Chapter 35
JED
The following morning, Anastasia’s prints and cards arrived and I needed to step into her marketing shoes, taking photos and videos of her unboxing everything and displaying her cards in the racks and her prints in the displays.
Even though she hated having her photo taken, she’d accepted that it was a special moment which she’d never experience for the first time again.
By lunchtime, we’d already sold a couple of her prints and I felt so privileged that I’d been able to make her dreams come true. But as the day wore on, she kept glancing at her phone, a frown on her face.
‘Is everything okay?’ I asked, catching her doing it again.
Her cheeks flushed. ‘Sorry, I’ll put it away.’
‘I don’t mind. I’m just worried about you. You look fed up.’
‘I am and I’m annoyed with myself about it.
Truth is, I clicked with someone at The Friendship Pod last night – Colin – and he asked for my number.
I don’t normally do things like that but I felt this instant connection with him so I typed my number into his phone and he said he’d be in touch today but I still haven’t heard from him.
I know today hasn’t ended and perhaps he meant this evening.
I just hope he’s not going to play it cool and take five days to get in touch.
I don’t like it when people say one thing and do another. ’
‘Does he know you work here?’
‘Yes.’
‘That could be it. Lots of retailers ban personal phones during business hours so he could well be waiting until you’re finished for the day.’
She rolled her eyes and nodded. ‘I’m being silly, aren’t I?
It’s been so long since I did this that I’ve got myself all in a tizz.
Thanks, Jed, and thanks for all of this.
’ She waved her arm in the direction of the display racks devoted to her prints.
‘It’s honestly the most exciting thing that’s ever happened to me and I’m sorry if my moment of childishness made me look in any way ungrateful. ’
‘Matters of the heart are never childish. I’m sure he’ll be in touch soon.’
Aaron arrived shortly after for his usual art class and bore the surprising news that Ingrid had rung him while he was on the school bus this morning.
‘She’s moved back into our house,’ he said, his voice flat, ‘so presumably she’s back with Declan.’
‘Did she say that?’
‘Not directly.’
‘It might not be the case, then. Legally it’s her house as much as it is his and she still has her stuff there so he can’t really stop her being there. Did she say anything about coming back here or about you and the twins returning to Sydney?’
‘No, but I don’t want to go back. It’s better here. I’ve got more family and I’ve made some friends at school and I like the swim club better.’
‘I’m glad you’re making friends. I know it’s hard moving to a new town and new school.’
‘I don’t get why she likes him, Dad. He’s such a loser.’
I stared at Aaron, my heart pounding. Had he just called me Dad? I’d longed to hear him call me that for so long, but was it something I should encourage?
‘I don’t want to live with him again,’ he continued. ‘I want to stay here with you permanently.’
His voice cracked and he launched himself at me. I wrapped my arms round him and held him tightly, just like I’d done when Ingrid left.
‘I don’t know what’s going to happen with your mum,’ I said, ‘but if I could make one wish right now, it would be the same as yours.’
I wanted it with all my heart.
Our current art project was to draw a wombat.
Aaron had taken Wally home with him early last week and wanted to draw a true-life wombat from a photograph rather than a pudgy reimagined version like mine.
The practice he’d been doing with eyes, noses and ears had set him up perfectly for mastering the wombat’s face and the exploration of movement on my windswept sheep’s fleece had really helped him bring depth to the wombat’s fur.
‘It’s looking seriously impressive,’ I said, bursting with pride for him. ‘I’ll leave you to it while I help Anastasia finish up downstairs.’
Anastasia had just taken the vacuum cleaner up to the store cupboard on the first floor when there was a frantic banging on the door and I smiled as I recognised Colin outside.
‘Is Anastasia still here?’ he asked, sounding out of breath.
‘She’s upstairs.’
‘Oh, thank goodness! I thought I might have missed her.’
I invited him in and Anastasia appeared just as I closed the door.
‘Colin?’ she said, looking shocked as she appeared with her jacket and handbag.
‘The number you gave me doesn’t work. I said I’d call you today and I meant it and I was worried I wouldn’t get out of work quickly enough to catch you. I didn’t want you to think I’m trying to play it cool. I’ve never played anything cool in my whole life.’
He handed her his phone to show the number she’d tapped in and she groaned. ‘I can’t believe I did that. I’ve transposed the last two numbers. It should be five eight, not eight five. I’m so sorry.’
Colin quickly swapped the numbers and rang her. The phone in her bag started ringing and she held it up with a smile. ‘Put it down to nerves.’
‘Why were you nervous?’ he asked.
‘Because I like you.’
He smiled widely. ‘I like you too. I don’t suppose you’d like to grab a drink now? Apologies that that’s spontaneous. I don’t normally do that.’
‘Neither do I but I’d love to.’
I’d done my best to slink back into the corner of the gallery, feeling like I was intruding on an intensely private moment, but they must have both remembered I was still there as they looked in my direction and started laughing.
‘Have a great evening,’ I said as I let them out.
I glanced over at The Chocolate Pot, hoping that Tara would be near the door to spot her matchmaking working, but I couldn’t see anyone.
I’d look forward to telling her later instead.
I was so chuffed for Anastasia and hoped it could be the start of a romance for her as she deserved it and, from the conversations I’d had with Colin last night at The Friendship Pod, he seemed like a good bloke.
But the person who wasn’t a good bloke was Declan.
I’d told Aaron earlier that Ingrid returning to the family home didn’t necessarily mean they were back together.
Surely she’d have explicitly said they were if that was the case.
I wondered whether he might have let her back into his bed but not his heart – something she certainly wouldn’t have shared with Aaron.
I wouldn’t put that past a man who’d happily coaxed his ex-girlfriend to Australia and conducted an affair behind her husband’s back for years.
If that was the case, Ingrid had brought it on herself, but I wasn’t going to focus on that.
She was the mother of my children and I’d once loved her very much.
I didn’t want her to be used by Declan and left heartbroken. Nobody deserved that.