Michelle's partner Den had been quiet was he up to something? -

Frowning into the porthole mirror, Den knotted his tie. Should he dress formally or smart casual? This was a big deal...

- Tess Niland Kimber

Suddenly the water taxi went up river, rocking Tulip, his houseboat. Instinctively, he balanced, standing feet apart. Staring at his reflection, he imagined himself through Leo and Skylar's eyes. He must get this right.

No doubt tonight Leo would wear his T-shirt and jeans 'uniform'. His sister Skylar would look at Den's tie and say, 'Really? You're an artist, not an accountant.'

The aroma of lasagne wafted through the houseboat. He still had the salad to prepare!

He threw his tie on the bed, combing his hair with his fingers. If he couldn't even decide what to wear, how would he cope this evening?

****

'You not coming, Mum? To Den's dinner?' Skylar asked.

'No, he wants time with you and Leo. Probably planning some mad Easter egg hunt,' Michelle laughed.

Leo flopped into the armchair. 'Weird. He's your boyfriend. You should come.'

Michelle collected his mug from the floor. Silently, she agreed. It was sweet, but why had Den invited her children to dinner without her? Of course, Den got on great with them. That had been her deal-breaker when they'd first met. If her kids hadn't liked him, then the relationship was a non-starter.

She glanced at Skylar, rummaging through her bag for her lipstick, and Leo - all arms, legs and floppy blond hair - scrolling through his phone. It was great having them home from uni for Easter. How she'd missed them. The house had been quiet - like this evening would be. What would she do? Order a takeaway? Text friends? Nothing sounded as much fun as dinner with Den and the kids on board Tulip, but she'd make the most of it. Once the children were back at uni, she'd need to get used to living alone again.

***

Den slipped on a favourite grey jumper over black jeans and wondered about lighting the log burner. In winter, Tulip was as warm as sourdough toast, but this was April. The evenings were chilly. Should he light it? Again, he dithered.