Peter was waiting at a table by the window when Tommy arrived at the cafe. "Sorry, I'm late. The traffic was particularly heavy around Marble Arch today."
Tommy had been meeting his brother for coffee every Friday since he had returned from Cornwall. This was their fourth week, and they were slowly making progress. At first Peter had refused to accept Tommy's apology, arguing it was too long ago and too painful to be forgiven. Barbara had encouraged Tommy to persist and had suggested the regular meetings on neutral ground. The brothers talked initially about politics, Howenstowe and sport. Over the last few weeks they had been able to reminisce about their childhoods and their sister, Judith. Tommy hoped that they might soon be able to talk about the core of their issues and find equanimity.
"That's fine. I took the opportunity to try to chat up the blonde waitress."
Tommy glanced over to see a long set of shapely legs gliding across the floor. "Hmm, not bad," he said to humour Peter. The woman's legs were not a match for the soon-to-be Lady Asherton, even if Barbara's were considerably shorter.
"How's Barbara and Mini-me?"
"I do wish you wouldn't call him that."
"It's apt. He is so very much like you - the way he runs his hands through his hair, the way he dotes on Barbara, his taste in music and art, and even the way he likes to dress. It's only that hybrid psuedo-Australian accent that reminds me that you have not been shrunken in some time machine."
"Ugh! Anyway, he's well. He's very excited about the wedding tomorrow. You will keep an eye on him won't you? I want him to feel that he is being best man in every sense of the word, but he is only seven."
"Going on fifty! My, you have changed. You actually trust me to look out for your son?"
"Of course. Not even... I know you would never let him be hurt just to get back at me."
"Tempting, but no. He's a child. I know what it's like to be left rudderless while adults squabble."
It was the first time that the brothers had started to get to the core of their issues. Tommy was about to speak when his mobile rang. "I'd better answer it. Barbara's gone into the city for her final dress fitting. She's surprisingly nervous. "Hello."
It was not Barbara but George's school. He had gone missing. "And nobody knows where he went?... Yes, keep looking. I'll make some calls."
Peter frowned as he noisily sipped his coffee. "Problems?"
"George left the school during the recess. No one knows where he is. I need to ring Barbara."
"Hi."
"Not a good time, Tommy, I have some medieval torture garment on that they're trying to strangle me with."
There was no time for niceties. "George's run away."
"Run away?"
"He snuck out of school during recess. He's nowhere to be found. I thought he might have rung you. I'll ring Mother. She's at the house. Maybe he felt sick or something."
"I'll leave here as soon as I get this thing off. I'll see you at home. He'll be alright. He's sensible. They'll be a logical reason. Don't worry."
"Why would he run away? He always wants to be with us."
"Tommy. Take deep breath. Drive the route from the house to school. You'll find him."
"I hope so. I'll ring you."
Peter paid and then called their mother as they walked to Tommy's car. "Mother says he hasn't been there. She wants you to ring Sir David Hillier and start a manhunt."
"It's a bit early for that. I will ring Winston though and get him to look out for any reports. If we don't find him walking home, then I'll report him missing."
"Is it likely he went with someone from his past?"
"No. There was no one except Krillen, the man who beat him and murdered his mother. He'd never go with him."
Peter took a deep breath. "Tommy, is it possible that Krillen is free on bail? If George was the only witness, his case might be weakened if the boy disappeared."
Tommy shot an angry look at Peter. "You think I haven't thought about that? He's not on bail. I do worry that he might send a friend after George. That's why I always make sure we take him and pick him up from school. Something tells me George ran away himself. I just don't understand why, or where he could have gone."
"We'll find him."
Tommy drove quickly, ignoring orange lights where he would normally stop. They traced the route from the house to the school then drove back along alternative ways he may have walked. Tommy then drove to where George had lived with his mother. It was still boarded up. Tommy checked the perimeter. There was no sign of George and no indication anyone had broken in.
After calming his mother and leaving her with Peter, Tommy rang Barbara. "He's not home and wasn't anywhere to be found between here and the school."
"Tommy, calm down. He has a plan of some sort. Do you think he might have gone back to his old house?"
"We checked there too. No sign anyone had been there. Where would a boy his age go?" There was a long pause. "Barbara?"
"He might have gone to the cemetery to visit his mother. I'll get the cab to take me there now."
"Why didn't I think of that? I'm closer. I'll drive over and meet you there."
"See you soon. Bye."
"Barbara, I love you."
"I love you too. See you soon."
Tommy told Peter and his mother about Barbara's idea. "I can get there faster from here."
"I'll come with you big brother. If he's run away, he might not want to see you."
"Thanks, Peter." His brother's words had stung. George seemed very open and loving, and other than not wanting him to marry Barbara tomorrow, he could not think why he would want to run away.
There was a funeral procession near the entrance and they had to wait before they could drive up to the section where Sally was buried. "Over there!" Peter exclaimed.
Tommy turned to see George sitting by his mother's grave. The ground had only just begun to settle and on the yellowy mound of earth Tommy could see a bunch of new red flowers. Tommy parked the car in the car park closest to the grave. They alighted and stood behind the hedge watching George talking animately to the mound of earth.
"I didn't think to ask if he wanted to visit Sally. I'm a lousy father."
"You're not actually. You're a lousy brother, but you're a great father."
"Peter, what if I'm not a good husband either? Barbara deserves better. Maybe George can see that."
"Barbara won't let you be a bad husband, or father. She's the only person I've seen that can make you see sense. Remember at your engagement party when I made my speech?"
"I'm hardly likely to forget!"
"Yes, well I was a bit forthright I suppose. But while Helen was embarrassed, Barbara was the one with fire in her eyes ready to defend you. And she was the one you looked at for support. You married the wrong woman, Tommy. Helen was your friend. Barbara is your soulmate, or whatever term you want to use. You won't let each other down."
Tommy turned and hugged Peter. After a few seconds Peter awkwardly hugged him back. "Thank you."
"It's okay. And I'm sorry I held a grudge for so long. I think I expected you to become like Father, but you were only a boy yourself."
"A foolish one and it seems hereditary. He's going to get a piece of my mind for frightening us. Anything could have happened."
Peter put his hand on Tommy's arm. "No, don't. Just tell him how sorry you were that you didn't think to bring him here. He'll know he worried you. Now wait over there and let me talk to him while you call Barbara and Mother."
"You?"
"Sometimes boys need their uncles too."
Tommy watched as Peter walked slowly across to the grave. He phone his mother, then Winston and finally Barbara. "You were right. He's here. I failed him."
"No, you didn't. Sometimes boys need their mothers. I'm almost there. We can talk to him. See what's wrong. It might be nothing."
"It must be something. I'll wait here, by the big oak."
Barbara paid the cab and walked over to Tommy. Her hug may not have made him feel better, but he did feel less alone. "Peter's over there talking to him."
Barbara took his hand. "It'll be fine."
"I don't know what to say. I want to yell at him for frightening us and I just want to hug him."
"The right words will come."
Tommy and Barbara walked slowly towards the grave. Peter was crouching down, talking earnestly with George. The boy saw his father and ran over and hugged him around the waist. "I'm sorry. I thought I'd be back at school before you picked me up and you'd never know."
"You didn't think your teacher would miss you and ring me?"
"No," he replied sheepishly. "I won't do it again, I promise."
"If you want to visit Mummy, we can come whenever you like."
His son looked up and nodded. "I know she's not really here, but I had to tell her some things and thought..."
George took Barbara's hand. "I came to tell her all about Dad and learning to ride and how I'm going to be an earl and a best man."
Barbara smiled. "That's lovely, George."
"But I really came to tell her about you."
Tommy and Barbara exchanged a quick worried glance. "About me?"
"Yeah. I told her that you are really nice and that you love Dad very much, and that he loves you too. I said that you look after me and love me like she used to. She'd want to know that."
Tommy noticed tears in Barbara's eyes. "Yes," she said, "I love you and Dad very much."
George looked up. "Don't cry! I told her that she'd always be Mummy and that I loved her, but that I love you too. Now you're marrying Dad, it's silly to call you Auntie Barbara. People might think you're Tasmanian!"
"Tasmanian?"
"Yeah, Mummy used to say they married their brothers."
Tommy smiled at George. "I don't think that's true. Not all of them anyway."
"So anyway," George said showing the same irritation Tommy did when interrupted, "I can't call you Mummy but I thought...if you don't mind... I could call you Mum."
"That would be lovely." Tommy had never seen Barbara cry the way she did as she hugged George.
"Then why are you crying?"
"Because I'm happy."
"Me too!"
Tommy wrapped both of them in his arms and felt tears running down his cheeks. Peter put his hand on his shoulder. Tommy turned to look at him and saw tears in his brother's eyes.
"I'll make my own way back," he said before he turned and walked away.
The small family clung together for several minutes. "Are you ready to go?" Tommy asked George.
"Yep." The boy turned and looked once more at his mother's grave. "Bye, Mummy." He gave Tommy and Barbara his hands and they began to walk to the car. "I've got best-manning to do!
