Page 23 of In at the Deep End

Cyn’s eyes flicked to Owen before returning to Matt. “That’s a lovely way of looking at it.” She smiled. “Just looking at you reminds me of the old days.”

Owen narrowed his gaze. “Be very careful what you say next.”

“Well, one particular memory comes to mind.”

He groaned. “That sentence never ends well.”

“Oh, I think it ends very well.” She looked at Matt. “Your mum was impossible to embarrass.”

He chuckled. “I find that hard to believe.”

“It’s true.” She leaned against the worktop. “Freshers’ week. Jeff announced we should all go to a student nightclub.” Her lips twitched. “Owen hated dancing.”

“I still do,” he muttered.

“He claimed he had all the rhythm of a shopping trolley with a wonky wheel.”

Matt laughed.

“So your dad and Babs decided that simply wouldn’t do. They dragged Owen onto the dance floor…”

Owen sighed. “I knew this story was coming. I told them I had the coordination of a newborn foal.”

“… and after about thirty seconds, Owen gave up trying to dance and started making everyone else laugh instead.”

Matt frowned. “How?”

“He danced exactly the way he thought his dad would.”

Owen covered his face, but she went on, relentless.

“And there was Owen the shopping trolley, trying to avoid potholes. He was all elbows and terrible dad moves. Completely deliberate.”

Callum burst out laughing. “Dad….”

“The whole dance floor joined in.” Cyn grinned. “Within five minutes there were about fifty students all doing Owen’s ridiculous dance.”

Matt stared at Owen. “You?”

Owen spread his hands. “It was either laugh at myself or die of embarrassment.”

Cyn smiled. “That’s Owen. He’d rather be the punchline than let anyone else feel awkward.” She tilted her head. “Has he shown you any of his photos?”

“Not yet, but he’s mentioned them.”

“He always had that camera. He photographed everything. Birthdays. Trips. Visits to the pub.”

Owen shrugged. “I liked people.”

“The funny thing was, he’d disappear halfway through a party.”

“I was taking photographs.”

“No, you just hated being the centre of attention.” She gazed at Matt. “He was happiest watching everyone else enjoy themselves. And people always relaxed around him. He had a gift for making complete strangers feel as though they’d known him for years.”

Owen shrugged. “Someone had to make sure everyone else was having a good time.”

“He’d be introducing people who didn’t know each other, making coffee for anyone who’d had too much to drink, finding coats…” She smiled. “He was the world’s least glamorous host.”