‘Hey, little man. I have something for you.’ He took the medal from around his neck, and put it around Sam’s. The little boy regarded it steadily.
‘Look at that! I think Matt deserves a thank-you, don’t you, Sam?’ Sophie nudged Sam’s shoulder.
‘Thank you.’ Sam took Matt by surprise, suddenly flinging his arms around his neck, depositing the last of the ice cream from his cone on the back of Matt’s T-shirt. Then he ran over to Hannah, showing her the medal, and she turned, her eyes bright. Matt would have given anything to receive that one look.
She mouthed a thank-you, and Matt nodded.
‘I think that warrants a photograph.’ Sophie gave the last ice-cream cone to Hannah and took her phone from her pocket. Hannah came to stand next to him, her shoulder touching his, and Sam stood in front, leaning against Matt’s legs. They could almost have been a happy family. Matt longed to put his arm around Hannah.
The moment was captured, but didn’t last long enough. He’d watched Hannah and Sam together, and seen her ice-queen mask slip when she was with her son. And now, for just a little while, he was a part of it all. Matt had told himself that it was impossible to miss what you’d never had, and for the most part he believed it. Right now, the ache of knowing that they were just posing for the camera was almost unbearable.
‘Are we ready to go?’ Hannah bent down towards Sam. ‘It’s burgers tonight, your favourite. Aunt Sophie and Matt are coming with us as well.’
‘Hooray!’ Sam careened around in a circle, and Hannah smiled.
‘Right, then. Hungry mouths to feed...’
* * *
Matt followed Sophie’s car to one of the small villages that bordered Hamblewell. The house was set a little way back from the road and surrounded by a neat garden, the russet-coloured bricks blending in with the flowers and climbing plants around the doorway.
There were already two cars parked in the driveway, but Sophie manoeuvred in beside them with only inches to spare, leaving the space outside in the road clear for Matt to park. He saw Hannah lean back, undoing Sam’s seat belt, and he tumbled out of the car, running towards the front door.
‘Grandma... Grandma!’ He shouted through the letter box. ‘Mum and Matt won! They’re ahead of everyone else!’
Hannah’s mother opened the door, and Sam tumbled inside. She greeted Matt, and hugged Hannah, obviously enjoying the sudden influx of noise and laughter. Hannah showed Matt through a large, comfortable sitting room to a shaded patio at the back of the house.
‘Sit down. I’ll go and get some drinks.’ Hannah disappeared through the open door of the kitchen, and the sound of voices erupted. She backed out of the kitchen, holding her hands up in a gesture of surrender, and Matt heard Sam’s voice.
‘Go away, Mum. We’re cooking!’
‘Okay, sweetheart. I’ll leave you to it. I love you,’ Hannah called in through the open door, and turned back towards Matt. ‘Apparently drinks will be brought out to us. The kitchen’s out of bounds.’
Matt sank into the cushions of the wooden patio chairs. ‘That’s nice. I could do with a rest.’
‘Me too.’ Hannah grinned, sitting down and unlacing her boots. She stripped off her socks, wiggling her toes as she stretched her legs out in front of her.
Sophie appeared with two glasses and a jug of iced lemonade, setting them down beside Hannah on the table and producing an ice pack from under her arm. ‘Which one of you needs this?’
‘Me. Thanks.’ Hannah reached up, taking the ice pack and applying it to her knee. ‘It’s okay.’
‘You’re sure? I’ve heard your version of okay before.’
‘Matt took a look at it. Grade One MCL injury.’ Hannah pulled her trouser leg up, unwrapping the knee support. ‘See I’ve even got this...’
Sophie nodded her approval, pulling one of the other chairs around so that Hannah could prop her leg up on it. ‘Don’t let her move, Matt.’
‘Right you are.’ Matt grinned as
Sophie disappeared back into the kitchen. This was nice. The rough and tumble of a loving family home.
Hannah leaned forward, pouring the lemonade and handing Matt a glass. She took a couple of mouthfuls of her own drink and then settled back into her seat, obviously tired out.
‘Have you always lived here?’ The sitting room had the quiet air of an established home.
Hannah shook her head. ‘No, my parents lived right out in the sticks. I’d moved into a flat in town to be closer to the hospital while I was training, and then I took a year out to travel. When my dad died, my mum decided that she wanted to move into town so that she was less isolated. I was pregnant, and we decided to get this place together. It suited us both.’
‘It must be great for Sam. To have his grandmother so close.’