Chapter 19 #2
“Dads are often busier than they think they will be,” he said, though why he was trying to cut her father slack was beyond him. He wondered what Graham was like, but thought best not to ask.
“My dad’s always busy,” Riley said. “Especially now. They’re going to have a baby.”
“That will be exciting, to have a baby sister or brother.” He pulled the traps and crab bucket from the car and shut the door. “Ready?” he said, loud enough to get Sally and Sarah’s attention.
They nodded and came to pick up the crab bucket and a trap, then walked ahead, still engrossed in conversation, this time about a book Sally was reading—one Sarah remembered reading as well.
“I don’t know,” said Riley, falling into step beside him.
“About what?” Simon asked, pulling his attention away from Sarah and Sally and trying to remember what he and Riley had been talking about.
“About Dad’s new baby. It already takes up time, and it isn’t even born yet. My dad is forgetting about me.”
“I doubt anyone could forget you. Especially your father.”
“Well, Tanis is in the hospital sleeping, and he didn’t have time to see me this weekend.”
He slowed his step and turned toward Riley. Her eyes were downcast, and her earlier excitement seemed to have vanished.
“I think your mom said she’s on bed rest.”
“Yes. Sleeping.”
“Well, bed rest is a little more complicated, from what I understand.”
“What do you mean?”
“I believe it means that she must stay in bed and not get too excited so the baby stays safe. Tanis is probably a little scared, so needs to have your dad there. You would want your mom to be with you if you were in hospital, wouldn’t you?”
“You think Tanis is scared?” Riley peered up at him from under her ball cap.
“I imagine your dad might be a little scared too. Hospitals can be scary places if you don’t know what to expect.” And didn’t he know it. Though maternity wings were less frightening than emergency rooms and mental health facilities, in his experience.
“My dad doesn’t get scared,” Riley said.
“He probably doesn’t get scared often, but every dad I know gets scared when they’re worried about their children. And their wives.”
“Do you think so?”
“Yes.”
“Maybe,” Riley said, but her voice still sounded small. “It still feels like… I don’t know. Like there’s never room for me anymore with Dad.”
“If something happened to Sally, I would be scared, but that wouldn’t mean I didn’t care about other people in my life.”
“Really?” the frown on her face deepened as she considered this.
“Really,” he assured her. “Now, why don’t you and I catch up to those two and make sure we get a good spot to throw in the traps?”
“Okay.” She ran ahead and stopped when she got to Sally’s side.
Sarah turned around and beckoned for him to hurry. “Look at the water.” She pointed at the sea sparkling in the mid-morning sun. “It’s so calm. This is a great day to catch crabs.”
“Couldn’t have ordered a better day if I’d tried.” He increased his stride to catch up with her while maintaining an eye on the girls in his periphery.
“Thank you for bringing me. I planned to do some housework today but this…” She waved at the park area and smiled up at him. “This is a far better way to spend the morning.”
“Riley told me her stepmother is on bed rest,” he said. “She thought that meant she was just sleeping, and was angry her father didn’t want her to visit.”
“Ah. And what did you tell her?”
“That her father and stepmother were likely afraid. That she needed to rest because of the baby and he was there to comfort his wife.”
Sarah swallowed hard before responding. “Thanks for that. I guess I should have been clearer about what ‘bed rest’ means, but I didn’t want her to worry about the baby.”
“Anyway, she seemed to think it a good reason for her father to cancel, so I think the crisis may be averted.”
“Yes. Unfortunately, I’ve had to make a lot of excuses for Graham.
He has canceled before, though not after we got on the ferry like yesterday.
I realize Tanis has had a tough pregnancy and that they’re concerned, but it’s hard on Riley.
She is more sensitive than people realize, and she loves her dad so much.
I want her to have a good relationship with him. I just wish it were easier.”
“I’ve made my share of excuses for my ex as well.
Her mental health issues… Well, let’s just say things haven’t been easy for her or for Sally.
She’s not in the picture much. We get a card sometimes around Sally’s birthday.
Once in a long while, a phone call. Sally stopped counting on her.
Which I find sad. Thanks for talking to her about the books. She loves reading.”
“Well, she’s a woman after my own heart,” said Sarah. “I remember reading all the Anne of Green Gables books when I was a girl. I loved them all.”
“I never read much as a kid,” he admitted. “Too busy trying to keep up with my older brothers.”
“How many do you have?”
“Three. The oldest is about seven years my senior, and the youngest is three years older. They gave up after me. I think they wanted a girl, but instead, I arrived.”
“Sally must have been a welcome granddaughter,” she said.
“Yes, though I don’t get home to Saskatoon very often. My parents do come out here a few times a year—usually in winter.” He laughed.
“I can imagine it. The rain can make things dreary, but it’s nowhere near as cold as Saskatchewan.”
“Mom comes out for about two weeks at a time. I should go back, though. Visit my brothers and their families.”
“Why don’t you go this summer?”
“Maybe,” he said, a pang of guilt pulling at him.
It had been almost ten years since he’s been back to visit his siblings or the family farm—the farm they had once expected him to work on too.
He pushed away the memory of his last trip there, with his wife.
That had marked the beginning of her decline.
The beginning of the hospital visits. Only a year later, she’d slipped away for good, leaving only a note of apology and saying she would be in touch.
“Do your brothers have kids?”
“Huh?” He turned to look at her, shaking away the old memories.
“Your brothers. Do they have children?”
“Yes. And, funnily enough, all girls too.” He smiled. “Mom is in heaven.”
“Glad she got her girls,” said Sarah. “Speaking of which, we should get out there on the pier with ours before someone ends up swimming.” She pointed ahead where the girls were leaning over the railing, laughing and pointing, and they picked up their pace.
Over the next two hours they baited traps, watched them, pulled them out, and measured the crabs. They threw back more than they took but eventually got their quota.
“So, are we ready to go?” Simon asked as he put the lid on the crab bucket. “We should be getting home to those kittens.”
“Yes,” the girls chimed, and started to run down the pier.
“Walk,” he bellowed, and their run became a fast walk. He then offered the rest of his bait to another family that had just arrived.
“Your teacher voice is very effective.” Sarah laughed. It was a tinkly laugh he loved to hear.
“I heard you tell Mrs. Field your sister’s getting closer to her due date.” he said, picking up the bucket of crabs.
“Yes, due any day now.”
“And you’ll go out and see her.”
“Maybe. I need to arrange things with Graham first. He said he would take Riley while I’m gone, but with Tanis’s condition, I’m not as confident that he’ll be available when I need him.”
“I could take her,” he offered, then nearly bit his tongue. What was he doing? They’d already crossed the line from shared cat parenting to going on outings together without the cats.
“Thanks for the offer.”
“But…?”
“No buts. More like an ‘and.’ And… I’ll think about it. My other option is to take Riley with me if you could watch Dash.”
“Dash is always welcome,” he laughed. “As is Riley… and you, of course.”
“Thanks.” She set down the trap she was carrying and hoisted her backpack higher on her shoulder.
“Do you need help?”
“No, just needed to shift the load a little,” she said. “I’m fine.”
They walked along the shore toward the car.
“Would you like some ice cream?” he asked. “It’s a tradition for Sally and me whenever we’re down here.”
“Ice cream before lunch?” She frowned, and for a moment he was unsure. Maybe she was one of those moms who didn’t allow sugar. But then he saw her smile.
“I think it should be okay today, though I like to ensure Riley has some protein before her sugar as a rule. Too much sugar makes her wiggly.”
“We won’t make a habit of it,” he said. “Besides, we still need to get these crabs home and cooked. The kids can run around outside in the meantime.”
“Lead on,” she said, pointing in the direction of the ice cream shop. “I hope they have mint chocolate chip. I haven’t had that in years.”
“Gertie has a lot of flavors. If not rum and raisin, then I’m sure we will find others that are just as good.”
“Nothing like rum and raisin, but maple walnut is a close second.”
“Hey, wait up,” he said, as her pace quickened.
She turned back. “Hurry up then. Now that you’ve planted this idea in my head, I can’t wait to see what Gertie’s got.”
“So the rumor is true?” he asked, when he caught up with her. “The way to a woman’s heart is through dessert?”
“Never doubt it, Simon. Ice cream, chocolate. Yep. Bring it on.” She caught up to the girls and, he presumed by their reaction, shared the news.
He was glad Riley was having a good day after the disappointment of not seeing her father. He wanted to give both Riley and Sarah more good days like this one.
“Come on, Daddy!” Sally said, motioning for him to catch up. “It’s almost our turn.”
“Coming,” he said. He walked toward them, wondering how he might bring them into his life, and Sally’s life, on a more frequent basis.
The idea didn’t scare him anymore.
In fact, it scared him to think that they wouldn’t be there.
Now all he had to do was convince Sarah that dating him would be a good idea.
To his mind, it was a very good idea.