Caution

As Alex added a motorway extension to our chalked Treasure Island (on the patio), Emma and I ate pie:

Emma: You haven’t said much about the weekend.
Shane: Did I miss something?
Emma: No, but I thought you’d be scrutinising Ken and Ellie, what with their…
Shane: With their…?
Emma: Well, she clearly likes him.
Shane: I like him.
Emma: (pause) You trying to tell me something?
Shane: No. I’m just saying that I don’t think there’s much more than liking going on.
Emma: (raises eyebrow)
Shane: What?
Emma: I think you underestimate them.
Shane: So I did miss something.
Emma: I think she’s being cautious –
Shane: How uncharacteristic.
Emma: Don’t be a shit – she explained the holiday romance well. I thought she was candid without being superficial.
Shane: It was wince-inducing.
Emma: Just cos you’re all closed up about that sort of thing.
Shane: What sort of thing?
Emma: Hmm, like any mention of past relationships?
Shane: That holiday ‘romance’ was no more a relationship than…
Emma: Than what?
Shane: Than… Actually, forget that – what do you want to hear about my past relationships?
Emma: Nothing.
Shane: Then, you should be perfectly happy.
Emma: You’re wilfully misunderstanding me now.
Shane: No, I’m just not getting your point.
Emma: Are you trying to turn this into an argument?
Shane: No, but it would appear that we’re heading in that direction.
Emma: Well when you’ve finished eating that, be sure to throw the plate at yourself.
Shane: Ok, will do.
Emma: My point!... Is that I think they’re feeling each other out.
Shane: Not with the weekend’s sleeping arrangements they weren’t.
Emma: (unimpressed 'look') I think it goes for Ken too.
Shane: I think you’re wrong. I think he thinks he likes her, and that he finds her interesting and a bit enigmatic, but that’s it.
Emma: She's ‘seriously attractive’.
Shane: Are you quoting?
Emma: He may have mentioned something of that nature… for me to not-so-accidentally pass-on.
Shane: The arse! I assume you haven’t ‘passed it on’.
Emma: Not directly.
Shane: (pause, thinking) No – I’m not getting involved in passing love notes between anyone.
Emma: No, you clown, I mentioned it to Lily.
Shane: Oh. And?
Emma: She smiled.
Shane: And?
Emma: She has hopes for them. She thinks Ken would be good for Ellie, and we all saw that he seemed to get on well with Ryan.
Shane: Bloody hell – that sounds a bit thought-through.
Emma: Mm, not a bad thing.
Shane: No, no. (pause) Should I warn Ken of this… thinking?
Emma: Just remind him that there’s a kid involved.
Shane: Mm.
Emma: And for what it’s worth – possibly a lot, Lily is ‘one hundred per cent sure’ that Ellie would say ‘yes’ to him asking her out on a date.
Shane: A date - bit old-fashioned, isn’t it.
Emma: (shrugs) Maybe. But I had a feeling that Lily was speaking for Ellie.
Shane: Oh, right. (pause) Oh right-.
Emma: Mm.
Shane: So he’s in then.
Emma: It would appear that we’re heading in that direction.

I have chosen to not pass the details of this conversation to Ken. On this occasion, with a child-shaped addition to the equation, I think it’s important that my favourite oaf (and Ellie) show that they can determine their own pathway/s without the need for intervention.

I have faith in them... No really, I do.

Now, with an ache, I am off to bed… biking injury:

Alex: (looking down unfeasibly steep slope) Go on, Shane, you can make it if you go sideways a bit.

Had a go. Failed. It hurt. . . .

Also my fear for Ellie/Ryan/Ken.