Chapter 42
JED
The first day of April dawned. How were we already in the second quarter of the year with the Easter holidays rapidly approaching?
With it being a Monday, I was in the gallery on my own.
Around mid-morning, I was surprised by Pam and Billy arriving with Piper and Savannah.
After hugs from the twins, Pam took them down to the end of the gallery to look at the Australian collection, leaving Billy by the counter with me.
‘Ingrid’s coming home this week,’ he said.
‘I’m hoping that’s not an April Fool’s joke.’
‘I wouldn’t be that cruel. She has a flight booked for Thursday so it’ll be Friday before she’s home but she’s categorically confirmed it’s over with Declan.
’ He glanced at his family, turned his back to them and lowered his voice.
‘She’s not in a good way. She told Pam things hadn’t been going so well but that hadn’t stopped her from, you know… ’
Yes, I did know, and it didn’t surprise me at all.
‘Because of that, Ingrid assumed they were working their way back to some sort of reconciliation. She met up with a nursing colleague of hers who knows Declan’s ex-girlfriend and found out they’re still seeing each other.’
I winced but, again, I wasn’t surprised.
‘She confronted him about it and asked how they were supposed to have a future together if he was still sleeping with his ex and he told her that they have no future. He doesn’t love her anymore – blamed the kids, of course – and he still wants a divorce.’
I tutted. ‘Scum.’
Billy nodded. ‘Ingrid was devastated and demanded to know why he’d led her on but Declan couldn’t see why she was so het up – said he thought she’d returned for a holiday and wanted a bit of fun while she was there.
It was finally the wake-up call she needed.
She’s currently packing up her life there and will be returning to Whitsborough Bay for good.
She understands she left a mess behind and that she can’t just turn up after a month away and expect things to go back to how they were before but she wants to have a family conversation about how we all move forward and that we need to involve you in that. ’
Now that part did surprise me. ‘That’s a first. Or was involving me your suggestion?’
‘It all came from her. She’s asked that none of us say anything to Aaron, Lucy and Erin. She’s going to contact them directly over the next day or so to let them know she’s returning and that she knows she has a lot of explaining to do.’
‘Okay. They won’t hear it from me. I’m glad she’s taking ownership of it and I hope it’s an indication of some growth on her part.’
‘You and me both. Honestly, Jed, I thought the cancer would be the toughest thing I faced this year but it feels like a breeze compared to the storm our Ingrid’s dragged us through.’
Continuing with Billy’s analogy, I just hoped that we were through the storm and Ingrid’s return wouldn’t land us in the midst of a hurricane.