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Authors: Betsy Reavley
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look at one another. You could have cut the tension with a knife. Thankfully, Mrs Miller wasn’t short of things to say and her idle chatter helped the time pass.
I kept expecting Larry to announce our engagement but he didn’t. I put it down to the atmosphere between his parents.
Linda Miller was very friendly but a bit overbearing. She talked with her mouth full, never pausing for breath. I watched the potatoes and broccoli journey around her mouth and tried to concentrate on what she was saying.
It was nice sitting round with a proper family having a civilised meal even if the grown-ups weren’t talking to each other. I couldn’t remember doing anything like that with Dad and Dawn. Not since Mum died.
When we’d all finished our food and Larry had stopped mopping up his gravy with a piece of sliced bread, I helped Mrs Miller tidy the plates away. She seemed grateful for my offer to help. Larry got up and left his father sitting there alone. He seemed unwilling to allow me to be alone with his mother.
Once in the small kitchen, at the back of the house, I piled the crockery next to the sink while Mrs Miller ran the hot tap and put on an apron.
‘You dry.’ She smiled, handing me a tea-towel.
Larry leant against one of the cupboards watching us both, nursing his beer. I didn’t know he drank. He looked so grown up holding a pint.
When all the dishes were clean Larry kissed his mum on the cheek and told her we were going for a walk. I was disappointed I didn’t get to see his bedroom. I thought he’d be eager to show me. But he seemed distracted and we left the house, never saying goodbye to Mr Miller.
‘Sorry about that.’ Larry rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. ‘Let’s go to the cemetery.’
I’d never really visited that part of the town before. There had never been any need. We followed the pavement until we came to a small path on the other side of the street.
‘Come on,’ Larry grabbed my hand and pulled me along.
I was expecting a small churchyard but what I saw was something very different. It was a large open green space with long grass and a few wild flowers, interspersed with headstones. We walked for a while hand in hand silently looking at the names of people long gone.
‘I think we shouldn’t have a big wedding.’ Larry stopped by one of the graves and bent down on his heels so he could read the stone. ‘Look at this, Dee, a husband and wife buried together. That’s nice.’
I stood awkwardly, my shorts feeling even tighter since consuming a large helping of roast dinner.
‘We won’t do it in a church. I’m not religious and you’re not either, are you?’
‘My mum was Catholic, but lapsed. So no, I’m not.’
‘We’ll go to the registry office and do it there. I’ll go in the week and see when they can fit us in.’
‘I think we need to tell our parents first before we make any plans.’ The reality of telling my dad was dawning on me and I was wondering what had stopped Larry mentioning it at lunch, like he’d said he would.
‘I’ll tell Mum tomorrow before I go to work. I think she’s had an argument with dad and I don’t want to get in the middle of it.’ He stood up and kissed me on the nose. ‘You can tell your dad when you get home.’
‘You’re not going to be there with me when I tell him?’ I was horrified.
‘I don’t think it would be a good idea if the first time I meet him is when we announce our engagement,’ he laughed. ‘Much better if you tell him first and then introduce us.’
‘OK,’ I agreed meekly.
‘Oh, and next week speak to your manager and see if you can get more shifts. We need to start saving.’
‘I suppose we do. Weddings are probably expensive.’
‘Not for the wedding.’ Larry was laughing at me and I felt foolish. ‘We need to save for somewhere to live. We can’t stay living with our parents.’
‘No, I suppose not.’ I hadn’t made that leap yet. It hadn’t occurred to me. Everything
I kept expecting Larry to announce our engagement but he didn’t. I put it down to the atmosphere between his parents.
Linda Miller was very friendly but a bit overbearing. She talked with her mouth full, never pausing for breath. I watched the potatoes and broccoli journey around her mouth and tried to concentrate on what she was saying.
It was nice sitting round with a proper family having a civilised meal even if the grown-ups weren’t talking to each other. I couldn’t remember doing anything like that with Dad and Dawn. Not since Mum died.
When we’d all finished our food and Larry had stopped mopping up his gravy with a piece of sliced bread, I helped Mrs Miller tidy the plates away. She seemed grateful for my offer to help. Larry got up and left his father sitting there alone. He seemed unwilling to allow me to be alone with his mother.
Once in the small kitchen, at the back of the house, I piled the crockery next to the sink while Mrs Miller ran the hot tap and put on an apron.
‘You dry.’ She smiled, handing me a tea-towel.
Larry leant against one of the cupboards watching us both, nursing his beer. I didn’t know he drank. He looked so grown up holding a pint.
When all the dishes were clean Larry kissed his mum on the cheek and told her we were going for a walk. I was disappointed I didn’t get to see his bedroom. I thought he’d be eager to show me. But he seemed distracted and we left the house, never saying goodbye to Mr Miller.
‘Sorry about that.’ Larry rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. ‘Let’s go to the cemetery.’
I’d never really visited that part of the town before. There had never been any need. We followed the pavement until we came to a small path on the other side of the street.
‘Come on,’ Larry grabbed my hand and pulled me along.
I was expecting a small churchyard but what I saw was something very different. It was a large open green space with long grass and a few wild flowers, interspersed with headstones. We walked for a while hand in hand silently looking at the names of people long gone.
‘I think we shouldn’t have a big wedding.’ Larry stopped by one of the graves and bent down on his heels so he could read the stone. ‘Look at this, Dee, a husband and wife buried together. That’s nice.’
I stood awkwardly, my shorts feeling even tighter since consuming a large helping of roast dinner.
‘We won’t do it in a church. I’m not religious and you’re not either, are you?’
‘My mum was Catholic, but lapsed. So no, I’m not.’
‘We’ll go to the registry office and do it there. I’ll go in the week and see when they can fit us in.’
‘I think we need to tell our parents first before we make any plans.’ The reality of telling my dad was dawning on me and I was wondering what had stopped Larry mentioning it at lunch, like he’d said he would.
‘I’ll tell Mum tomorrow before I go to work. I think she’s had an argument with dad and I don’t want to get in the middle of it.’ He stood up and kissed me on the nose. ‘You can tell your dad when you get home.’
‘You’re not going to be there with me when I tell him?’ I was horrified.
‘I don’t think it would be a good idea if the first time I meet him is when we announce our engagement,’ he laughed. ‘Much better if you tell him first and then introduce us.’
‘OK,’ I agreed meekly.
‘Oh, and next week speak to your manager and see if you can get more shifts. We need to start saving.’
‘I suppose we do. Weddings are probably expensive.’
‘Not for the wedding.’ Larry was laughing at me and I felt foolish. ‘We need to save for somewhere to live. We can’t stay living with our parents.’
‘No, I suppose not.’ I hadn’t made that leap yet. It hadn’t occurred to me. Everything
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