United State of Love by Sue Fortin Page A

then?
    ‘Of course I don't want to go, but … ’
    ‘Just stay, Dad,’ pleaded Luke. ‘It will be okay. Mum's just having a couple of stressy days. Aren't you, Mum?’
    ‘It's not quite that simple,’ Anna said.
    ‘I think maybe my coming back was a mistake.’ Mark looked over at Anna as he spoke. If he was hoping for her to refute this, then he was out of luck. Anna said nothing.
    ‘It wasn't a mistake, Dad. It's a good thing. I've really enjoyed you being here. It's just like it used to be. I wish you could stay, you know, for good. Here.’ Luke dropped his gaze to his trainers. ‘Just stay for now, please.’
    ‘All right,’ said Mark after a lengthy pause. ‘I'll hang about for a bit longer, just as long as your mum doesn't mind.’
    ‘You don't mind do you, Mum?’ said Luke looking eagerly at Anna.
    ‘Well, I …  err … ’ began Anna. Yes, she
did
mind wasn't what Luke really wanted her to say.
    ‘Why don't you just say yes?’ her son snapped. ‘Why don't you just say, “I think it's a great idea? Your dad is more than welcome.”’
    Anna looked at Mark, hoping for a bit of support. Wrong. Mark just shrugged in a nothing-to-do-with-me sort of way. Not for the first time, she sensed that Mark was manipulating everyone around him.
    ‘Don't you need to get back for work?’ she asked Mark, hoping he would take the hint.
    ‘Oh no. They can manage without me for a bit longer. Well, that's that sorted then.’ Mark pushed himself upright from the wall and grinning at Luke, gave him a playful punch on the arm. ‘Cheers mate.’
    Luke beamed back.
    Anna had to marvel at the laser-precision, pincer movement Mark and Luke had just executed. Attack from both sides. She never stood a chance. Now it looked like she had Mark here indefinitely.
    ‘Just give him a chance, Mum,’ said Luke after Mark had gone upstairs for a shower. ‘Everyone deserves one. You always say that yourself.’
    ‘It's not that simple,’ said Anna reticently.
    ‘Of course it is. You're just making it difficult.’
    Anna sighed. How much did you tell your son about your marriage? ‘Listen, Luke. You know I wouldn’t say anything bad about your dad to you, but you have to understand lots of things happened between me and him, things that you wouldn’t know about.’
    ‘I’m not stupid,’ grumbled Luke. ‘I remember the arguments. Dad being out late or all night. You crying.’ He paused, looking at her before dropping his gaze. ‘I know about the baby and the other women.’
    Anna gulped. She had often wondered if he knew more than she or, indeed, Mark gave him credit for. ‘I’m sorry you do. I guess I never protected you from it as much as I thought.’
    ‘But you could still give him another chance. Now that he’s had a year to sort himself out. Couldn’t you?’
    Anna gave Luke a hug, which felt slightly ridiculous as he was several inches taller than her already. ‘Let’s just worry about you and Dad getting to know each other again. That’s the important thing.’
    Jamie had asked her to step in at the last minute to cover for another member of staff who was sick. She was to accompany a German woman and her two children on a school visit in Brighton and help with the interpreting. Anna had really enjoyed this assignment. It was great to be able to practice her German and the family were very charming and polite. An unexpectedly busy week as it had transpired, as a small document concerning a property transaction in France had also come in for translating. However, Anna was glad to have Friday free, which meant she could implement phase one of her ‘Help Zoe’ plan.
    ‘Just be ready in half an hour,’ said Anna down the phone to Zoe. ‘Both you and Emily.’
    ‘Can't you just tell me what we're doing? Just a hint?’ pleaded Zoe.
    ‘Nope. Bye.’ Anna hung up before her sister-in-law could delve any deeper. She checked through the two bags on the kitchen table to make sure everything was there.