Page 38 of In the Same Boat

Finally, Hank leads us down a short corridor and pauses outside one of the cabin doors.

‘And this,’ he says, opening it, ‘is yours.’

The cabin is lovely… that’s not the problem.

Soft white bedding, warm wood, a little round window framing a slice of the scenery. There are tiny lamps, neat shelves and an en suite peeking out from behind a partially open sliding door. It all looks great. Except…

‘There’s just one double bed,’ I point out – of course, all three of us have eyes, we can all see that.

‘Yes,’ Hank replies. ‘Well, we only have three cabins. Mine, Nico’s and this one. But your mum said you would be happy to share…’

I turn to look at her. Oh, did she now…

‘We will,’ she tells Hank. ‘It will be great – like a girly slumber party. Right, Sammie?’

She looks at me – that same glance, the one that begs: don’t mess this up for me.

‘Right,’ I say.

Hank, either sensing a vibe or a little too eager to pop the champers, makes his excuses.

‘I’ll leave you ladies to settle in,’ he tells us.

‘Thanks, Hank,’ Mum says warmly. ‘You’re a wonderful host.’

‘It’s my pleasure,’ he replies with a wink. He heads back down the corridor, whistling to himself, a genuine spring in his step.

The moment he’s gone, I shut the cabin door and turn to my mother.

‘Mum…’

‘I know what you’re going to say,’ she interrupts me. ‘But look, Hank invited me here, it sounded amazing, I knew that you would love it, so I asked if you could come too. Sammie, you needed a holiday – you’re not going to get a better one than this, are you?’

‘Any one, without those two, would be a better one,’ I point out.

‘Are you saying you would rather not stay on a yacht, if it meant staying with Hank and Nico?’ she asks.

‘That’sexactlywhat I’m saying,’ I reply quickly and emphatically.

She sits on the edge of the bed and pats the duvet.

‘Come here,’ she says softly.

I do as I’m told.

‘Sammie, I really wanted to see Hank again, and this trip sounded perfect, but I was scared to come alone, and I knew you wouldn’t come so… please will you stay with me? Just this once, just until I’m sure he’s the man I think he is.’

I sigh.

She doesn’t need to tell me twice that the dating game is a shitter of a game. I understand not feeling safe – I also get why she thought I would say no. Not that I would have let her come on her own, of course not, but I would have talked her out of it.

‘Promise me there are no more surprises?’ I say. ‘And no more lies…’

‘No, that’s it, I promise,’ she says.

‘Then I’ll stay,’ I tell her. ‘Make sure you’re okay, and safe, and then I’ll go…’

‘You’ll be having too much fun by then,’ she insists. ‘Nico too. I think he’ll come around.’