The door to the kitchen is open and the sitting room is full of shredded cushions. Bruno and Flint are lying on the sofa, side by side. Bruno looks up as Kate and Ruth descend the stairs. Flint pretends to be asleep.
慖 knew they抎 be friends,?says Kate, putting her arms round the dog.
慣hey抳e destroyed my Votes for Women cushions,?says Ruth, looking at the shreds of green and purple fabric covering the floor.
慣hat抯 because they抮e male chauvinists,?says Kate. 慦hat shall we have for breakfast? Dad likes fried stuff.?
Ruth is impressed that Kate knows this expression, though less impressed at the thought that she might have encountered the accompanying attitudes. And she抯 rather taken aback by the ease with which Kate has accepted Nelson抯 presence in the house.
慙et抯 just make toast,?says Ruth. 慉nd coffee.?She needs caffeine. About a gallon of it.
Nelson appears while she抯 still waiting for the toast to pop up. He抯 fully dressed, his hair wet from a hasty shower.
慦e抮e having breakfast,?says Kate from her seat at the table. 慖 told Mum you prefer eggs and bacon. Then we抮e doing yoga with Cathbad.?
慠ather you than me,?says Nelson. 慖 need to get to work, I抦 afraid, love.?
慔ave some toast first.?Ruth puts a piece in front of him. 慣he coffee抯 on.?
慣hanks,?says Nelson. 慪ou抮e a lifesaver.?Their eyes meet and Ruth quickly turns away to check the percolator.
慖 can do warrior one and two,?Kate is telling Nelson. 慉nd I can almost do crow. Can you do yoga??
慛o, I can抰，？says Nelson, spreading butter thickly. 慖抦 glad that Cathbad抯 found something useful to do, though.?
Ruth puts Marmite in front of Nelson. She has no idea if he likes it or not and finds herself holding her breath, only to release it when Nelson covers his toast and butter with the black spread. Flint stalks into the room, followed by Bruno.
慖抳e got nothing to give Bruno except cat food,?says Ruth. 慖s that OK??
慔e抣l probably eat it,?says Nelson. 慏on抰 worry though. I抣l drop him off with the dog walker on the way to work. She抯 got food for him.?
In the end, Ruth puts gourmet cat food down for both animals. Bruno eats his in seconds and then tries to put his muzzle into Flint抯 bowl. Flint hisses at him and Bruno backs away, looking hurt.
慔e抯 scared of Flint,?says Kate.
慡o am I,?says Nelson. He finishes his toast and drinks his coffee in one swallow.
慖抎 better be off. Bye, Katie.?He stoops to kiss her head. 態ye, Ruth.?
態ye, Nelson.?
They look at each other.
慡ee you later??says Nelson.
慪es,?says Ruth.
Nelson walks out to his car, Bruno at his heels. Ruth doesn抰 come to the door, but he sees her neighbour, Zoe, at her window. He抎 initially been pleased that Ruth had someone living next door at last but now he finds himself wishing that her house was on an island, or in a secret world that only he could visit. That抯 what it had felt like last night, seeing her light when he returned from his walk over the marshes. He hadn抰 really thought what he was doing when he knocked on Ruth抯 window, but he supposes it doesn抰 take Cathbad抯 sixth sense to guess what would happen. And, what抯 more, it looks as if it抯 going to happen again tonight.
Nelson knows that he should be worried. He has, technically, broken the Covid rules and he could get into serious trouble for it. He could even lose his job. But it抯 a beautiful morning and the marshes are full of spring flowers, the sea a line of blue in the distance. Nelson finds himself singing a Frank Sinatra song as he drives, something about two sweethearts, the summer wind and an umbrella sky. He can抰 remember the actual words, but he makes them up as he goes along. Bruno sways on the back seat.