him. ‘And we didn’t know events would overtake us quite so quickly, did we?’
‘Indeed not,’ George said.
‘We knew Mum had a…’ I didn’t really know what to call him. ‘A boyfriend,’ I said, for want of anything better.
‘Ah, I think I’m a little more than that,’ he said.
Yeah, I could see that, I thought – seeing as you were coming out of the bedroom.
‘What George means is – he and I are engaged,’ Mum said all of a rush.
I stared at her. ‘What? How can you be?’
She laughed. ‘Quite easily.’ She held up her hand, ‘See – engagement ring.’
I glanced at it, not knowing what to say. People their age getting engaged seemed bizarre. I knew people still did it – but young people, not your mum. And especially not to someone you didn’t know. This George might as well be a stranger off the street for all I knew about him.
‘Oh. Isn’t it all a bit quick?’ I said.
Mum smiled. ‘George and I have been seeing each other for a few months now. And I’ve known him for years at work, of course.’
‘That was before love blossomed!’ George put in, giving her a hug, and I was practically sick on the spot.
Just as I was wondering what it all meant – I mean, were they getting married or anything? – Jack came into the hall with a colander in his hand. ‘Bye!’ he said to Mum, beaming at her.
‘There’s my boy!’ Mum said, swooping on him and picking him up. Then she looked at him closely and said, ‘Whatever has he been doing, Megan? He’s absolutely filthy!’
‘They had the sand tray out today,’ I said, still thinking
what’s this George doing here
? ‘Jack wasn’t allowed near it but two of the older kids gave him some sand to play with.’
‘It’s in his hair, nails… even in the crease of his neck!’ Mum said, examining him all over. ‘And he’s got yellow stains all over his T-shirt. The babies should be more closely supervised, Megan. He could have eaten that sand!’
‘He probably did,’ I said.
Jack was staring at George, eyes wide.
‘This is Jack. So what do you think of my grandson?’ Mum asked George.
‘Very nice, very nice,’ George said smoothly, and I thought, I bet
he
hasn’t had children. ‘How old did you say he was?’
‘Nearly fourteen months,’ I said. I took Jack from Mum. ‘So… now that you’re engaged – what’s that mean, exactly?’
‘Well,’ Mum said slowly, ‘we’re not only a proper couple, but George has come to live here with me. With us.’
‘Oh.’ I stared at her. If she’d said George was an alien I couldn’t have been more surprised. Mum – living with someone when she’d always been so bloody scathing about anyone else setting up – living in sin, as she called it – before they were married.
‘But we… it’s so small here!’ I said weakly, trying to imagine what it would be like having another personin the flat: George in the bathroom, George to be cooked for, George hogging the TV controls, George wanting Mum to go out places with him, George’s washing, George’s ironing, George’s stuff all round the place. We could barely manage as it was.
‘I hope we’ll be able to move quite soon,’ George said.
‘That’s right,’ said Mum. ‘We’re looking out for a house with a garden.’ When I didn’t make noises of pleasure and appreciation she added, ‘A nice garden for Jack to play in.’
‘Oh. Right,’ I said. I couldn’t quite take it in. House: OK. George: not so OK. But whether I approved or not it didn’t make much difference. It was official: George was here, living with us.
‘We were just hanging George’s things up in the wardrobe,’ Mum said.
‘I haven’t got much with me,’ said George. ‘I’ll have to bide my time and pop back for the rest.’
Mum looked at me, seeming a bit embarrassed. ‘George had to leave in a rush yesterday evening.’
‘Spent the night in the car!’ George added.
My mind spun with possibilities: moonlight flits,
‘Indeed not,’ George said.
‘We knew Mum had a…’ I didn’t really know what to call him. ‘A boyfriend,’ I said, for want of anything better.
‘Ah, I think I’m a little more than that,’ he said.
Yeah, I could see that, I thought – seeing as you were coming out of the bedroom.
‘What George means is – he and I are engaged,’ Mum said all of a rush.
I stared at her. ‘What? How can you be?’
She laughed. ‘Quite easily.’ She held up her hand, ‘See – engagement ring.’
I glanced at it, not knowing what to say. People their age getting engaged seemed bizarre. I knew people still did it – but young people, not your mum. And especially not to someone you didn’t know. This George might as well be a stranger off the street for all I knew about him.
‘Oh. Isn’t it all a bit quick?’ I said.
Mum smiled. ‘George and I have been seeing each other for a few months now. And I’ve known him for years at work, of course.’
‘That was before love blossomed!’ George put in, giving her a hug, and I was practically sick on the spot.
Just as I was wondering what it all meant – I mean, were they getting married or anything? – Jack came into the hall with a colander in his hand. ‘Bye!’ he said to Mum, beaming at her.
‘There’s my boy!’ Mum said, swooping on him and picking him up. Then she looked at him closely and said, ‘Whatever has he been doing, Megan? He’s absolutely filthy!’
‘They had the sand tray out today,’ I said, still thinking
what’s this George doing here
? ‘Jack wasn’t allowed near it but two of the older kids gave him some sand to play with.’
‘It’s in his hair, nails… even in the crease of his neck!’ Mum said, examining him all over. ‘And he’s got yellow stains all over his T-shirt. The babies should be more closely supervised, Megan. He could have eaten that sand!’
‘He probably did,’ I said.
Jack was staring at George, eyes wide.
‘This is Jack. So what do you think of my grandson?’ Mum asked George.
‘Very nice, very nice,’ George said smoothly, and I thought, I bet
he
hasn’t had children. ‘How old did you say he was?’
‘Nearly fourteen months,’ I said. I took Jack from Mum. ‘So… now that you’re engaged – what’s that mean, exactly?’
‘Well,’ Mum said slowly, ‘we’re not only a proper couple, but George has come to live here with me. With us.’
‘Oh.’ I stared at her. If she’d said George was an alien I couldn’t have been more surprised. Mum – living with someone when she’d always been so bloody scathing about anyone else setting up – living in sin, as she called it – before they were married.
‘But we… it’s so small here!’ I said weakly, trying to imagine what it would be like having another personin the flat: George in the bathroom, George to be cooked for, George hogging the TV controls, George wanting Mum to go out places with him, George’s washing, George’s ironing, George’s stuff all round the place. We could barely manage as it was.
‘I hope we’ll be able to move quite soon,’ George said.
‘That’s right,’ said Mum. ‘We’re looking out for a house with a garden.’ When I didn’t make noises of pleasure and appreciation she added, ‘A nice garden for Jack to play in.’
‘Oh. Right,’ I said. I couldn’t quite take it in. House: OK. George: not so OK. But whether I approved or not it didn’t make much difference. It was official: George was here, living with us.
‘We were just hanging George’s things up in the wardrobe,’ Mum said.
‘I haven’t got much with me,’ said George. ‘I’ll have to bide my time and pop back for the rest.’
Mum looked at me, seeming a bit embarrassed. ‘George had to leave in a rush yesterday evening.’
‘Spent the night in the car!’ George added.
My mind spun with possibilities: moonlight flits,
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