Chapter 42
CHAPTER 42
‘ T hat’s atrocious; you need to do something about it. Can you sue her?’ Matthew said when I told him about Sarah’s book.
‘Not sure. I think copyright laws have changed. Besides…’
‘Besides what?’
‘What’s done is done. The photo’s in her book now.’
‘I can’t believe you’re saying that. Where’s your fighting spirit?’
‘Mostly in the laundry.’
‘The woman I fell in love with would have ripped her to shreds.’
‘The woman you fell in love with also weighed eight kilos less and didn’t have wrinkles.’
‘Stop being melodramatic.’
‘Thanks. Exactly what I need. Another lecture.’ I walked away to answer the door. ‘Lordy!’ I said to Robyn as she and her blonde shag and nose ring toddled inside. ‘I didn’t know you were coming over.’
She waved me away. ‘You like? I got a trim. Again. And colour. Again. Instaperfect, babes. ’
‘Indeed.’ Hairdressers say critical times for hairstyle changes are after the demise of a relationship and after the birth of a baby. Full points to Robyn for being ahead of the curve.
Though Robyn’s cut was cute, it reminded me of the time I got a spiral perm just after Mum and Dad’s divorce. I looked like a startled poodle. Even before I left the salon it was ugly, but it was truly frightful once I was required to manage it myself. Days later, I shuffled back to the hairdressers and demanded they cut it off. For free. They did. Another disaster. I contemplated getting hair extensions but, in the end decided it was more economical to wear a beret (a nod to the French) for the next two years. Since then, I’ve kept it permanently shoulder-length and brown, and trim it myself when needed.
Funny how I’d forgotten about that. Even more reason to kick myself for not empathising with Lexi’s recent shock experiment.
‘Hey, Matt.’ Robyn waved to him as she walked through the kitchen to the fridge and opened it. ‘Any wine?’
Matthew glanced up from his phone in Robyn’s direction, opened his mouth to say something but changed his mind and went back to scrolling.
I closed the fridge door and turned on the kettle. ‘Peppermint tea, I think.’
Once we had our drinks, Robyn and I moved to the living room. ‘You’re chipper,’ I said. ‘Last night you were in tears.’
‘Fake it till you make it.’
‘So what’s happening?’
‘Well, as of ten minutes ago, at’ – she checked her Fitbit – ‘seven pm, that post has accumulated over 300,000 likes, so I’ll receive a hefty payment from Very Breast XX. Any additional likes and we’re talking serious bonus territory.’
‘What?’ I spluttered through my tea.
‘Yeah, it’s not all doom and gloom. Plus, there were heaps of positive comments. At least there were until I turned off the comments function.’
‘You’re going to keep advertising with them?’
Robyn rubbed her belly. ‘Of course, but probably no more until after bub is born.’ She pulled out a colourful pale-green bunny blanket (as in decorated with white rabbits) from her backpack. ‘Onward. Let’s take some snaps.’
‘Of that blanket?’ I’d seen hundreds of these before and couldn’t see that this one was any different.
‘It’s not a blanket. It’s a one hundred per cent certified, bamboo cotton no-wrap baby wrap.’ She handed me a pamphlet. ‘To swaddle the baby and strap him/her/they to your chest. Or back. Perfect for baby and Mum, or baby and Dad, or baby and non-binary caregiver… you know. Perfect for all sorts.’
‘Please don’t write that in your post.’
She poked out her tongue. ‘Photos please? And make me look like the goddess I’m destined to become.’
While Robyn applied lipstick and arranged herself into an almost comfortable position, I retrieved my camera from the kitchen. I returned with the camera, Bugs, and a couple of carrots.
‘Bugs!’ Robyn squealed. ‘We meet again, gorgeous boy.’
‘Props,’ I replied, sitting Bugs and his carrots beside her.
She prodded him. ‘Stacking on the pounds, fella.’
I frowned. ‘Pot. Kettle.’
After taking upwards of thirty photos of the same pose, I put my camera down. ‘Enough. I’ll fiddle with the best ones and send them to you in the morning.’
‘Thanks.’
‘Are you sure you’re feeling okay about the online remarks? It’d wear me down.’
‘Nah, I’ve got the hide of a rhino.’ Robyn sipped her tea. ‘Though sometimes?— ’
The doorbell rang. ‘Hold that thought.’ I stood. ‘What’s going on? It’s a school night.’
Mum and Dad were standing at the front door, and I ushered them inside. ‘This is unexpected,’ I said, because it was.
Mum smiled eagerly. ‘Hope we’re not intruding, we wanted to show you the wedding invitations.’
No, why would you think that? ‘Robyn’s here.’
‘Darling, how are you?’ Mum said, walking over to her. Surprisingly, she didn’t react to Robyn’s hair or nose ring. Dad seemed oblivious, just like the old days.
‘Excellent.’ Robyn beamed.
‘Nanna!’ Lexi rushed down the stairs. ‘I’ve got some great ideas for my dress.’
‘Me too,’ Angus said.
‘Lex, have you done your homework?’ Hunter had left less than an hour ago and Lexi had only just finished dinner. There was no way she could have completed all her study. ‘Including the extra assignments?’
‘Mum!’
‘How are you, sweetheart?’ Mum moved towards Lexi. ‘I hear you’ve been giving your teachers a hard time.’
‘Katie and Robyn used to run away from school when they were about your age, Lexi,’ Dad chimed in.
‘Thanks, Dad.’ I scowled. ‘Not helpful.’
Matthew walked in with a beer for Dad and a wine for Mum, and we shouted around him.
Robyn pouted.
‘Really?’ Lexi was enthralled. ‘Mum didn’t tell me. She always pretends she was such a goody-goody.’
‘Oh no.’ Dad smiled. ‘Far from it.’
‘I was good,’ I countered. ‘Especially when I was thirteen.’
‘I wasn’t.’ Robyn chortled.
‘Robbie, your hair!’ Lexi squealed. ‘Awesome. ’
‘Yeah, nice hair, Rob.’ Matthew gave Robyn two thumbs up, then he looked at me.
I didn’t comment.
‘Says he who hasn’t changed his hairstyle in fifteen years,’ Robyn snorted. ‘As for your straggly mane, Kate…’
‘What? What’s wrong with it?’ I flipped my head from side to side. ‘I can whack it in a ponytail and it looks great. Short hair requires constant maintenance, styling products, buckets of grooming time.’
‘Don’t listen to her, Robbie, your hair’s cool,’ Lexi said. ‘As for the nose ring, I’m busting. Can I get one, Mum?’
‘Of course you can. When you’re thirty-five.’
‘You never let me do anything. You know, Nanna, Mum doesn’t want you and Pop to marry again. Isn’t she the worst mother ever? She’s so mean.’
‘Lexi,’ Mum said, ‘that’s not true. Besides, your mother and I have spoken about the wedding and she’s very happy about it now. Aren’t you, Kate?’
‘Of course,’ I lied. ‘Speaking of which, we need to talk about the wedding plans and Christmas with Nanna, so you two finish your homework and then, Lexi, you can talk about your dress, and, Angus, you can find out all about being the ring bearer.’
He scrunched his nose. ‘What about the lollies?’
Dad tried to ruffle Angus’s spiky hair. ‘There’ll be plenty of lollies on the day, sport.’
Mum pulled an invitation from her bag. ‘It’s only a draft but what do you think?’
I snatched the card from her and examined it. Printed on the front was a photo of the four of us taken at a beach thirty years ago – Mum and Dad holding hands and looking incredibly young and gorgeous. Each was holding a child with their free arm. My head was leaning on Dad’s shoulder. I’d forgotten I was such a daddy’s girl .
‘I remember that. We were staying at the old beach house… we built sandcastles all day.’ I stopped and caught my breath. They were good times. ‘It’s a great photo,’ I managed, and wondered why it had to come to an end all those years ago. ‘But, Mum, you’re really getting married on Christmas Eve?’
‘It’s short notice but we only want family and a few friends. Fifteen at most.’
‘I’m the fifteenth I guess,’ Robyn said. ‘The only person without a partner.’
‘Not if you count Lexi and Angus,’ I chimed in.
Mum rubbed her temples. ‘I’ve called everyone, including Carol and Bernard. The invitation’s merely a formality.’
‘Thanks for inviting my Mum and Dad,’ Matthew replied. ‘They’re looking forward to it.’ He glanced at me, knowing we hadn’t discussed it. He shrugged. ‘They’re staying for Christmas week.’ I could hardly complain.
‘Again, Christmas Eve.’ I held the invitation in my hand, feeling myself tearing up. ‘Tell me what you’ve decided.’
‘We were going to have the wedding at Bob’s apartment, or my home.’ Mum glanced at Dad. ‘But then we thought it would be much nicer to have the party at a restaurant. No worrying about the weather…’
Dad grinned. ‘Or cleaning up after.’
Robyn grunted. ‘Cramps. The baby’s coming.’
Mum clucked sympathetically and continued. ‘We’ve organised the celebrant and chosen flowers. But stuck for a venue.’
‘Aren’t you supposed to give one month and one day’s notice for a marriage licence?’ I asked.
‘Yes.’ Dad beamed. ‘We organised it after our first night together.’
Right! I knew when I was beat. Best to smile and embrace the chaos .
‘I might have a place for you,’ I said, scrolling on my phone. ‘I did a photo shoot on the northern beaches the other day and there was this gorgeous restaurant, Jonah’s by the Sea . It’s got a stunning outlook and there’s a private function room. If it’s not booked, you could be in luck. It would be in keeping with the invitation, too. But again, Christmas Eve.’
Overcoming the almost-grope by Graeme that darkened my memories of that room, I pushed past and showed them an image of the restaurant and surrounds.
‘Perfect,’ Dad said.
I opened notes on my phone and started typing. ‘If we’re going to do this bloody wedding, let’s do it properly.’
Matthew stood up and left the room. Okay, so perhaps he wasn’t up for another family celebration, despite his parents being included. I sometimes forgot how hard it must be for him having my family living in the same city as us. We hardly ever saw his family. But mine! Like tonight, rarely a day went by when Mum or Robyn didn’t pop in. Usually unannounced.
I’d finished writing 1. Ring Jonah’s by the Sea, tomorrow am , when Matthew returned with a bottle of Mo?t and five flutes.
‘This calls for a celebratory drink!’
‘I’m sorry,’ I whispered as I stood to join him. I loved Matthew, no doubt about it. But I still felt we were both going through the motions and our emotional connection was seriously lacking. We needed to work things out, but the hugeness of our problems overwhelmed me, especially when surrounded by family. Like now. Also, there was my very real concern Matthew was indulging in extramarital activities, and as for me, I still couldn’t remember why the hell I was in a taxi heading to Graeme’s apartment that night. The memory remained just out of reach, and it scared me.
After squeezing my hand and kissing my cheek, Matthew popped the cork and poured everyone a glass. ‘To Pip and Bob. ’
It was a true Kodak moment. I should have taken photos, but I wasn’t quite there yet.
Dad stroked Mum’s arm while she talked. ‘White, red and pink roses for the ceremony, and bouquets of white roses and hydrangeas for the tables. What do you think?’
Looking at them together again, I almost recognised the father who’d cooked us Sunday roasts when we were growing up; the father who’d taken us on family beach holidays; and the father who’d stroked my arm, like he was doing now with Mum, whenever I fell over or was troubled… Pity he ducked out just as I was having serious growing pains, boyfriend hassles and exam pressures.
‘Are you writing this down, Katie?’ Mum asked, pulling me back to the present.
‘Sorry, I missed that.’
‘I said, do you want me to call the restaurant?’
‘No, I’ll call first and see if it’s available.’
Mum nodded. ‘Then I’ll print the invitations and email them.’
‘What about music?’ Robyn asked, after Matthew and Dad had drifted into the TV room to watch cricket.
‘Yes, music, although…’ I hesitated.
‘Although what?’ Mum asked.
‘Are you going to have a bridal waltz?’
‘I haven’t thought that far ahead.’
‘Well, Mother, remember mine and be warned.’ Flashbacks of Joe Cocker came scuttling back. ‘Remember “You Are So Beautiful”?’
‘Good in theory,’ Robyn agreed, ‘but it was way too slow and Joe’s voice!’
‘Sounded like he was having a convulsion.’ I shivered. ‘Horrible.’
‘Everything makes sense in hindsight,’ Robyn muttered. ‘ What about Kirsty’s, “I Will Always Love You”? Ha! What a joke that turned out to be.’ Kirsty and Ian had divorced four months later.
Mum grimaced. ‘I’ll make sure I ask your advice before your father and I choose the wedding song, if we have one.’
‘Nanna, when are we going to talk about my dress?’ Lexi’s hurt voice came from the top of the stairs.
‘Right now, love.’ Mum stood, champagne in hand. ‘Wish me luck,’ she whispered.
We watched as she climbed the stairs to join Lexi.
Eyeing Dad in the living room with Matt, I picked up the wedding invitation again. ‘What do you think about all of this?’
‘I was shocked at first,’ Robyn started. ‘But after the few months I’ve had, I realise anything can happen.’
‘I never would have thought Mum and Dad… I mean, imagine getting back together again after all this time apart.’
‘Can’t have been easy for Dad, separated from us for all those years. It’s so sad.’ Robyn gingerly sipped her champagne. ‘I remember one night before he moved out, Dad crying, begging Mum to let him stay, pleading with her. He said he could change, that he’d do anything to keep the family together and the marriage alive. Mum was so cruel, adamant their marriage was dead.’
I sprang to Mum’s defence. ‘What did he expect? He had an affair with Miss Inspirational, and then married her, remember. Let’s not forget the facts, Robbie.’
‘I know, but that night he looked like he’d lost his best friend. He stayed in the spare room next to mine and cried all night.’ Robyn shook her head. ‘Heartbreaking.’