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Sophie swallowed to compose herself and reached for her mother’s hand. ‘It’s fine. And you definitely need to sort out that bathroom. Homes Under the Hammer would rip that right out.’
Her mother laughed and squeezed Sophie’s hand. ‘I’m sorry, we didn’t think. I know that sometimes I don’t think before I say these things. I just get so carried away with planning and things. You know me.’
Sophie squeezed her hand back.
‘What’s going on here?’ David appeared at the door. ‘The Antiques Road Show starts in five minutes and you know you want to see if there’s a hidden gem worth thousands of pounds.’ He turned and left – the expectation for Sophie and June to follow.
‘Come on.’ Sophie stood and pulled June up with her. She hid the photograph under some old cinema tickets and put her shoebox of trinkets back under the bed.
‘Well,’ declared her mother as the credits rolled. ‘I’m stuffed. I’m growing my very own food baby right here.’
Sophie flinched.
‘Another drink, love?’ David asked.
Sophie shook her head, stood up, and stretched. ‘No thank you, Dad.’ She kissed him on the head. ‘I have to get going. It’ll take me forty minutes to get across town to the train station and I don’t want to miss the last train.’
‘I really wish you wouldn’t gallivant around on public transport in the middle of the night, Sophie,’ June said.
‘It’s nine o’clock, Mum.’
‘Even still.’ She set about puffing cushions and straightening the throw now that Sophie had stood. It was like she’d already left.
‘Bye, Mum. Thank you for dinner. It was lovely.’
‘You’re welcome, sweetheart.’ June leant a little closer and kissed the air on either side of Sophie’s face.
By the time Sophie had hopped on two separate Tubes and emerged into the open air of Paddington station, it was cold enough for her to see her breath. She slipped on her gloves and shoved her hands firmly into her pockets for added warmth. She’d need a coffee if she was going to stay awake on the train back to Oxford.
She saw him just as she turned around to look at the departures screen. Across the platforms, on the other side of a slow-moving train, he appeared in between each of the carriages as they pulled out of the station. She pushed past the crowd of people staring up at the screen and when the train left, she could see it was him for sure. He had the same crop of jet-black hair and his signature long, dark trench coat. His briefcase, the one Sophie had bought him for his birthday two years ago, lay on the floor, resting against his shin. He was with another woman – a woman who looked vaguely familiar.
But the most surprising thing of all was that Sophie felt nothing. Her eyes didn’t prick with unexpected tears. Nor did she feel the urge to race across the platform and throttle him. And there was no lurch from her heart, either.
Jordan was there, ripe for confrontation. But Sophie didn’t care any more, and it made her feel a little lighter.
Chapter Fourteen
Three weeks until Christmas
It was duty day again. Sophie hated doing duty twice a week enough as it was, but now, in the very depths of December, it was freezing. For as far as she could see above the houses, in every direction, the sky was grey and dull. The rain was sort of coming down – it was half sleet, almost snow, but not really enough to gather up the entire school and allow them inside. That would be even more chaotic than allowing them to frolic in it outside. Miss Davies, the headteacher, insisted it was good for them. It might be good for them, thought Sophie, but it was hideous for her. She pulled her coat around herself more tightly and checked that the zip was up as high as it could be for the hundredth time. She loved Christmas but relished the indoor activities that involved roaring fires and hot chocolate with marshmallows. Unless there were Christmas lights or mulled wine, the outdoors wasn’t really her cup of tea, even at Christmas time.
Her strategy to keep warm in the predictably inclement weather was to walk in a figure of eight around the playground and the school building. Not only did she look like she was doing an excellent job of being on duty, but it also helped her to reach 10,000 steps on her Fitbit and build up a bit of body heat at the same time. If it worked for the children who ran around like greyhounds all lunchtime and then came into the classroom sweating and red, then it could work for her too. She didn’t want to go too mad, though; being sweaty and red wasn’t really the look she was going for, especially since her meeting with Liam was scheduled for today. But, of course, it really didn’t matter what she looked like for that, did it?
As she rounded the corner to the main yard area, Sophie spotted a lonely figure on the friendship bench. Whoever it was, they were hunched over, staring at their shoes, while the wind whipped around them and all the other children ran past without a second look. Sophie made her way across the playground and sat down next to the child on the bench. When she did, they looked up and Sophie saw it was Cassie, hiding behind her hair.
‘Hi, Cassie,’ Sophie said.
Cassie didn’t reply, and they sat there together for a couple of minutes in silence. Cassie shivered.
‘I was wondering whether you might be able to give me a hand with something in my classroom,’ Sophie said.
Cassie shrugged. ‘All right.’
‘Come on, then.’ They walked together into the school building, Cassie dragging slightly behind her. It was only a few minutes until the bell and Sophie could see there were enough staff outside for her to disappear for the final few moments of lunch.
‘Why don’t you sit there next to the radiator?’ Sophie suggested as she shook her coat off. ‘I’ll just go and get what we need.’ She went into the cupboard and reached for the craft boxes, which she laid out on the table between them. ‘I’ve been making some Christmas decorations for the class Christmas tree ready to decorate it on Wednesday. I’ve been a little busy, though, and I don’t think I’ll finish. Do you think you could help me?’
Cassie nodded but didn’t say anything, her expression giving nothing away.
