The Spark - Jules Wake Page 0,120

digital stations. They’ll soon be obsolete but some people still swear by the old Roberts radios. Not much inside has changed.’

‘And he makes a right old mess.’ The warm smile she sent his way belied the words. ‘I’m about to dish up. Oh God, you’re not a veggie or anything are you? I forgot to ask, only I’ve got a ton of bacon and sausage. Local farm shop.’

‘If I was, I think I’d be doing a hasty conversion. That bacon smells divine. Although I don’t think Ben and Toby would mind. More for them.’

‘And the dogs. If you catch either of them feeding the dogs at the table, shout at them. Little toads.’

‘Uh-oh, no. I’m planning to be the nice big sister. I hope this is all right.’ I pulled two bags of Maltesers out of my handbag.

‘Bribery. I see you plan to start as you mean to go on,’ said Alicia with a cheerful shake of her head.

‘Absolutely,’ I agreed.

‘Do you want to round them up for me while I start dishing up and Adrian,’ she said his name meaningfully as he was pottering with his radio again, ‘lays the table. They’re in the lounge. And make sure Ben switches the television off.’

The two boys were sprawled among a tangle of dogs on one of two enormous sofas watching some cartoon action adventure thing and I vaguely recognised a couple of Marvel characters. ‘Brunch is nearly ready,’ I said. They both leapt off the sofa, the dogs all jumping up with them and careered away to the kitchen leaving me to study the big room. It was expensively furnished and I realised the velvet sofas were both covered in throws to protect them from the dog hair. I was drawn to the low mahogany occasional table between the double sets of French windows filled with family photographs in silver frames. The biggest was a matt-finished photograph in a frame of Dad and Alicia on what was clearly their wedding day. I smiled at the sight of it, so typically Alicia. It was totally informal; she was holding Dad’s hand, laughing her head off at something while he looked down with that fond tender gaze that I’d quickly realised was pretty habitual. Tears pricked my eyes. I was used to Lynn and Richard’s happy marriage; there was a lot of banter and happiness there, and I knew they loved each other to bits, but they certainly weren’t sentimental or lovey-dovey. Dad and Alicia’s affection for each other was utterly heart-warming.

There were lots of pictures of the boys in the expected stages of development, babies, toddlers and the ubiquitous school shot with the hideous standard blueish-purple background. Mum had one like that—

I froze as if I’d conjured it up, but there it was, next to the ones of Ben and Toby. As I looked more closely, I realised there was also a picture of me at my graduation, one of my eighteenth birthday and a recent one.

I swallowed, noticing there were a couple more of me, as if I’d always been part of this family.

To me, it seemed an extraordinarily generous gesture. To be included when they’d been shut out. To be remembered when they’d been forgotten. I knew without even being told that I had a home here.

I scanned the rest of the photographs and my heart faltered at the sight of one tucked at the back. This one was recent, taken this summer. In Aunty Lynn’s back garden. My vision blurred as I stared at the picture. It was me talking to Sam. My head thrown back laughing. I picked up the picture, my thumb rubbing over Sam’s face. Sam. My heart replicated that same quick jolt of recognition. The day we met. It brought with it that flare of awareness, the remembrance of clicking with someone. Like Lego. My fingers burrowed into the pocket of my dress, feeling the familiar piece of brick that for some reason I still carried around. I hugged the picture to my chest, overcome by the feelings welling up.

‘Jess, are you…?’ I turned and my father gave me the most brilliant smile as his gaze fell on the table of photos.

‘We always hoped you’d find your way here one day. We were just waiting. You know you’ll always have a home here and you’ll always be welcome.’ The words tumbled out as if he’d been saving them up for a long time.

I nodded, unable to say a word.

‘You OK?’

I shook my head. ‘No,