Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
Maurizio
After a very heavy and even later night, most of Sunday morning was spent in bed fending off the hangover from hell.
I didn’t drink to excess often, but once Nico is added to the equation, it’s a foregone conclusion that a hangover will be had.
That was further compounded by the addition of Gabe and Seb who both knew how to put it away.
I recalled that by the end of the evening we were like old friends, so much so that they were calling me Mo, something only those closest to me did.
By lunchtime, or at least two in the afternoon, I had managed to drag my arse out of bed, shower, drink some juice and eat some toast. As I re-entered my bedroom to dress, the stench of stale alcohol hit me, so I threw on some track bottoms and a t-shirt before opening a window then put clean bed linen on.
I wasn’t exactly house proud or house-husband material, but I was pretty domesticated and knew how to operate household appliances.
In all honesty, that had been put to the test since Sophie left.
With the washing machine on, I thought my afternoon plan might be as simple as a cup of tea and a boxset on the TV while waiting for the children to return that evening. The children and Flora.
I had genuinely missed Flora being around, maybe too much.
Whilst I had missed the children being there, it had been nice to only have to think of myself for a couple of days.
It hit me in that moment how long I had done precisely that for.
After Sophie and I married we continued to make our own plans but to fit in with the other, however, once the children were born, that had changed, for Sophie at least, whereas I had simply continued as before.
I was beginning to see how difficult that had been for Sophie and that even with Bea working for us, it had still been her role to juggle multiple plates and make sure none were dropped.
The truth was that as time had gone on, our marriage and relationship had suffered as we each began to make our own plans with no regard for the other unless it involved the whole family.
Since Sophie had left, I had questioned how much I had driven her to leave, and I wasn’t stupid enough to believe that I had played no part in it.
My mother had cast Sophie entirely as the villain in this particular piece, but I knew that wasn’t entirely accurate because I could have been a better husband.
However, that was the past and I just needed to support Sophie to be the mother our children needed and deserved.
Thinking back to the night before, I briefly recalled a conversation with Nico, Gabe and Seb about exes and children, not that Nico really understood the intricacies of that, but the other men seemed to, not that I fully knew their stories.
However, they made sense when they spoke about needing to facilitate the relationship with the absent parent, leaving the channels of communication open and not making threats or ultimatums, but also knowing the importance of consistency of presence over everything else.
I’d give Sophie a while longer and I had to give credit for the more frequent contact of late, but the children deserved to know where they stood and if they were seeing her every day or on holidays and high days, or most likely, something in between.
With a cup of tea in one hand and the TV remote control in the other, I pushed thoughts of the past and my children’s possible futures aside, and settled on the sofa and prepared to chill when my phone rang.
By the time I disconnected the call, I knew I would not be chilling. I was going to find Flora, who was stuck at the roadside in the middle of nowhere. I grabbed my keys and headed for the door.
I’d been driving for about an hour when it started to rain.
At least Flora would be able to sit in her car and stay dry.
The rain was relentless and even with my windscreen wipers on their fastest speed, visibility was poor.
When the mechanic called, he explained that Flora’s car had finally given up the ghost. That wasn’t a problem.
I’d bought her a new car a few weeks before and it would be available this week.
The problem, however, was that she was in the middle of nowhere and with the addition of horrific weather, she could be vulnerable.
“For fuck’s sake!” The flash of lightning followed by a loud crack of thunder that I swore shook my car, made me jump. “Amazing.” Because obviously this is what was missing from Flora being stuck at the roadside.
The temptation was to put my foot down, but that would be reckless and while Flora brought out an element of that in me, I wasn’t recklessly dangerous.
I was sensible, usually. Safe. I reminded myself that I was a father and my children did not need to be semi-orphaned by me speeding in this weather.
Briefly, I wondered if Sophie would step up if I wasn’t there.
A few months ago, there would have been zero doubts in my mind, but now?
Well, I wasn’t so sure. I needed to speak to someone, a solicitor, a family specialist maybe, and find out what my rights and options were for securing a future for my children.
Then, I needed to speak to Sophie and discuss the children and our divorce and then I needed to update my will.
With the seriousness of reality kicking in, I eased off the accelerator and opted for a slower, but safer arrival.
My Satnav directed me to a village. It seemed to be a single street with shops and houses on both sides, small and quaint, but well-appointed with good facilities.
I drove past a school, a pub, a shop, a playing field, tennis club, then a youth club.
I was impressed. It was a nice location and if I was looking for somewhere farther away from the rat race, this place would be a serious option, not that where I currently lived could be described as inner city.
As I imagined I’d be heading out of the village, I found more shops along a heavily flooded part of the road; a boutique, a hair and beauty salon, an off licence, a butchers, a bakers .
. . I laughed. I was only missing the candlestick maker.
There seemed to be a card and gift shop combined with a haberdashery and then a coffee shop opposite a closed garage.
“Your destination is on the right.”
I stared at the garage and pulled over. This was not my destination.
Couldn’t be. When Flora called the garage near home, she’d given him a location on a B road.
She hadn’t mentioned a garage or a coffee shop, and she would have done.
I opened the map on my phone and zeroed in on my current location, then using the directions and location information the mechanic had given me, I found her most likely position.
I took another look around, just in case she was hidden nearby, but knew she wasn’t.
All I could presume was that due to the rural location, there were limited postcodes around here.
“Right.” I sighed. “Flora, I am coming to find you.” I put the car back in gear and with the storm seeming to be getting worse, I set about finding her.