Chapter Seven

Sunday was a quiet day, just as I had hoped. I slept in, made myself breakfast and spent most of the morning catching up on a few things around the house. My arms were still a little sore from the previous day’s golf lesson, which reminded me that swinging a club was apparently more demanding than it looked. 

I laughed to myself as I remembered Tom trying to correct my grip for what felt like the tenth time.  

He had been patient, so I had to give him that. Although I wasn’t sure whether he was genuinely impressed by my progress or simply trying to encourage me. 

It was strange how someone I had once found so irritating could now make spending an afternoon on a golf course seem like a perfectly reasonable way to spend my Saturday. 

I shook my head, deciding not to spend too much time analysing it. 

By midday, I was beginning to feel restless. I had spent most of the morning indoors, and the thought of spending the entire Sunday in the house suddenly didn’t appeal to me. I needed a change of scenery, and almost immediately, my thoughts went to my mum. 

It had been a couple of weeks since I last visited her. We spoke regularly on the phone, but there was something about being at home, eating her food and listening to her stories that a telephone conversation could never quite replace. 

I checked the time, got up from the sofa and headed to my room to get ready. 

An hour later, I was dressed in a pair of blue jeans, a cream knit top and my favourite brown boots. I grabbed my handbag, picked up my car keys and headed out. 

My mum lived about forty minutes away, in a lovely residential area just outside the city. It was the sort of neighbourhood where people still knew their neighbours, children played in the gardens during the summer and the streets were lined with mature trees. 

The drive was pleasant, with the Sunday afternoon traffic light. I stopped briefly at a bakery to pick up some pastries before continuing my journey. 

By the time I pulled into my mum’s driveway, I could already smell something delicious coming from the kitchen. It was a familiar smell, one that immediately reminded me of childhood Sunday afternoons. 

I let myself in with the spare key she had given me years ago and called out to announce my arrival. 

My mum appeared from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a tea towel. Her face lit up when she saw me, and I couldn’t help smiling as I walked over to hug her. 

She immediately began inspecting me, as mothers often do, commenting on how long it had been since she’d seen me properly and how I seemed to have lost a little weight.

I laughed, knowing that no matter how old I became, she would always find something to comment on. 

I followed her into the kitchen, where she was preparing Sunday lunch. The dining table was already set, and there was enough food to suggest she was expecting more than just herself. 

It turned out she wasn’t. 

I heard footsteps coming down the stairs. I turned towards the stairs, and there she was, looking much more refreshed, her hair slightly tousled from her nap. My cousin, Nia, had arrived earlier that morning. 

For a second, we simply stared at each other before breaking into excited smiles.

"Oh my goodness! Look at you!" I exclaimed, getting up to hug her.

We embraced tightly, laughing as we took each other in. It felt so good to finally be in the same room again. Six months was far too long, especially for two people who had practically grown up together.

I hadn’t seen Nia in almost six months. She was one of those people who could turn an ordinary afternoon into an entire event. We had grown up together, spent most of our school holidays in each other’s company and shared enough childhood memories to embarrass one another for the rest of our lives. 

She works in the fashion industry, and had recently started a small styling business on the side. She had always been ambitious, even as a teenager, and it was lovely to see her slowly building something of her own. At lunch, we spent the next hour catching up on everything. Her work, my job, family updates and all the little things that somehow became big stories whenever we were together.

I was particularly interested in hearing about her new business. She had recently started working with a few independent fashion brands and was hoping to expand into personal styling and event collaborations. There was something refreshing about listening to someone speak so passionately about something they were building.

It reminded me that there was so much more to life than work deadlines, project meetings and trying to keep everything organised.

After lunch, the three of us settled in the living room. Mum had made her usual pot of tea, and the conversation drifted from family matters to upcoming celebrations and old acquaintances.

At some point, Nia mentioned that she was organising a small birthday dinner for one of her friends the following weekend and had been struggling to find a suitable venue. She was considering making a weekend of it and asked whether I would be interested in joining her.

I told her to send me the details.

It had been a while since I had done anything spontaneous, and the thought of having something to look forward to was rather appealing.

As the afternoon wore on, I found myself feeling particularly grateful that I had made the journey. There was a certain comfort in being around people who had known you long before adulthood introduced its responsibilities and complications.

Mum, as always, made sure I didn't leave without a container of food. I protested, reminding her that I was perfectly capable of cooking for myself, but she ignored me and packed everything anyway.

By the time I finally left, the sun was beginning to disappear behind the houses.

I sat in my car for a moment before starting the engine, feeling much lighter than I had that morning.

It had been a lovely Sunday, and I was glad I hadn't spent the entire day indoors.

On the drive home, my mind wandered briefly to the week ahead. There were a few things I needed to sort out at work, a dinner with Tasha to look forward to and, somewhere in the back of my mind, the possibility of another golf outing.

I smiled at the thought.

Whatever was happening between Tom and I, I wasn't quite ready to put a name to it.

For now, I was happy to let things unfold as they would.