Page 60 of In Just One Day

‘Hi, Mum.’ Flora came to greet her, kissing her briefly on both cheeks. Flora was immediately struck by how together her mother looked, hair up and with perfectly applied make-up. The last time she’d seen her mother, she’d looked quite different, tired and drawn. Flora winced a little as she looked down at her own attire, which consisted of tracksuit bottoms and an old wool jumper of Johnny’s with holes in both elbows.

‘Oh, I’m sorry, you obviously haven’t had a chance to get properly dressed yet.’ Kate gently brushed Flora’s hair away from her face with her fingertips.

‘Yes, I just threw this on for the school run, and I’ve just not had a chance.’ Flora hoped this excuse would fly.

‘Don’t you worry. I know how busy you are.’ Kate moved through to the kitchen. ‘So, how is everyone?’

Flora followed. ‘We’re all good, Mum. Everyone’s happy and healthy. The kids are doing great at school…’

‘And Johnny, how’s he?’ Her mother took a seat at the kitchen table, hanging her coat on the back of the chair.

Flora sat opposite and poured Kate a mug of coffee. ‘He’s good, too. Things are really picking up now at the shop. You know, with Christmas coming.’

‘Oh, that is good to hear. I always knew you were on to something there.’

Flora bristled but managed to stop herself from commenting. Come on, Flora. She can’t help herself. ‘How are you both? How’s Dad?’

Her mother waved her question away. ‘I’ll come on to that in a minute. First, I want to hear all about Venice. Did you have a wonderful time? So sweet of Johnny to think of taking you there. Did you remember it at all?’

Flora smiled. ‘Bits of it, yes. We barely had two days, but we walked a lot, ate a lot.’ Flora laughed. ‘And when we went to St Mark’s I had such a vivid memory of Billy chasing pigeons, do you remember that?’

Kate nodded, staring at her coffee mug, clearly lost in a memory at the very mention of it. ‘Yes, I really do.’ Her eyes were sad. She closed them and shook her head, then looked back at Flora, a smile back on her face. ‘Did you go on a gondola ride?’ Kate picked up her mug, blowing gently.

‘Of course. It had to be done. But we went at night. It was a bit cold but, honestly, Mum, it was gorgeous. So quiet. And the splendour of the place! Well, a kind of faded glamour. I don’t really remember that. It was more about the ice cream when I was little.’

Kate laughed. ‘Yes, it was mostly about the ice cream for you two back then. Anyway, it sounds like you had a wonderful time. I hope to go back there one day.’ Kate put down her mug.

Flora waited for her mother to speak. It still felt strange to be talking about anything when their world had been so utterly shifted. She knew they had to talk about it at some point so, before she changed her mind, she took a breath and spoke.

‘So, Mum, is this about the court case, because I’ve been thinking, if you want me to go—’

‘No, Flora. It’s not about that.’

Flora couldn’t hide her surprise. ‘Oh, but I thought—’

‘Darling, whether you come or not is up to you. I’m not going to force you to do something you don’t want to do.’

Flora was confused. ‘So, what is it, then?’

Kate put both her hands on the table, looking at them. Flora shifted in her chair. She sensed she wasn’t going to like what her mother was about to say.

Kate took a deep breath. ‘I’m afraid it’s about your father and me.’

Flora gasped. ‘Oh God, Mum, please don’t…’ She put her hand to her mouth. She thought back to seeing him as he’d – they’d – walked up the steps at the station, the way they’d kissed and smiled at each other. She’d tried so hard to forget that image but now, sitting opposite her mother, she saw it more clearly than ever.

‘I’m sorry, Flora, I know we’ve all been through so much, but I’ve asked your father to leave.’

Flora felt as if time had stopped. ‘This can’t be happening.’ She didn’t even know if she’d said the words out loud.

‘I’m afraid it is. I wish it wasn’t, but there we are. Not immediately, of course – I’m not going to be unreasonable – but I’ve asked him to find somewhere else to live, sooner rather than later.’

‘But why?’ Flora felt guilty even asking. She hoped her mother couldn’t tell she already knew the answer.

Kate glanced down at her hands again. ‘We’ve just grown apart in recent years and now, more so than ever, I realise I need to live the rest of the life I have in a way that makes me happy.’

Flora watched her mother’s face, her lips pressed tightly together as she always did when determined not to say what she really wanted to say. Flora wanted to scream the words at her mother, but she, too, swallowed them. If her mother didn’t know about the affair, she wasn’t going to be the one to tell her. If anyone owed Kate an explanation, it was Robin.

Flora reached across the table to take her mother’s hands. ‘Did something happen?’ She felt ashamed for asking when she knew the truth, feeling her cheeks redden as she spoke.