A Spot Of Bother

82

Katie had just finished the washing up.

Jacob was in bed. And Ray was sitting at the kitchen table putting new batteries into the cordless phone. She turned round and leant against the sink, drying her hands on a tea towel.

Ray clicked the back of the phone into place. “We have to do something.”

She said, “I know,” and it felt good, finally, to talk about the subject instead of sniping about nursery runs and the lack of tea bags.

Ray said, “I don’t mind how we work this out.” He tilted his chair backward and slotted the phone into its cradle. “Just so long as it doesn’t involve going anywhere near your family.”

For a fraction of a second she wondered whether she ought to be offended. But she couldn’t because Ray was right, their behavior had been abysmal. Then it struck her as actually quite funny and she realized she was laughing. “I’m so sorry about putting you through all of that.”

“It was…educational,” said Ray.

She couldn’t tell from his expression whether he was amused or not so she stopped laughing.

“Told your dad he seemed like the sanest person in the whole family.” Ray stood one of the old batteries on its end. “Put the wind up him a bit.” He stood the other battery on its end next to the first. “I hope he’s OK.”

“Fingers crossed.”

“Jamie’s a decent bloke,” said Ray.

“Yeh.”

“We had a good talk. In the garden.”

“About?” asked Katie.

“Me and you. Him and Tony.”

“Uh-huh.” It seemed a bit risky to ask for details.

“I always thought, you know, being gay, he would be weirder.”

“Probably best not to say that to Jamie.”

Ray looked up at her. “I might be stupid. But I’m not that stupid.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean-”

“Come here, you,” said Ray. He pushed his chair back.

She went and sat on his lap and he put his arms round her and that was it. Like the world flipping inside out.

This was where she was meant to be.

She could feel every muscle in her body relaxing. She touched his face. “I’ve been so horrible to you.”

“You’ve been appalling,” said Ray. “But I still love you.”

“Just hold me.”

He pulled her close and she buried her face in his shoulder and cried.

“It’s OK,” said Ray, rubbing her back gently. “It’s OK.”

How had she been so blind? He’d seen her family at their worst and taken it all with good grace. Even with the wedding canceled.

But he hadn’t changed. He was the same person he’d been all along. The kindest, most dependable, most honorable person in her life.

This was her family. Ray and Jacob.

She felt stupid and relieved and guilty and happy and sad and slightly wobbly on account of feeling so many things at the same time. “I love you.”

“It’s all right,” said Ray. “You don’t have to say it.”

“No. I mean it. I really do.”

“Let’s not say anything for a bit, OK? It gets too complicated when we argue.”

“I’m not arguing,” said Katie.

He lifted her head and put a finger on her lips to stop her speaking and kissed her. It was the first time they had kissed properly in weeks.

He led her upstairs and they made love until Jacob had a nightmare about an angry blue dog and they had to stop rather quickly.