Sun streaming in though the curtains brought him awake, he yawned and stretched then glanced over at the travel clock at the side of the bed. It was after nine, he felt across the bed but it was empty. He lay back on the pillow, closing his eyes reliving the previous night and grinning. His reverie was brought to an abrupt end when a pillow walloped him on the chest and a familiar voice demanded "What are you grinning at as if I couldn't guess?" He pulled the pillow away and looked at her. "Last night's football, I had one eye on Match of th..." The pillow thumped hard against his chest and laughing he grabbed one end and pulled causing her to overbalance and land on top of him. "Wasn't last night enough?" he asked laughing as she blushed rosily. "Anything?...everything?" he reached up and kissed her neck, nuzzling her ear. She slid her face round till their lips met, then reluctantly pulled away and sighed. "I've arranged to meet Nancy for breakfast" then glancing at the clock corrected herself "Mmmm more like brunch now" She rolled off him and stood up, looking down at him. He closed his eyes and tried hard to regain sleep, a precious commodity when there wasn't likely to be an interruption from Lissa or Will. When he opened them again she'd vanished into the bathroom, so sighing for missed opportunities, he rolled out of bed and took a look out of the window. It was a bright spring day, maybe when she'd finished catching up with Nancy they could take a walk along the river before they headed back to the station.

By the time Becca reached the restaurant downstairs it was late enough to call anything to eat, lunch. She glanced around looking for a small dark-haired figure and spotted her at a table tucked away in the corner talking animatedly into her mobile. She cut the conversation short and switched it off as she saw Becca approaching. They exchanged an awkward hug and Becca sat down opposite her and picked up the menu, "I'm starving, have you eaten yet?" she enquired with a bright smile. It helped to cover her nervousness. They'd exchanged a few texts in the last nine months and a couple of phone calls to set up the trip but this was the first face to face meeting since she visited Nancy's student digs years ago. She looked at her sister from behind the safety of the menu and saw she'd changed little, the hair was still brightly patched, the tattoo on her shoulder now joined by another on her wrist, her clothes on anyone else garish and mismatched but always the look that seemed to work for her. "Put that down and let me look at you" demanded Nancy. She placed the menu flat on the table but continued to fiddle with it nervously. "You look good" she commented "Different... but good!" "Thanks, you too!" she added. She wondered where she should start but before she could launch into anything the waiter appeared notebook in hand and they were distracted with ordering. "Well?" she began "Did it all go to plan last night?" Becca blushed before she realised Nancy meant catching up with Justin at the Prom not the later seduction she'd planned. Nancy guessed the reason for her blushes but just rolled her eyes and grinned. She breathed a sigh of relief perhaps now would be the point to include him in the conversation. "Justin wanted to come and join us but he's got to make a few phone calls" "About Mel" she added when she saw the disbelief in Nancy's face, "She's here in a ... in rehab" she said firmly "She's moving to Oxford and Justin's trying to help" "So how are you two, in general?" Nancy asked. "We're fine, we moved last year, finally out of the flat now Justin's working" Nancy raised her eyebrows inquisitively "Teaching" she replied "English at the local Comp" Nancy giggled "Ironical Becca! You'll need to keep your eye on those sixth formers especially the mature ones!" Becca glared at her then seeing the funny side allowed herself to grin. "Oh" she said "These are for you" Delving into her bag she produced a couple of small brightly coloured boxes. Handing them over one at a time she explained "This one's from Lissa and this is from Will" Nancy opened the first to find it contained a small hinged silver frame dividing it into two, in one side was a small school photograph, Lissa blonde hair in pigtails and on the other her name carefully scribed in neat handwriting "She practised for hours" Becca explained with pride "She wanted it to be just right and small enough to fit" Nancy looked up and smiled, she turned her attention to the second box. Inside was an identical frame containing a picture of Will on one side and on the other, Becca held her breath, on the other a picture of the four of them not long after Will's birth. It was a favourite of hers, her family, Justin holding Will and Lissa sitting on her knee. Nancy looked over and saw the anxiousness on her sister's face. "They're lovely" she said firmly and smiled "They'll have pride of place wherever I go" "Wherever you go..?" Becca asked puzzled. "My big news, didn't mum mention it? She's getting so forgetful lately, she started to tell me this long story on the phone the other day and it must have been the third or fourt..." "What news?" Becca cut in impatiently "What are you talking about?" "I'm finally going to go travelling. I always wanted to but if it wasn't the time being right, it was the money. I hadn't been thinking about it for ages but when the money came through from Uncle John it sort of set me off again and I've managed to square it with work, they're letting me take a year off, a kind of sabbatical, and now the final piece has fallen into place." She smiled at this and Becca looked at her stunned "What piece?" "My boyfriend, Leo. I was talking to him just now, he's managed to raise the cash so he'll be coming with me, it's his gap year." Becca winced at this but Nancy was quick to explain "And before you jump to any conclusions he's just finished Uni Becca! He's a vet, well, he will be once he gets his final results but he's decided to take a year out before he joins his dad in their practice. We're going to go around the world" Becca was stunned, they'd finally mended their relationship and now she was going away for a whole year into who knew what. "Are you sure about this, what does Mum say?" Mum's fine about it, when she remembers. I'm not sure she realises both Dad and Uncle John are gone, she keeps having conversations with them. She keeps talking about Dad being in his shed, and that place was sold yonks ago" Becca nodded, she'd had some very strange conversations with Mum over the last couple of weeks but she did seem to be still in charge of her faculties, although thank god Carol from school had agreed to share the babysitting at the last minute. "Well, don't forget to send us a post card from all these exotic places" she said with a faint pang of regret. Before they could get maudlin the food arrived and conversation turned to their choices and trying each others meals. When they had finished and the waiter removed the dishes leaving them with coffee Becca returned to the subject of travel, "You will be careful won't you, make sure you're safe?" "Oh Becca! Course we will but we are hoping to go off the beaten track, you know avoid all the touristy bits, see the real wild places" Becca shuddered and Nancy grinned, Becca hadn't changed that much then, she always did like home comforts. She thought about the picture she'd given her, of her family and she could see that was what Becca was about, although she might envy them their freedom she'd never give up what she already had. The thought and planning she'd put into this trip had told her in ways words couldn't have done what Becca had and still felt for Justin. They might never see eye to eye about her choices but at last she could see that it had brought her sister happiness and who was she to deny her that. "I really must go now; I'm meeting Leo at four to sort out visas and stuff. It was lovely to see you" she stood up and so did Becca and she gave her hug. "Give Lissa and Will a kiss from me and give Justin...my best too" Becca smiled and hugged her again "Look after yourself and keep in touch" She watched as Nancy threaded her way through the tables and out of the door till she disappeared through the main doors and out of sight. She jumped as an arm went round her waist, "Justin! You made me jump!" He laughed "As long as I still do?" he enquired. "Have you eaten yet?" he continued. "Mmmm" she nodded and grabbed his hand "Come on lets get out of here" and tugging at him they left the restaurant and headed out of the hotel.

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