting me a look that garners no argument.
“Of course,” I say. I need to change the subject before she’s locked us in. “Did you have a pleasant lunch with your friends?” I ask Leah, garnering a shocked look.
“Er, I did,” she says, inclining her head, questioning how the hell I knew she went to lunch with her friends. I smile and raise an eyebrow.
“Oh, that’s wonderful,” Mum says. “It’s so important to maintain your friendships when you’re in a relationship. I kept all my friends from before your father and I married. They’ve kept me going... after I lost him.” My mother’s voice drops. She and Dad were inseparable, but she always maintained her own friendships and hobbies.
Leah squeezes my mum’s shoulder as she collects her plate, and I’m shocked when Mum pats her hand in acknowledgement. Who is this woman bewitching my mother?
Mum helps clear up. I can tell that Leah is shocked. Mum might be worth billions. Dad took the family business and grew it during their marriage. But there was one thing Mum ensured. We were never too big for our boots or too wealthy to muck in.
I watch as my mother and Leah fall into an easy conversation. I might as well have not been there. Having taken their drinks to the sofa, they have barely come up for air.
It’s only when my mum’s phone beeps she looks up in shock.
“Oh gosh, is that the time? I’m sorry I’ve monopolised your evening. That’s Freddy, my driver. I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone,” Mum says, carrying her glass to the kitchen and rinsing it under the tap.
“Well, it was lovely to meet you, Mrs Frazer... sorry, Francesca,” Leah says, following behind her.
“You too, Leah. I’m so happy he’s found you.” Mum pulls Leah in for an impromptu hug, which Leah accepts. Her arms wrap around my mother.
Together, we walk her to the elevator.
“I’ll take Mum down to the car,” I say, stepping in beside my mother.
“See you soon,” Leah adds.
“Oh, Leah, will you come to the Frazer Fundraising Weekend this year? We have a family get-together to celebrate my birthday, and the next day, it’s all about raising as much money as we can for the causes we support.”
“Er,” Leah says, as her eyes shoot to mine.
