Free Miss Potterton's Birthday Tea by Amanda Prowse

lost my hope. I think it was cancer, we were unsure, but with today’s technology, I’m sure it would have been far more identifiable. Not that it matters. Death is death and that was that.’ She took a deep breath and blotted at her eyes with her handkerchief.
    The sound of the letterbox flap roused her. She closed the album and slowly made her way into the hall. She stood, staring at the front door, her smile broke and her heart filled with joy. For there, standing with one foot on the welcome mat, was Tom.
    â€˜Oh, my!’ Cordelia Potterton put her hand to her neck, clutching at the double string of pearls that lay against her shirt. ‘It’s you!’ she breathed.
    Tom nodded, arranged the stack of mail in a neat pile on the bureau and placed the paperweight on top.
    Miss Potterton took a step forward with her hand outstretched. Smiling broadly, she broke into a run, then jumped into the arms of the person she loved. Arms that had soothed her fearful heart during many a long, fretful night as their city had crashed and splintered under Nazi bombs. ‘Oh, Tom! My Tom! How I love you.’

15
    Tina hovered in the kitchen, not wanting to go and mix, unwilling to swap small talk with the hordes that were cluttering the sitting room and filling the hallway. She decided instead that she would make a sweep of the room every twenty minutes, offering to replenish a sandwich, cut another slice of cake or pour fresh tea. It wasn’t as if she knew these people, though it had been lovely to see Len and his wife at the crematorium. She knew Miss Potterton would have been touched he’d made the effort.
    â€˜Oh, there you are!’ Ian smiled as he rested his bottom against the kitchen sideboard. He folded his arms. ‘You’ve done a great job here, Tina. It’s a lovely spread – you’ve done Aunt Cordelia proud. And those tribute flowers you arranged for her coffin were absolutely stunning. You’ve got a real talent there.’
    Tina nodded and picked up a cup from the drainer on the sink.
    â€˜Marley’s been making conversation with Huey, Dewey and Louie, I see!’ Ian chuckled. ‘And everyone seems to be making the most of the free food and the chance for a get-together.’
    Tina ran the tea towel around the rim of the cup, then popped it back on the shelf of the dresser. ‘Yep, that’s what I’m hearing. All them people who are standing in Miss Potterton’s flat, scoffing her food, chattering away, and yet they couldn’t even make the effort to come to her bloody birthday tea! I’m sorry, I shouldn’t shout, but it pisses me off. It would have meant the world to her.’
    Ian nodded. ‘Yes, it would, but that’s human nature, I’m afraid.’
    â€˜I don’t like human nature much sometimes.’
    â€˜I don’t like human nature much a lot of the time.’ Ian raised his eyebrows in agreement.
    Tina reached across him for the saucer.
    â€˜Her birthday tea was a great afternoon, despite the lack of guests,’ Ian said, looking straight at her. ‘I really enjoyed it.’
    â€˜Me too.’ She felt her chest colour with embarrassment as she remembered their champagne-fuelled flirting.
    â€˜Marley says college is going well.’
    She liked how he seemed genuinely interested. ‘Yes, he’s doing great. Studying hard, you know, getting on with it.’
    â€˜Still on Plan A then.’
    â€˜Yep.’ She smiled. ‘Still on Plan A.’
    â€˜I…’ He hesitated, shifting his feet, awkward.
    â€˜What?’ she whispered.
    â€˜I…’
    â€˜Dad!’ The voice was loud, bossy.
    Tina turned to take in the plump girl with the very high heels, jeans and sheer shirt that showed off her ample cleavage beneath her bolero jacket. Her hair was lustrous, long and curled. It looked either expensively coiffed or expensively stuck on.
    â€˜Can we go? This is the