Sarah sat on the bed pondering about what to pack.  Although she and Al were agreed about her moving into his cottage, there hadn’t been a set date because she wasn’t sure when Millie would be back. She didn’t want to take Al’s invitation for granted, but at the same time she was certain that Tom would want to visit and meet his half-sister, and that Millie and Jiara needed time and space to get to know each other better. Although she had arrived at Millie’s flat with minimal possessions, her wardrobe had definitely increased since she started working on Oliver’s show.  Would Al welcome her egg cups? Surely, he would have a garlic press of his own? Just as she was beginning to feel desperate, she heard the door buzzer and Al’s very welcome tones. She buzzed him in and rushed to answer the door.  It was a relief when he came in and picked her up in a particularly loving bear hug.

“Oh Al!  I am so glad to see you.  I am in a quandary.”

“Hmm.  Give me a kiss first and we’ll see if two brains are better than one.”

Sarah obliged very willingly, then led him into her bedroom.  He looked a little shocked.

“In here, while Millie and Jiara are in the flat too!”

“Don’t forget Buster.  No.  We need to talk about me moving into yours.  I know that we hadn’t set a date because we were waiting for Millie to come home, but she’s home now, Jiara’s here, and Tom will definitely want to come and stay now he knows that he has a half-sister.”

“Shall we get packing then?”

“Are you sure Al?  I know that we’re engaged, but are you ready to have me move in lock, stock and comic egg cups?”

“Would you believe it? I haven’t got around to buying any egg cups, and I do like a soft-boiled egg.”

“With soldiers?  Buttered soldiers?”

“For breakfast, or Sunday tea? Or both?”

“I bet you’ve got a garlic press though?”

“It broke.  I was a bit heavy-handed with it.”

“Al, I do love you.”

“Show me these egg cups.  I’ve never seen a comic egg cup before.”

Laughing, Sarah took Al’s hand and led him into the kitchen where the egg cups were on display.

“Three?”

“Two for you and one for me?”

“Okay lovebirds.” said Millie as she emerged from her bedroom yawning.  “No canoodling in the kitchen.  I don’t want my young friend to be corrupted by your debauchery.”

“Sorry Millie.  I was just showing Al the egg cups.  Will you mind if I move out sooner rather than later?  I’ve a feeling that Tom may be wanting to visit once he knows Jiara is here.”

“Coming up this weekend and very excited.  I shall be sad to lose you Sarah, but you’re right, I can’t really make Tom sleep on the sofa.”

“I’ll pack up some things now and come back for the rest tomorrow.  Remembering how little I arrived with, it should fall it into Al’s car easily.”

“Don’t forget that you also have the stuff you put in storage.”

“I had forgotten!  Thank you for reminding me, Millie.  I can’t even remember what we put into all those boxes.”

“There’s a list on your laptop.  You’ve probably blocked it out with all the rest of what’s been going on. Are you going into work tomorrow?”

“I should really, there’s a show scheduled for Friday and we don’t want Oliver to explode, do we? Oh, perhaps we do?  It would be interesting.”

“I’m not too worried if the show does close.  According to Miles at the agency, you and I would have no problem picking up jobs – and not necessarily in media. Oliver will fall on his feet; he always does.  Jenny and Mel might have more of problem because of the level of responsibility they’ve had, but it’s the researchers and runners that I worry about. They’re all so young, and from what you’ve told me, this business with Natasha must have upset them a great deal.”

“Daryl especially.  Natasha sucked him in with her friendship, but it didn’t take long before she was bullying him in order to get what she wanted.”

“Hateful little cow, and her awful mother.  Another area where Oliver, Jenny and Mel have to take responsibility.  I told you, didn’t I that Oliver was under the impression that the runners and researchers didn’t need qualifications or even experience, provided they could move fast and do as they were told.”

“Al and I will shoot off with some of my stuff now, if that’s okay?  I’ll take my car and move it to Al’s so you have your spare car space back for visitors. You and Jiara have a lot of time to make up, and another couple of days before you come back to work.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow.  After work.  I may have coffee and cakes for us to share and you can tell me all the gossip about Oz.”

“Yes please. You may have to administer wine and pat me down a bit though. I am expecting tantrums.”

Al picked up the bags that Sarah had packed most of her clothes and personal items into and led the way downstairs to the car park.  He packed the bags into his car and then turned to look at Sarah.

“Are you sure about driving?  You haven’t since the attack.”

“Thank you, but that’s all the more reason for me to get behind the wheel now.  I’ll follow you, but can you drive a little bit slower than usually please?”

Al laughed and took her in his arms.

“For you, anything.  We don’t even need to do any major cooking for dinner.  Maggie has been in and stocked up my freezer with meals for two.  She also bought milk – and eggs! She texted me earlier.”

“She’s so kind, but then she is your sister so I shouldn’t be surprised.  She couldn’t be more different than Andy’s horrible sister Abigail.  She was adopted though, so I’ve no idea where her horribleness came from.  I don’t know, and I have no need to know anymore. Thank goodness.”

True to his word, Al kept to a reasonable speed on the way home, and although Sarah felt a little nervous at first, her confidence came back as she felt that ray of happiness about moving in with Al.  Parking her little car next to his on the hard standing at the front of the cottage, was so unlike the squashed parking in the road outside the house she’d shared with Andy, and the busy car park at Millie’s.  Al carried her bags into the hallway and came back outside before Sarah had finished locking up her car.  He picked her up in his arms and carried her across the threshold, placing her very gently in the kitchen.

“I know that you are only supposed to do that when you bring the bride into her new home,” he said “but it feels right that you should make a formal entrance on your first proper night of living under this roof. If you need more room for your clothes, you can have the second bedroom as a dressing room; I have a feeling that you have far more clothes than me.”

“I don’t want to intrude on your space Al.  I’m used to fitting in with other people.”

“I want you to feel at home here.  I’ve been rattling around in this place for a couple of years, and the thought that I finally get to share it with someone who is very special makes me feel extremely happy.  Let’s decide on dinner and I can get the oven on while you unpack.”