Chapter 5
JED
My mouth felt very dry and my stomach was in knots as I scanned the lifeboat station forecourt, seeking out Aaron.
‘Do you want to go and say hello to Billy?’ Tara asked.
I wasn’t sure. I had a great relationship with my former in-laws so I normally wouldn’t have hesitated in approaching either of them, but I didn’t want to cause Billy any awkwardness if Aaron was around and I certainly didn’t want to cause Aaron any problems.
‘It’s just a hello,’ Tara said, her voice encouraging.
‘You’re right. If Aaron appears and doesn’t want to speak to me, we can leave.
’ Although I really hoped he did want to speak to me.
He used to be such a chatterbox – just like Lucy.
I’d hated how quiet my life had been when neither of them were around and how, even when my girls were back with me permanently, the volume control had forever been dialled back.
Was Aaron a chatterbox now? Did he still give a running commentary on everything he saw or felt or thought?
Tara followed me across the path and up the lifeboat station forecourt to the ambulance where Billy was chatting to one of the paramedics. He spotted us approaching and put his arms out.
‘Jed! Happy Christmas!’ He patted me on the back. ‘Great to see you.’
‘And you.’ We stepped apart, smiling at each other. ‘Billy, this is my girlfriend, Tara. She owns The Chocolate Pot.’
Billy shook Tara’s hand. ‘You’ve done wonders with that place. Pam and I have been in there a few times and it’s unrecognisable. Day off today?’
‘Yes. Town’s too quiet to justify opening. I think most of the locals are down here. Loving your hat, by the way.’
Billy was wearing a beanie hat decorated like a Christmas pudding with a sprig of holly at the top.
‘Thank you. Our Aaron bought me it as a joke, but it’s the warmest hat I’ve ever had, so the joke’s on him having to wander round today with me wearing it.’
‘Where is Aaron?’ I asked, glancing around me, feeling more than a little apprehensive.
‘In the lifeboat station. Did you see the rescue during the dip?’
My stomach lurched. ‘That wasn’t Aaron in trouble?’
‘No. He was the one in first place who turned back to help. It was a bloke in his mid-twenties in trouble – really bad case of cramp. He panicked and kept going under the water so Aaron held him up until the lifeboat arrived. Proud grandad moment or what?’
Pride surged through me too. ‘That’s pretty impressive.’ But that feeling was soon tinged with sadness as I added, ‘I didn’t realise he was such a strong swimmer,’ and was hit with the realisation that I didn’t know anything about Aaron anymore.
‘He swims competitively,’ Billy said, with an apologetic shrug.
Aaron had been a water baby right from the outset – all three of them had been – but, when Ingrid and I separated, Erin and Lucy had stopped going to their swimming club so I’d assumed Aaron had too.
‘He’s okay after what happened?’ I asked, concerned by the ambulance.
‘Yeah. They both are. Just getting warmed up. It was a bit crowded in there with the lifeboat crew, paramedics and the bloke’s family wanting to thank Aaron so I said I’d wait outside while he got showered and dressed. He should be out in a few minutes.’
I pictured Aaron’s angry expression when he confronted me in the restaurant and again when I found him outside and my stomach lurched. I might want to see him, but I couldn’t imagine he wanted to see me again.
‘In that case, I should go.’
‘You don’t have to do that, Jed. Stay and say hello.’
‘It’s fine. I don’t think he’d want me to and Ingrid certainly wouldn’t.’
‘Leave Ingrid to me. You know how I feel about this whole sorry state of affairs and I have no qualms about telling her that time and time again.’
Billy and Pam had both been disgusted with the way Ingrid had handled the entire situation and they’d told her so on several occasions, but it hadn’t made a jot of difference.
Ingrid had always done exactly what she wanted.
That fiery spirit was one of the things that I’d loved about her when we first met, but now repeatedly frustrated me.
‘Grandad!’
We all turned in the direction of the voice. My heart began pounding as Aaron sauntered towards us but my stomach lurched as his smile faded.
‘What are you doing here?’ he snapped, glowering at me.
‘I spotted your grandad and wanted to say hello. He told me it was you who helped the swimmer in trouble. That’s amazing.’
‘Like I care what you think.’
And with a withering look, Aaron pushed past me and strode off down the seafront.
Billy shook his head, his expression pained. ‘I’m sorry, Jed. I’ll talk to him.’ He patted me on the arm before hurrying after Aaron.
‘I’m so sorry,’ Tara said, slipping her arm round my waist and resting her head against my shoulder. ‘Are you okay?’
‘Not really but it’s the reaction I expected and I totally get it. If I was him and I’d been told what he’d been told, I’d be livid with me too.’
‘He’s young, angry and confused. He just needs time.’
‘I know, but that’s something we don’t have. Another week or so and he’ll be back in Aus.’ I released a heavy sigh but there was no point letting it get to me and putting a dampener on my day out with Tara. ‘How about we grab a coffee then bag ourselves a decent spot for watching the raft race?’
‘Sounds good. But are you sure you’re okay?’
‘I’m fine. It could have gone a lot worse and I’m glad it’s done now so I can relax and not be keeping half an eye out for them.’
‘You played the “glad game”,’ Tara said, smiling at me.
‘So I did.’
Tara’s nickname as a child had been Pollyanna and she’d told me how she’d often played ‘the glad game’ like the young girl in the book to try and find a positive spin on all the upsetting and difficult situations she’d faced growing up.
She still played it as an adult and I had to admit I liked it myself.
I was generally a positive individual but, every so often, life could deal some cruel blows and it was good to try to find something positive even in the toughest situation.
‘Another thing to be glad about is that he might be thawing a little,’ I said. ‘He shot me some dirty looks but he didn’t swear at me this time. That’s an improvement on our last encounter.’
‘Keep hoping and I will too. I think he wants you back in his life. If he didn’t care at all, he’d never have looked you up in the first place.’
‘Lucy said something similar this morning. I’d like to believe that’s the case.’ I really would because it hurt too much to think otherwise.
There was nothing I could do about Aaron so I pushed the situation out of my mind, determined to make the most of my day with Tara.
We watched the raft race which was great fun.
The participants pelted each other with eggs and flour before and during the race and some of them tried to capsize the others.
Afterwards, we went for fish and chips in a restaurant above one of the many takeaways on the seafront.
We managed to secure a seat by the window, giving us great views across South Bay.
The football match didn’t appear to have drawn quite as large a crowd as the dip or raft race but there were still plenty of people about.
We hadn’t long finished eating when another emoji-strewn message arrived from Lucy.
From Lucy
Another heads up for you. Grandad said they’d seen you and I asked Aaron whether he was nicer to you this time. Turns out Mum didn’t know about him crashing Gramps’s birthday. She now has steam coming out her ears. Really sorry. I assumed she knew x
‘Bad news?’ Tara asked when I groaned.
I showed her the message and she winced. ‘You were wondering why Ingrid hadn’t had a go at you. Now you know.’
‘She never misses out on an opportunity to vent so I should have realised she didn’t know. Collecting the girls later is going to be fun.’
To Lucy
I assumed she knew too. Don’t worry about it – not your fault. Have a great lunch and see you later x
Tara and I had returned to The Chocolate Pot and were relaxing in her flat with a hot chocolate, Hercules sprawled across our laps, when a message came through from Erin.
From Erin
Please pick us up at 3pm. Lucy says she’s warned you that Mum’s on the warpath. Grandma and Grandad have suggested you stay in the car to avoid her. We’ll stalk you x
I smiled at the stalking comment. When we’d returned to the UK, Lucy had got me, Erin and my parents to sign up to an app to keep track of where we all were.
I was actually surprised that the girls had both wanted it – especially when Lucy referred to it as the stalking app – because I hadn’t imagined they’d want me to see their every move.
Lucy had made a big show about wanting to keep tabs on us all so we couldn’t get up to mischief without her knowing about it.
Erin had told me the real reason was that, although Lucy was happy with the move back to the UK, she had no memory of being here before and had decided she’d feel more comfortable in a strange country if she could see where we all were and know we were safe.
It was really sweet of her and showed the vulnerability beneath her often brash exterior.
I wasn’t scared of Ingrid’s wrath – I’d been exposed to it enough times over the years that I could mainly let it wash over me – but I didn’t want to cause problems for Billy and Pam so if they’d suggested I stay in the car, that’s what I’d do.
Billy and Pam lived in a large end-terrace cottage on a side street off the main road through Cranton.
They never used the front door and, after I’d turned the car at the end of the street, I spotted Erin and Lucy already on their way along the drive at the side of the house.
I waved at them both and my stomach sank as Ingrid rushed past them. So much for avoiding her!