Book Quotes: Family Baggage, Monica McInerney

"He put his arm around her shoulder and hugged her against him as they walked. Her senses had sprung into life. She kept waiting for him to drop his arm, but if anything he was holding her closer against him as they walked. She was the right height to be leaning against his shoulder. She could smell him. SHe tried to stay relaxed, as if walking along a windy beach with his arm around her was nothing out of the ordinary.
They walked in silence for a while, Harriet was conscious of their closeness, the way their steps were matching.How would they look to anyone watching? Like Lovers?"

SHE HOPED SO

~

Patrick walked her to the departure gate. The boarding sign was flashing. The flight was about to close.
He didn't touch her. "Harriet, will you be alright?"
What could she say to him? Thankyou for being our special guest? Thankyou for making me laugh? Thankyou for making me feel beautiful and sexy and looked after and...all those things. She decided to say it as it was "Thankyou for everything. I'm sorry it's ending like this."
"I am too." He touched her on the cheek and it nearly finished her. She wanted to kiss him. She wanted to talk to him and hear him talk until they ran out of words and stories. She wanted him to say, stay, don't go. She wanted him to say, I'll be here when you get back. She wanted him to say, I want to see you again, this wasn't only a dalliance for me. He didn't.

She walked through the gate and forced herself not to look back...