“You here?” Tom called out at her from the hallway.
“In the bathroom,” Hanna shouted back, her face covered with a grin. “It’s a bit of a disaster in here.”
Within moments, the bathroom door had flung open and Tom was standing in front of her, an absurd smile molding his lips.
“Matty boy!” He leaned over the bath and squeezed Matthew, who smashed his fists in the water in protest. Tom’s expensive black t-shirt was soaked.
Hanna drew her lips together tightly in an attempt to quell her laughter. Matty looked a little perturbed, both by the break in routine and Tom’s over-enthusiastic hug. He was getting weird about people he didn’t see very often. Hanna hoped it was a phase.
She stood and hugged Tom, feeling the wetness of his t-shirt soak through to her blouse. “How was your flight?”
“Long. I spent most of it asleep.” He rubbed at his eyes with the heel of his palm, as if to confirm his exhaustion.
“I bet your friend loved that.”
“My friend?”
“Whoever it is you brought with you? The one I’ve prepared dinner for.”
“You mean Ruby.” Tom laughed, and the words made Hanna’s blood run cold.
“Ruby, as in Larsen?” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “You’ve brought Ruby here?”
Tom put out a hand and rubbed the top of her arm. “It’s a long story; there are a few things you need to talk about.”
“I’d say there is.”
Hanna looked up to see Ruby standing in the doorway.
“You said you’d wait until I’d spoken to her.” Tom walked over to Ruby and curled his arm around her waist. “This isn’t going to be any easier if you’re at each other’s necks.”
Hanna felt her throat constrict. Panic made it hard to breathe. She felt betrayed by Tom and afraid that now the dam had been opened, the cozy little life she had built for Matty and herself was being threatened by those she missed the most.
“Ruby, I’m so—”
Matty splashed the water again, this time enough to get water on Ruby’s top. Hanna watched as a smile broke out over Ruby’s face, her features softening as she looked at Matty.
“He’s beautiful.”
Hanna just nodded, unsure what to say.
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me about him, Hanna. I can’t understand why you didn’t trust me. We’re supposed to be friends, Jesus you’re my best friend, and all this time you’ve been emailing me with stories of reclusive artists and hard-to-write stories.”
“I am kind of reclusive.” Tom pointed out, earning a slap in the arm from Ruby.
“Don’t think I’m done with you, either,” Ruby shook her head at him.
“It’s not Tom’s fault. I asked him not to tell anybody.”
“He told the fucking world, Hanna. He wrote a song about your son, for God’s sake.” Ruby’s face fell again, “Yours and Richard’s son.”
Hanna didn’t bother to deny it. The resemblance was growing along with Matty. His newborn dark hair had fallen out, to be replaced by Richard’s light brown tones. Only his eyes resembled Hanna’s.
“Can I just get Matty ready for bed?” Hanna pulled her wet, wriggling son out of the bath, wrapping him snugly in a white, fluffy towel. “We can talk when he’s asleep.”
Ruby’s gaze remained on her nephew, her eyes gentle as she watched him chew at the t
owel. “Sure. I’m going to go unpack. You’ve got half an hour.”