The Marriage K.L. Slater (classic romance novels TXT) 📖

the back like nodding dogs in time with the music they listened to through their sponge Walkman headphones. I felt a yearning inside me when I thought about those times.

I tolerated a minute of two of the silence before I felt moved to fill it.

‘It’s hard to know what to talk about, isn’t it?’ I turned my upper body to face Tom again. ‘I mean, it’s not like we’re picking you up from a holiday or you’ve been living somewhere else all this time.’

Tom gave me a weak smile but said nothing.

‘It must have felt like you were existing in a whole different world in there, like a parallel universe.’

On his lap, his phone lit up and he opened a text message. Vaguely, without looking at me, he said, ‘Yes, that’s sort of how it feels.’

‘How did you get the phone?’ I asked casually.

‘There’s a scheme at the prison. If you qualify, support services provide you with one on release together with your discharge grant.’

‘All funded by the taxpayer, no doubt,’ Robert said disapprovingly.

‘I’m surprised anyone knows your new number,’ I remarked. ‘Who’s texting you?’

‘It’s a message about my data allowance,’ he said easily.

He tapped at the screen and I thought it seemed odd that he was texting back to an automated service. He noticed me watching and stuffed the phone into his jacket pocket.

‘I thought there might be delays at the prison, or on the road,’ I said, rustling the bag of goodies at my feet. ‘That’s why I brought plenty of snacks and drinks, in case we needed them.’

‘Your problem is, you plan for every eventuality,’ Robert said scornfully. ‘Why not try going with the flow for once? You never know, you might even enjoy it and cut down those new tablets you keep popping.’

Tom frowned. ‘Tablets for what?’

‘To calm me down when I need it,’ I said, glaring at Robert. ‘Nothing to worry about.’

‘She can’t sleep at night, hasn’t done for years,’ Robert said with some satisfaction. ‘The ripples of what you did travelled far and wide, Tom, you’d do well to remember that.’

‘How can I forget with you around to remind me?’ Tom clamped his mouth closed and continued to stare out as we passed through the outskirts of the city.

The car fell quiet again. Only twenty minutes to go and we’d be home.

‘I almost forgot. Put the playlist on, Robert.’

‘Honestly, I’m fine, Mum, I don’t—’

‘But it’s Oasis, you’ve always loved them. I found a greatest hits playlist.’

‘I’d rather sit quietly for now.’

I felt the tension rolling off him in waves. I’d almost forgotten how on edge it made me when he and his father were in close proximity, sniping relentlessly at one another. I had imagined the journey back home being light with pleasant conversation and everyone glad that the moment had finally arrived. Even Robert.

Tom took his phone out again and glanced at the screen before sliding it back into his pocket. Something was bothering him.

I rooted around in the passenger footwell for my handbag and pulled out a folded piece of paper.

‘If you’re sitting there fretting about what your life is going to look like now, there’s no need.’ I glanced at Robert, who kept his eyes on the road ahead. ‘I was waiting until we got home to tell you all this, but we might as well use the time we’re stuck in the car.’

‘Tell me what?’ Tom sounded tired.

I unfolded the sheet. ‘So, I started off by googling difficulties people face when leaving prison, and lots of stuff came up. I also found some super resources on the Prisoners’ Families website. Have you heard of them? They even have a helpline you can ring.’

‘No. I haven’t,’ Tom said, his voice a monotone.

‘I addressed some of the biggest worries I found, so you’d get the best fresh start possible. First thing, accommodation. I’ve found a lovely little two-bedroom apartment near the park that’s come up for rent. If we move fast you might get it.’ Tom opened his mouth to say something but I instantly filled the gap. It was important he had all the facts before deciding. ‘When you went away, there was nothing around that area of town, I know. But now there are quite a few nice little shops, and a lovely café at the end of the road. They put a chalkboard outside most days, specials for lunch and breakfast. I met Audrey there last week and we had coffee and a croissant for a fiver. Can’t grumble at that!’

‘But I—’

‘It’s overwhelming to think about living on your own so soon, I know, and there’s absolutely no rush, but I felt sure you’d want space after living in such cramped conditions for so long. It’s going to take some adjusting to.’ I waited for Tom to respond, but he stayed quiet. ‘Anyway, we can view it and you can make your own mind up.’

‘He wants to thank his lucky stars he’s not headed straight for some grubby hostel,’ Robert added unhelpfully, as if Tom wasn’t sitting in the car with us.

‘Next one on the list was getting a job. I called on one of my old contacts in the library service, and you’ll never guess what … I’ve only managed to set up an opportunity for you!’

Tom looked incredulous. ‘What kind of opportunity?’

I held up a hand. ‘Before you panic, nothing is set in stone, so there’s no need to feel pressured. I thought you might even fancy retraining in something completely different, and that’s fine, too. I read that finding a job is one of the most difficult things for someone with a criminal record, and so I thought I’d give you the option if you wanted to get some normality back quickly.’

‘I’ll be fine sorting myself out,’ Tom said, leaning his head against the glass. ‘My probation officer can help with all that. I’ll be meeting with him soon enough.’

‘Well, mind that you get it sorted out sooner rather than later,’ Robert interjected. ‘We don’t want