The Marriage by K.L. Slater (any book recommendations TXT) 📕

‘I doubt she was that upset,’ I pointed out gently. ‘Once she’d got over the hysterics, I mean.’

‘I’m not convinced,’ Tom sighed. ‘You know Mum as well as I do, and she’s a determined woman. She was not happy at all.’

I lay down flat again and stared up at the ceiling, my guts twisting in annoyance. ‘I’m a determined woman too. If she wants to lock horns over this, I’m ready for it.’

‘There’s no need for you to get into any spats with her,’ Tom said, a little sternly. I bristled at his patronising tone, the same one I’d heard Jill use on many occasions, and opened my mouth to retaliate, but then decided against it. I didn’t want an argument in our first few hours of married life together. ‘I know she has no choice but to accept we’re married now, but I still worry about her well-being. She’s stuck in that house with Dad and his snide comments. I don’t want to do anything to make things worse for her.’

I swallowed down the bitter laugh that rose in my throat. If we started doing everything for Jill’s benefit, there would be no point in being together in the first place.

‘Me and your mum have known each other a long time and I thought a little gathering would help our families heal together.’

He thought for a moment and I felt his arm soften slightly next to me. I pursed my lips towards him and he kissed them.

‘If you think she’d go for it, then I’ll trust your judgement. You’re a generous person, Mrs Billinghurst, I’ll give you that.’

I laughed. ‘Mrs Billinghurst, I love it! Will I ever get used to it, I wonder?’

‘You’d better.’ He made a grab for me. ‘Because it will be your name for life.’

I pushed him away playfully. ‘No time for more hanky-panky yet, Romeo. Coral and my grandson will be here in half an hour. Let’s get sorted for the next mountain to climb.’

I sat up and slid my legs over the side of the bed but there was no movement from Tom. I looked back at him over my shoulder. His eyes were closed, his brow furrowed.

I knew he was nervous about meeting Ellis and also Coral for the first time since Jesse’s death. I felt nervous too, because there was nobody more important in my life than my grandson. No one at all.

It was imperative the two of them got along, even if it took a while.

I got dressed and went downstairs to make some coffee. I sprang back from the kitchen window when two familiar figures appeared in front of the house, fifteen minutes earlier than I’d expected. ‘They’re here,’ I called upstairs.

Tom came down immediately and walked with me to the front door, brushing down his jeans with his hands and smoothing back his hair after his shower. I opened the door and we waited together in the hallway, watching their hesitant approach.

‘Hi, Coral.’ I greeted her and stood aside while she stepped into the hallway. Ellis hung back and stood on the path, scuffing up the gravel with the toes of the new Converse trainers I’d bought him last week. Tom and Coral had attended the same school, so they knew each other well enough. I figured there was no need for introductions.

‘Hello, Coral,’ Tom said, taking the lead.

Turning her back on him, Coral shrugged off a short cream padded coat. Underneath she wore a pink velour lounge suit with diamanté detail on a feature pocket. It didn’t suit her; she’d got so skinny lately. She was short in stature and liked to wear her blonde hair with the dark roots purposely on show. Her eyebrows were too thick and dark for her thin, pale face, and when I saw her like this, I always wondered what Jesse had seen in her.

Tom held out his hand. ‘Long time no see.’

Coral’s whole face seemed to sag for a moment before she collected herself.

‘Hello,’ she said stiffly, but she ignored his proffered hand.

She had made no secret of the fact that she didn’t approve of my decision to marry Tom. I’d told her about a week ago, before the two of us sat Ellis down together to explain it to him. I’d known she would probably find my decision difficult, but I’d been shocked at the look of horror on her face when I broke the news.

‘How could you?’ she’d hissed. ‘After what Tom Billinghurst did to Jesse? After what he did to me and to Ellis!’

I hadn’t expected her blessing straight away. She was bound to feel resentful of the man who’d taken her partner and Ellis’s father away. But she wasn’t the brightest spark, and wouldn’t have grasped the reasoning behind my marrying him. There had seemed no real point in bothering to fully explain it to her, nor had I attempted to explain the restorative justice programme I’d been involved in with Tom.

Now, she was being hostile to my new husband, and I felt my face tighten.

I watched as Tom shifted uncomfortably and pressed his back against the wall. Before they’d arrived, he had asked me if he should apologise to Coral for his actions on the night Jesse died, but I’d said that wasn’t necessary. ‘I’m Jesse’s mother and you’ve apologised to me. That’s all that matters. Coral might have been pregnant with Jesse’s child, but they weren’t that close. Not really.’

‘Go through and sit down, Coral, I’ll bring you a coffee,’ I said, trying not to sound dismissive but she wasn’t my priority. I turned at a noise on the doorstep and instantly brightened. ‘Here he is, the light of my life! Ellis, this is Tom. Tom, this is my grandson, Ellis.’

Ellis stood very still in the doorway, sullen and silent. His shoulders were hunched, his expression dark and dangerous. He looked so much like Jesse when he was in this mood, my heart squeezed in on itself.

When I’d sat