Beep-beep-beeeep!
‘Mu-um! That’s your taxi,’ Craig called upstairs. Seconds later, Helen flew down. ‘Thanks, love,’ she said, squeezing her son’s arm. ‘And thanks for looking after everything while I’m away.’
‘Just concentrate on having a great time with Lorna,’ Craig said, helping her on with her jacket. ‘We’ll have it all under control, won’t we?’ He scooped up the spotted cat winding itself around Helen’s ankles.
‘Be good, Mau.’ She reached down to stroke the cat and it purred adoringly. ‘You boys look after each other.’
Craig opened the front door.
‘Professor Cooper?’ the cabby asked. ‘For the airport?’
‘Coming!’ Helen shouldered her rucksack.
‘Remember your sunglasses!’ Craig passed them over to her with a grin. ‘How you managed to run successful archaeological digs…’
But his mother was already halfway up the garden path.
‘International terminal?’ The cabby closed her passenger door.
‘Yes please.’ Helen beamed. ‘I’m going back to Egypt.’
‘Back?’ he laughed. ‘What? Lived there, did you, Prof?’
‘Until recently, I taught Egyptology at the university,’ Helen explained. ‘This is my first trip since I retired.
