Chapter 53
HOTEL MARGARITáRI, AVLAKI
Faye took a breath as she observed the hotel guests relaxing by the pool.
It was calm. At least the hotel business was running smoothly and there had been no repeated swimming pool incidents or insect coups for her to sort out.
But as her eyes found Saffron, lying on a lounger, headphones on, sunglasses in place, Faye knew she needed peace restored between her and her daughter, and that took one of them to be the adult.
She could give a little time and space, but she didn’t want Saffron to think her retreat was because she didn’t care about her feelings. She made her way across the grass.
‘I bought you a Fanta Lemon,’ Faye said, holding the plastic bottle out to Saffron.
No response. Perhaps she couldn’t hear her with the music on. Faye held the drink a bit closer, made it dance side to side.
Saffron snatched at her headphones, pulling them off her head. ‘What?’
‘I brought you a drink,’ Faye said. ‘I would say “peace offering” but we aren’t really at war, are we?’ She smiled, hopefully.
Saffron sat up and took the drink, and Faye didn’t wait for an invitation; she rapidly sat down on the bottom of Saffron’s sunbed.
‘Saff, I don’t want to fight, OK? I hate it when we’re not speaking.’
Saffron opened the lid of the lemon drink and took a gulp.
Faye watched her drinking, delaying conversation. She took a deep breath. ‘OK, well, I apologise that I didn’t get to tell you about Kostas myself and that you had to see the photos before we had a chance to chat about it but… I’m not going to apologise for dating him.’
Saffron took the drink from her mouth and snorted. ‘Is that what you’re doing, is it? Dating?’
‘I really don’t know what you want to call it,’ Faye said, scraping her hair behind her ear. ‘It doesn’t matter to me what name you give it, but I enjoy his company and—’
‘You enjoy his “company”?’ Saffron scoffed again. ‘What do you even have in common? He’s twenty-five! You’re forty! He’s been on the cover of Vogue Greece and you’re just… just… you.’
Internally Faye was reacting hard. The words burned, singeing her safety net, making her self-esteem smoulder.
But externally she was staying stoic. She knew her daughter was still hurting from the divorce.
These words were being fired like ammunition, but not necessarily meant to hurt Faye, just to get the pain out of Saffron’s own head and heart.
As tears bubbled in Saffron’s eyes, Faye put a hand on her arm. ‘I know I’m just me, Saff. And I actually really like being just me now.’
Saffron didn’t say anything, but her bottom lip was quivering like it used to when she knew she had to visit the dentist and there was no way of getting out of the nasty-tasting paste at the end of the consultation.
‘I will always be your mum, Saff, always, but the time has come now for me to do a few things for just me. And, OK, I didn’t really have a basketball player on my bucket list, but sometimes life surprises you.
Like, I don’t know, you meeting Maddie at the hotel and making a friend, or that time Dad randomly came to Pride with us. ’
Saffron sniffed, looking up. ‘That was surprising.’
‘Agreed,’ Faye said, nodding. ‘I’m not sure it was in his comfort zone whatsoever, but top marks for him for coming along, right?’
Saffron nodded.
‘So, can we just make up already?’
There was a pause and then: ‘You like him. Kostas whatever he’s called.’
‘Yes, I like him. Am I allowed to admit that? Or does it violate some dating algorithm?’
‘Does he like you back? Like in the same way?’
‘I don’t know, Saff. I think so. It hasn’t been very long. I try not to overthink and just, you know, enjoy the moments.’
‘So it’s nothing serious.’ She nodded. ‘OK.’
‘OK?’
‘Well, Maddie’s gone on a trip to Paxos today so I could do with a swimming partner later.’
Faye smiled, getting up from the lounger. ‘Then count me in.’
‘Faye, could I speak with you, please?’
Faye jumped and there was Katerina at her back, a concerned expression on her face. She knew immediately that something was very wrong.
‘What is it?’ Faye asked, core tightening in preparation for bad news.
‘You need to come,’ Katerina stated, eyes wide. ‘You need to come now.’