Her Mediterranean Makeover

After tasting the sauvignon blanc, Jacques nodded his approval and both glasses were filled.

Leonie took a sip from hers and smiled. ‘It’s lovely. Good choice.’

Jacques smiled back. ‘I thought you would like it.’

Casual relationships were a mystery to her; she didn’t understand why anyone would embark on one. But then, she’d been lucky.

Jacques had his reasons, the main one being his belief that he was doing the right thing for his son, but she wasn’t sure it was the right thing for him. It did seem sad that he’d never know the contentment of marriage. His first marriage didn’t count. She shouldn’t judge his ex-wife without knowing her, but it was hard not to assume that she was a horrible person. What kind of mother would leave her child like that, and for such a reason?

Her entrée turned up then. The endive in the tarte tatin had been caramelised until it was as sweet as an apple, but there was a lingering sharpness that contrasted with some creamy goat’s cheese.

She wasn’t a bad cook herself. She recalled the repertoire of nutritious meals she’d prepared from scratch, never failing to have a hot plate of food ready for the table when the family came home.

But when Shane had become sick, cooking had slipped down her list of priorities, especially as Sam and Kyle were happy to grab something while they were out, and she’d made do with a sandwich. She’d started cooking in earnest again over the last year or so. The kids might be fully grown, but they still needed a good, homemade meal to help them do their best in their studies, and she’d been determined to make up for any lack of maternal care while she’d been distracted looking after Shane.