Mr. Groves had stayed until the early hours the night before and they had had a lot of fun, but since Debbie wasn't sure what time her mum would be back this morning she asked him to leave just before three o'clock in the morning.
She locked the back door behind him and yawning tiredly she went up to bed.
She slept the night through and a good part of the morning too, but she was still up and dressed and looking bright eyed by the time her mum got back.
Debbie put the kettle on and sat down at the kitchen table. Her mum was almost humming with suppressed excitement, and so she waited for her to start talking.
Debbie's mum waited until they were both sitting with a cup of coffee.
"So how was your date last night?" Debbie asked with a little smile.
Her mum shone. Debbie couldn't remember ever seeing her this happy.
"Oh Debs!" she sighed softly. "Gordon is just so wonderful."
"Good." Debbie paused as she reached out to take her mum's hand. "You deserve it mum."
Her mum gave a self conscious little laugh. "He wants to take me away." She eyed her daughter worriedly.
"Excellent! You could do with a holiday, where does her want to take you?"
"It's a world tour, lasts about six months."
Debbie sat in total shock. "When?" she finally managed.
"Next weekend." Her mum looked at her anxiously. "Should I go Debbie? What do you think? Would you be all right on your own here?"
Debbie swallowed a couple of times and then forced a bright smile. "Don't be silly mum, of course you're going. There is absolutely no question about it, you ARE going."
Her mum gave her a little sigh of relief and a soft grateful smile. "Luckily all the bills for this place." She looked around the house, "they're all paid by direct debit. So you won't be out of pocket." She studied her daughter for a moment. "And I'm going to set up a standing order to pay £25 into your bank account once a week so that you can get food and things."
Debbie hugged her mum gratefully. "You always take care of me mum." She sighed through a watery little smile.
Her mum stood up. "Right, I'm going to take a shower, and then I might take a nap for an hour."
Debbie grinned naughtily. "Did Gordon work you hard last night ma?"
Her mum blushed and there was a little twinkle in her eye. "I'm not even going to answer that."
Left alone Debbie's smile faded and she stared at her empty coffee cup dejectedly. Her mum's life was moving on and she (Debbie) was in danger of being left behind.
She walked into the back garden and wandered over to the fence. Mr. Groves shed door was closed and he was no where around.
Debbie gave an irritable little grunt and went back inside. She went up to her room and wandered around it restlessly, picking things up and putting them back down again. She looked out of her bed room window and could see Pete in his room looking across at her.
She casually began to unfasten the buttons on her blouse. She could see him sitting forward in his chair as he strained to see her. She stepped back into the shadows of the room.
The house phone rang and Debbie laughed in exhilaration, before she could get to it though her mum could be heard answering it.
A few moments later her mum knocked on her door.
Debbie hurriedly fastened her top just as the door opened.
"I thought I heard you come up here." She said her eyes bright with excitement. "That was Gordon; he's just on his way over. His father wants us to go and have dinner with him."
"That's nice." Debbie smiled, "have a good time."
"Oh no Debbie, you're to come too, he wants to meet the both of us before he gives his blessing."
Debbie looked at her in surprise, "his blessing for what?"
"Gordon wants to marry me eventually, but he works for his father and all his money comes from his father, so he won't do anything without his blessing."
Debbie's mum looked her over. "You've just got time to shower and change." She murmured as she stepped fully into the room.
"Why? What's wrong with the way I look now?" she asked sulkily.
"Just go and take a shower, you'll feel much better once you've freshened up, and I'll look through your things."