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“Er...” the door to the apartment opens, and Gabriel walks in.
“Why would you say that?” I ask my mother, my heartbeat speeding up to painful levels. Gabriel looks over and raises an eyebrow.
“Your boss offers you a multi-million-pound apartment. No one does that out of the goodness of their heart unless they’re after something.”
I flinch, knowing Gabriel can hear her words. The fact he offered me the apartment out of the goodness of his heart rankles.
Gabriel shrugs and walks towards the door. Why the next words escape my mouth, I’ll never know.
“You’re right. I just didn’t want you to worry. It’s such early days. We’re trying to keep it low-key.”
Gabriel pauses and turns to face me, his expression questioning. I told him I wasn’t prepared to lie to my parents, and now I find myself doing exactly that.
The phone falls silent for a moment. “Is it wise? You know the saying about never messing around on your doorstep?”
“I do, but I promise this is different.”
I sigh, needing to put her mind at rest. I know my mother, she’ll be cutting her trip short and flying home if she thinks there is something wrong. “It’s not like I haven’t known Gabriel for years. When Vince and I ended, things changed between us.”
“But you and Vince had so many plans.”
I know she’s talking about our wedding and grandchildren.
“We did, but there was always an excuse. Vince and I should have ended about five years ago,” I tell her truthfully. That’s when I wanted to begin a family and Vince began his barrage of excuses. He pacified me by placing an engagement ring on my finger but looking back.
I let the past unravel in a way I’ve been too blinkered to see until now. Talking things through with my mum is opening my eyes.
“I just worry about you. It’s a mother’s prerogative,” she says.
“And a father’s,” my dad chips in from the background.
“I know,” I sigh. “It’s one reason I haven’t said anything.” The guilt of that decision weighs heavy, now she’s finally on the phone.
“We may be over fifteen thousand kilometres away, but we’re still your parents. You don’t need to hide things from us. We just want you to be happy. If Gabriel makes you happy, then we look forward to meeting him. We love you, Leah.”
“I know. I love you both, too, so much. I have everything under control.” For the first time in months, I feel that is true.
“I’m glad. So when do we get to meet this new man of yours?” Mum asks, the tone of her voice becoming mischievous.
I cover my eyes, not wanting to look at Gabriel.
Gabriel’s hand encloses mine as he extracts the phone from my hand.
“Mrs Walker,” he says, my eyes lock on his. His lips tilt, and he moves the phone out of my reach.
“Of course, Louise.”
I sit in silence as Gabriel schmoozes my parents. First my mum and then my dad. I’m not sure what I’m more surprised about. The ease with which he talks to them, my awkward boss, or that he’s talking to them at all.
Eventually, he hands me back the phone.
“Mum?” I say.
“Oh Leah, he’s lovely, what a beautiful deep voice. I can’t wait to meet him. Maybe we can talk face-to-face next time we arrange a video call.”
“Er, I’m sure you can—” Gabriel took my phone off speaker while he spoke to them, so I’d only been able to hear one side of their conversation.
I shoot him a quick glance, but he goes into the kitchen area and concentrates on pouring us both a glass of wine.
