Page 32 of Tangled Control

I know all about the date. Gemma was so excited about it that the whole office knew. She’s asked me a hundred times if it for sure –for sure– was okay to go on a date with Eric. I couldn’t be happier about it, but mixed with sadness knowing Eric will soon be on his way again, leaving Gemma behind.

“Right?” I prompt.

“Who is Gemma?” Mum butts in, pursing her lips while her brown eyes are open wide. Her brown shoulder-length hair dances as she moves her head back and forth between Eric and me. I’ve gotten my fair complexion, blonde hair and blue eyes from my father.

The only things I’ll ever have of him.

“Gemma who?” my aunt, Eric and Daniel’s mum, asks and coughs a little too loud.

“Ach, stop giving out,” my uncle shouts. “The smoke isn’t that bad.”

My aunt rolls her eyes behind the back of her husband, and I try to withhold a laugh. My gran isn’t as discreet, she cackles loudly from the garden chair, her beer clutched in one hand, and her other arm linked with Daniel’s.

“Whether it’s from smoke inhalation or you fellas burning the garden down, I’d say I’ll meet my husband today,” she calls out and makes the cross.

“With such lack of faith in your son, I’d say you’ll never meet Da,” my uncle counters. “You’ll end up in hell while Da is living it up in heaven.”

“You think your da is in heaven?” my gran scoffs, and I almost choke on my drink. “I could tell you stories…”

“And we don’t want to hear them,” Mum screeches. “Please let me have a good memory of my daddy, even if it is a fake one. Now back to this Gemma lass.”

I may be interested in hearing tales about my grandad, but I indulge Mum and explain, “Gemma is the girl Eric took on a date yesterday.”

“You were on a date? So that’s why you look like you haven’t slept all night but still have a grin on your face!” Mum winks.

“Alison!” my aunt gasps theatrically and slaps Mum’s arm. “Are you insinuating that my son has spent the night doing sinful things while unmarried?”

“Well, if he’s anything like his grandad…”

“MUM!” both Mum and my uncle scream while gran chuckles in delight at having got a rise out of her children.

How I love my family. We’re probably extra close because there are so few of us – we’re not one of those big Irish families. And also extra close as they all rallied around Mum twenty-fouryears ago. Choosing to raise a child as a single mum is no joke in Ireland, even these days. Being close doesn’t mean we don’t do whatever we can to take the mickey out of each other. And Eric is getting his share as he’s interrogated about his date. I enjoy the ribbing until Mum asks, “So where did you meet this Gemma girl?”

“She’s one of Cat’s colleagues. I joined her team for a pint there the other day.”

“You were out with your colleagues?” Mum shifts her focus to me, her eyebrows raised.

“Um, yes.”

There’s a pause and I find it hard to hold her gaze. “Just be careful, Cat. You know what I always say, don’t mix work and pleasure. It can get messy.”

“I know. It was only a drink.”

“Still, be careful.”

I nod in agreement, all chastised. “I will, Ma.”

Mum takes a deep breath through her nose and forces a smile on her face. “Speaking of work, Cat, have you looked into moving to another department?”

Shit!

“I’ve made some enquiries. We’ll see if anything comes of it,” I reply evasively.

“You’re looking for a new job?” Eric asks and tilts his head to the side.

My mother answers before I have a chance. “She isn’t getting along with her new line manager. He’s a bully, if you ask me.”

My heart warms at Mum’s protectiveness, but at the same time a wave of shame washes over me.