She almost leapt out of her skin when Zula appeared at her shoulder.
‘Why, here, dear.’ Logan’s mother smiled impishly.
‘Oh, I didn’t... I wasn’t...’ Kat stumbled. She certainly hadn’t been meaning Zula when she’d mentioned a fairy godmother.
‘I’m teasing.’ The older woman laughed, before turning to her beloved grandson. ‘Gramps is just finding the car, but we’ll be leaving soon. Shall we drop the trophy off at home for Daddy and you can get your overnight bag?’
‘I’ll walk you to the gates, Mom.’ Logan put his arm around his mother, who batted his arm away good-humouredly.
‘I can walk myself, I’m not decrepit yet. You just concentrate on saying your goodbyes to Jamie.’
Kat watched them wordlessly. Something about the way they interacted crept under her skin and wound through her, making her think of her own family. Had she done the wrong thing by pushing them away all this time?
She’d believed moving away had been for the best; that it would hurt too much watching them so happy with their own families. Now she was beginning to wonder if being part of them might actually have helped her to heal instead.
‘Fine. Have a good weekend trip.’ Logan offered his mother one final hug. ‘I know Jamie has been really looking forward to it.’
‘So have we.’ Zula smiled. ‘Hope you have a good shift at the hospital tomorrow. And you too, Kat, dear. Well done on the race.’
As the older woman strode elegantly ahead, ready to flag down her husband, Kat followed behind with Jamie and Logan.
It had been a nice day and Logan’s parents were so welcoming, it had almost been like being back with her own loving family. Almost.
Ahead of them, a little girl was being swung between her mother and grandmother as they walked around, and Jamie stopped abruptly and spun around with excitement.
‘Swing, Daddy?’
‘I don’t know, buddy...’
Logan glanced at Kat discreetly, not putting her on the spot but giving her the opportunity to decline.
‘Swing?’ the little boy pleaded.
‘Sure.’ She grinned, ignoring the unexpected pang in her chest as she thought of the times Carrie, too, had watched children being swung between two parents without ever being able to enjoy it for herself.
Did the little girl’s biological parents do that now that they had her back?
Was Carrie’s life better with them this time around? It had to be because no one had been in touch with her in the past year. And that was a bittersweet notion.
‘Come on, little man.’
Shaking off the momentary melancholy, Kat held her hand out for an excited Jamie to grasp, then counted down with Logan as they swung the boy high into the air between them whilst he shrieked with delight. And as Logan turned to mouth a word of thanks to her, she told herself it didn’t send a tremor of pleasure through her.
She told herself she was imagining this...bond that was budding between them. And, still, as they passed an older lady creeping slowly along the path towards them, Kat couldn’t help returning the woman’s indulgent smile with a wide grin of her own.
Right up until the old lady spoke.
‘I have to tell you, dear, that you have a lovely family.’
‘I... Oh...’ A thousand answers chased through her head.
What was she supposed to say? That this wasn’t her family at all?
‘I—’
‘Thank you,’ Logan cut across her, flashing his trademark charming smile at the woman as they continued past.
It was all Kat could do not to drop Jamie’s hand. Her face felt tight—rictus—with the effort of not crumbling. The effort of keeping Jamie swinging, as though her chest wasn’t cracking, was almost unbearable.