Chapter 11
Chapter eleven
The spa, Rosa had to admit, was unbelievable.
From the outside, the building looked like an oversized cabin, with neon signs advertising beer and Aperol Spritz.
Chalkboards had price lists for burgers and sandwiches and dishes she had no clue about.
Around to the side was a separate entrance that led to the bar.
Nobody would imagine it housed a spa at all.
It smelt like any other spa she'd visited, not that there were many. Spas were a treat—an expensive treat—that over the years Rosa hadn't had the finances to enjoy.
Imogen came first, always.
Money for football camps and boots she outgrew every season. Skiing lessons before the big school journey that cost an absolute fortune. Piano lessons, guitar lessons—every spare penny Rosa earned went on making sure Imogen had the best of her opportunities.
But there had been the few occasions when she and Tanya had found a deal on Groupon and splurged a little for themselves.
Now, with Billy splitting the costs of some things, her financial situation had eased a little, but she still couldn't quite get out of the habit of feeling poor.
"Thirty-five euros for a swimming costume?" She almost fainted. She had a perfectly good costume at home she'd picked up from Tesco in the sales for less than a tenner.
"It is a tad expensive," Billy agreed. "I don't want to step on toes, but if you need me to pay…I can. I appreciate you didn't budget for Mum's…planning."
"I'm not a charity case," Rosa hissed quietly.
"Mum, are you coming?" Imogen called out as the girls all crowded around the desk while Meredith organised their booking.
"Two minutes," Rosa called back, before her smile for her daughter faded as quickly as it had appeared, and she picked up the swimsuit in her size.
"I wasn't offering charity, Rosie," Billy said, using the old nickname without thinking. "I just…over the years I've missed a lot…a ton of stuff I should have been involved with, including all of your birthdays and Christmases."
"We divorced years ago, Billy. I wasn't your responsibility when we were married. I'm certainly not now." Rosa turned towards the cashier, Billy following behind.
"It always felt like it," Billy said.
Rosa stopped and turned so suddenly that Billy almost knocked her over. "What does that mean?"
Billy shrugged. "Just that…I guess back then, I felt very much like you were my responsibility. You were having our baby, carrying a child we made together, and I was…it felt like I was failing at everything. I was useless to you, when I should have been the backbone of the family."
"We, is the operative word, Billy. We made a commitment, we made a family, we were equal…You felt like a failure. You left. We didn't fail. I didn't leave."
"Mum!" Imogen called again.
Rosa smiled at her. "Just coming." She handed the swimsuit over to the cashier and pulled her purse from her bag, taking her card out to pay.
She glanced over her shoulder at Billy. "We're not having this conversation here. We're going to walk in there, smiles on our faces, and act like we like each other."
"I thought we did like each other," Billy said, taking the bag from the cashier and carrying it. Rosa snatched it back.
"I can carry my own bags."
Billy shrugged off the rebuff. "For what it's worth…I like you," she said to Rosa's retreating back. "Always have," she said to herself, adding, "That's the problem, isn't it?"
She blew out a frustrated breath and followed on, her own bag slung over her shoulder. To the outer world, she was the epitome of nonchalant.
"Billy? Get a move on." Imogen laughed. Robbie and Janka were bouncing on their feet.
"Why are you all so interested in how long it takes us oldies?" Billy grinned.
"Speak for yourself. I'm not old," Rosa said.
"I thought you were all skiing?" Billy continued, ignoring the slight jibe from Rosa.
"We are, but Grandma booked it all as a group, so we have to go in together. Then we can get changed and leave you all to it," Imogen explained, glancing at Robbie, who nodded and smiled.
The receptionist handed over bright orange wristbands to the girls and blue ones to Billy and Rosa. Whilst they were all focused on putting them on, Meredith's phone rang.
"Hello?" she said, before listening a long moment. "Oh, no, really? I can't believe I forgot. It's the excitement of having my family visit." She went quiet again, then said, "You can? Okay, I guess I can do that."
"What's wrong?" Billy asked, frowning.
"I missed my dental appointment, and they're so hard to get, but they have a cancellation in one hour and I can take that instead." She smiled regretfully. "You don't mind if I skip out, do you?" She was already kissing Imogen and hugging Robbie and Janka. "I'll meet you all for lunch after?"
Billy nodded. "Sure, if you need to go then… We'll be fine."
“Wonderful.” Meredith grinned at everyone. “I won’t be long. You know where to go, don’t you, Billy?”
“I do,” Billy assured. “Go on, we’ll be fine.”
They all waved and watched as Meredith headed towards the doors, pausing to wave before she disappeared out into the cold.
“Shall we?” Billy asked as she held the door open before leading them all into the changing rooms, single file.
Large lockers sat on one side, with an open room for changing. There were showers to the left and a toilet cubicle.
Imogen, Robbie, and Janka were all but changed before Billy or Rosa had even started. They’d just need to swap out shoes for ski boots, pull on their safety equipment, and they would be good to go.
"Okay, we'll see you in the restaurant in a couple of hours." Imogen grinned at the adults, holding her helmet and gloves in her hands.
"Alright, have fun in the snow," Rosa said. "And be careful."
"Mum, there's so much fresh powder, it's going to be ace." And then the three of them were gone, Rosa staring after them for a moment, wondering where her own get up and go, had gotten up and gone.
When she turned back, she gasped. Her hand flew to cover her eyes, and she swivelled around again, forcing her gaze to the floor. Billy was naked. A pile of clothes lay jumbled on the floor.
Billy laughed. "I don't recall you being so prudish."
Rosa's cheeks burned. "I'm not…I just wasn't expecting…" When she glanced back, Billy had her bikini on and was just doing it up at the back. Muscles flexed prominently on her shoulders and arms as she moved.
"I'll just…" Rosa grabbed her bag and headed for the toilet cubicle.
"Maybe we have both changed," Billy mused and chuckled to herself. She wrapped one of the large, soft robes they'd been given around herself and picked up her clothes, folding them neatly before she pushed it all into a locker.
Another woman entered the room and they exchanged polite acknowledgements.
When Rosa returned a few moments later, changed into the new costume, wrapped in her own robe and wearing the slippers they’d been given, Billy asked, "Sharing a locker, or do you need your own space?"
There were plenty of lockers available and no need to share. And yet, the way in which Billy had asked, recognising her need for her own autonomy, made her realise just how much she wanted to share something with someone again…maybe.
Instead, she opened the locker beside Billy's. "This will be fine." She placed her shoes in first, then her bags, and topped the stack with her clothes before locking it and attaching the key pin to her towel. "Okay, ready?"
"As I'll ever be." Billy grinned and led the way once more, holding the door open for Rosa to pass through. "I like that perfume, by the way," she said casually.
“What?” Rosa asked.
“Your perfume…it’s nice.”
Rosa brushed off the compliment. "Oh, it's nothing expensive."
"Well, it suits you," Billy tried again.