Chapter 31 #3
“You’re going to regret this,” Nigel seethes, pointing aggressively at Jude. “You think because you’ve got him backing you up, you can talk to me like that. I’m their father. I decide where they go to school.” His finger is now directed at me, his lip in a snarl as he glares at Jude.
I shake my head, trying not to be smug. Be polite, be cool.
“No, you don’t actually. I have custody of my kids. I decide. You have visitation with them every other weekend. That allows you a say, but I make the decisions.”
Nigel’s veins in his forehead are bulging. He looks like he might have a stroke. When he steps further towards Nat, as if he’s going to grab him, Ollie stands up.
“Dad, please. Noah and Nat are upset. Noah didn’t swear at her.
He told her to get lost. And while it was rude and insubordinate, he didn’t swear.
Please, let us sort it tomorrow.” He clutches at Nigel's arm. “I’ll come home with you, or I’ll take you home if you’re on the train.
Let Noah go into school in the morning.”
It looks like Noah is about to protest, but I see Jude touch his leg. And he shuts his mouth.
“Mark my words. This is not the end of it.” Nigel spins on his heel and storms out of the parlour. Ollie follows him out, waving at us both and making a phone signal with his hands.
I look at Jude and he looks at me. I know in my bones Nigel is going to cause trouble. He will not take it well what has happened here today.
As I flop against the back of my chair, Jude picks up my hand. “It’ll be fine, Emma. We’ll work it out. Nigel’s just upset I was here.” I nod. “I shouldn’t have said anything, I just didn’t think. I’m sorry if this has caused more upset.” I can hear the worry in his voice, see it in his eyes.
“It’s fine. I don’t think Nigel would be happy anyway. This just looks weird, us eating ice cream. But it is what it is. Noah is the most important thing, not optics.” I look over at Nat and Noah going through his test sheet.
“Do you want me to take them with me? If you’ve got meetings, I can take them onto a building site. It’s just around the corner. I’ll fetch them back and then take you all home.”
I can feel myself starting to well with tears.
No one puts me first. Nigel never put me first. I was always running around after everyone.
He was always first. I never questioned it.
Never gave it a thought. It was just what mothers did, wasn’t it?
But here today, this man, who is no relation to me or my kids, has put us all first.
“What’s wrong, Mum? Did you have an important meeting?” Noah looks worriedly at me.
I shake my head. “No, baby, I don’t. I’ve finished now for the day. We can go home. Or if that school is nearby, maybe we ought to go have a look. Just in case you don’t like it, and want to stay at St. Hildas.”
“I’ll make a call. I know the head. It’s Westmead. It’s a great school. James and Bucky, my nephews, did sixth form there.” He stands to make the call, leaving me with the boys.
“We won’t have to go live with Dad full time will we?” Nat asks. I can see he’s tearing himself in two. “I love seeing Cal, but—”
“No. The agreement is set. Dad was just upset. He’ll calm down. And I’m sure apologise to you both. He would never want to hurt or upset you.” God knows why I’m trying to soften things for Nigel. But my kids come first, and I am not having them upset.
Jude comes back with a big smile. “Right, we've got an appointment at four o’clock tonight. I explained the situation. No point saying otherwise, the old school has to provide a reference.” He tips his head at Noah.
“Let’s go see if you think it’ll fit. It’s just around the corner from my house, so we can go there afterwards and I’ll cook you all my famous spaghetti. Is that okay, Emma?”
I nod. I feel washed out. I don’t want to have to make any other decisions tonight. Even what to have for dinner would be a stretch.
“I’ll ring St. Hilda’s on the way. See how the land lies and the plan for tomorrow. And let Ollie know we’ll be late home.” I smile tentatively at my boys. “It will work out. Eat up, and let’s go take a look.”
Westmead is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Everything is state of the art. All the kids are using the latest tech for lessons. The buildings may be old, but the education is bang up-to-date. We’re walked through the classrooms, and I continue to be more and more impressed.
The days start at 8:30am, but as it’s a boarding school, the day kids can come in from 7:30am and have breakfast with the boarders.
Lessons, lunch, and then lessons again. Afterschool clubs are compulsory.
Kids can leave or stay for dinner. Then prep or homework and freetime.
The day can end at 8:30pm if children are going home, or they can stay over if they wish.
It’s like an expensive, all-inclusive day care centre.
I’m amazed I hadn’t looked at this before. But the cost. I know it will not be cheap.
The brochure and price list is picked up by Jude. He holds onto it, changing it to his other hand any time I reach out. I think he might be hiding it from me.
I know I’m going to be living on beans and toast when the boys spot the cricket pitch.
An afterschool club is just starting a game on it.
My boys are itching to join in. The head walks them over to introduce them to the other children.
It’s co-ed, and I hear Noah greet some boys and a couple of girls—seemingly they know each other from cricket matches from our club.
Jude comes back towards me with the headmaster. “They know some of the kids. Play cricket with a few and have played against them. Noah will be drafted in asap. They even asked about Cal.” He’s grinning like a proud dad.
I give him a small smile, and I see his focus sharpen on me.
The unknown price of this is making me sweat.
I hear him asking about start dates, for both boys.
As soon as we want. The head is keen to have Noah for the cricket team.
He even knows of my dad, said some of the kids had been to the winter training evenings at my building. It’s all so positive, but also fast.
As we walk back out to Jude’s car, the boys chattering happily about everything they saw, I feel like I’m free-wheeling down a very steep hill.
How the hell am I going to afford this? Holidays are few and far between unless Mum and Dad help out.
Most of my money goes on the house, and all the hobbies. And now this.
I know I’m getting quieter and quieter as we near Jude’s house. The boys have never been here, so the wonderland of materialism continues. The house is explored.
“Mum, there's guitars everywhere,” Noah states in awe. “Every room has at least three. And a piano, and a huge drum kit in the basement.”
Their eyes are on stalks, and they’re getting hyper. Jude shows them the games room. Every game console, table tennis, pool table.
“Bucky and James practically lived in here. With all their friends, of course. Half of London showed up most days.” Jude sounds indulgent, and I can tell he’s enjoying this little skip down memory lane.
“I had to feed them all. So my spaghetti is very famous,” he tells the boys.
“Stay in here and I’ll shout you when it’s ready.
” But they’re already gone, heads in the consoles, both grabbing at controllers.
“Let’s go up to the kitchen.” He tugs at me gently, leading me upstairs. “Are you going to spill your guts and tell me what’s wrong? You’ve got quieter and quieter. Is it because you didn’t like the school?” he asks me, his voice soft, his eyes on mine.
I shake my head, looking around at the huge kitchen. I love it here. It’s massive, but homey. Substantial but unpretentious. A bit, I’m learning, like the man looking at me, waiting for an honest answer.
“No,” I huff out. “If my school was like that, I’d have moved in. It was great, everything I could want for them.”
“But…” his eyes are raised, waiting for the punch line.
“You hung onto the brochure with the price list. I know it’ll take everything I have and then some for them to go there.”
“I can help out. I’m sure your Mum and Dad will too. Noah might even get a sports scholarship, and Nat is super bright, so he might get an academic one.” He’s all upbeat. Looking for the solution.
“I don’t want your money. If I send the kids there, I’ll pay.” He’s backed me up against the kitchen units. Apparently I’m not getting out of this discussion so easily.
“Okay, well, let me try and negotiate a bit first. You know I love it. I could offer them free building work. In exchange for fees. I know I saw a few issues with some of the older buildings. Please, let me help a bit.” He’s softly trying to cajole me.
I try to step to the side, away from him, his warmth and love. “What about in the future? If all this ends? Nat’s only eight. It’s a lot of fees.”
He stills and just stares at me. It seems like an age before he asks, “Are you ending us before we’ve even got fully going?”
He continues to look into my eyes, his clear and full of love. Mine start to brim with tears.
“Hey, look, we don’t need to make any decisions tonight.
You’ve got options. Send Nat back to school in the morning.
Take Noah in, and if needs be, keep him off a week or so.
Say he’s ill. There’s a holiday at the beginning of May.
Take the time to decide.” He steps in and kisses me.
“Take your time. You know what to do. If the kids are happy, you are. I’ll do whatever it takes to make you happy as well.
We’ll support you whatever you decide.” He smiles widely and moves my hair from my face.
“Now, sit at the table and watch a master of the kitchen at work.”
He’s all cocky and full of swagger. I know he’s good in the kitchen, at everything. I’ve experienced it. He also loves to cook. I decide to go with the flow. I can’t manage anything else. Everything feels fraught with tension, every decision a trial.
I sit back and let his chat wash over me. The dinner is amazing, the boys are mopping up the sauce with a mixture of fingers and garlic bread. Jude is full of stories of James and Bucky coming home from Westmead, Jude cooking their dinner. Taking them to gigs, school.
Noah and Nat are eating it up. It’s the most he’s talked about his family, and as I look around the room, I can see it all. These pictures chronicle the Greystone family. And Jude was at the heart of it.
But do I want him to be so involved in mine? Is it another step to another Nigel? I’ve been so hurt I’m not sure anymore.
But as I watch this man with my sons, my doubts fade a little. He’s warm, funny, not a pushover, and tells them like it is. But he loves them, I can see it in how he interacts with them. What the hell am I going to do for the best?