The Old Tuck Shop

THIRTY-NINE

After we pulled away, which felt like forever, she stared up at me, "I wasn't expecting that," she muttered after a moment of silence.

"I've been wanting to do that for a while," I replied, my heartbeat now slower and calmer.

"You can... you can do it again if you want..." she flustered, before gulping.

I smirked, before leaning closer towards her ruby lips. Before our lips could meet, Reuben yelled for Poppy from the kitchen.

"Fuck sake," she sighed, before stepping back inside, "you coming?" she asked, and I followed.

"I'm just gonna see what my Mum wants... I'll be right back," she said, running upstairs, leaving me alone in the living room.

I nodded, before sitting down on one of the settees.

An old woman with bright blue, short hair then approached me. "Oooooo... you must be Finn," she said, before hugging me tightly.

"Um... yeah?" I muttered, "you're Poppy's Nan?" I asked, breaking away from her hug.

"Oh, you can call me Sue. That's a very fine suit," she said, adjusting the collar of my shirt, and brushing the sleeves with her hands. "Poppy was right when she said you were cute-"

"Nano!" Poppy interrupted, pushing her playfully. Her Nan grinned, before walking into the kitchen.

We both laughed, "she's a character," I said.

"She would've loved to hear that," she said, handing me a glass of lemonade.

"Cheers," I said, clinking glasses with her.

"My Nan is mad," Poppy said, taking a sip.

"She also said that you think I'm cute." I grinned, and she choked on her drink.

She coughed, "yeah... um..." she kept looking to the ground, trying to avoid eye contact.

I chuckled, "for what it's worth, you look beautiful." She blushed, turning her cheeks into a poppy red, matching her dress.

"Thank you..." she stuttered, trying to break eye contact, but it was inevitable. I held her hand, looked in her eyes, before pressing my lips against hers.

After talking to her family, I waved them goodbye and headed home for Cal's with Poppy. She changed into a pair of black leggings, a burgundy jumper, and black trainers for comfort. I held her hand the whole way home and invited her inside. Cal wouldn't be back for a few hours, and she was curious to see what my room looked like.

"It's cute in here," she said, looking around my bedroom. She picked up a photo of Lewis, and his girlfriend, "is this is grandson or something," she asked.

"Great-grandson," I replied, "that's his girlfriend... I'm staying in his room whilst he's in Uni."

"That's sweet," she said and sat down on the bed.

I wondered when the right time would be to tell her about my Mum, and about my past. We had shared a moment together earlier, and it felt... comforting. It was like we were the only ones on Earth. I felt at peace. I felt at home. I loved the way she leaned her head on my shoulder and spoke about the stars with such enjoyment. I wondered if she ever spoke about me that way.

"Poppy," I sighed, and she looked up at me. "About my Mother," I added.

"Finn..." she began. "You don't need to tell me straight away, honestly." She grabbed my hand and kissed it lightly.

"No... I... uh... I want to..." I said, rubbing my hands together, before grabbing hers.

"The reason I went to a care home is that my mother abandoned me," I began, and held my hand tightly. "There were money problems at home, and my Father had left us with nothing... she struggled for a long time with trying to pay bills, and shit like that... but in the end... it wasn't enough... and she decided to leave," I paused. "Without me."

I looked down, and wiped my eyes with my sleeves; even though no tears had fallen, I knew they were going to fall at some point, and I wanted to be prepared. Poppy then put her hand on my cheek and brushed it. I cupped my hand behind her ear, leaned in closer and kissed her. Although it was the third time I had kissed her, it felt like the first time.

She moved closer to my ear, swept my hair out of the way, and whispered. "Everything is going to be okay, Finley." She then leaned her forehead on mine.

I chuckled, despite the tears rolling down my cheeks. "You've never called me that before. Finley."

"I guess not," she replied, sat against the wall, and put her arm around me, trying her hardest to comfort me, but it just made tears come faster.

I leaned my head on her shoulder, and closed my eyes slowly, allowing a single teardrop onto my lap. We sat in silence and watched the world go around as if it was our own. And for the first time in a long time, I felt like I was a part of something wonderful. And it felt remarkable.