Chapter 28 #2
‘We’ve just had a cooked breakfast. But I’m sure Dad will cook for you as well. Oh, and Auntie Maura’s coming out next week for the big reveal mark two.’ Cassie says, somewhat spitefully, bringing her brother up to date.
‘That’ll be a right laugh with Auntie Maura here, and I’m sure she’ll take the news ok.
You should go easy on Mum, yeah? It must have been hard for her.
It’s like you getting pregnant now and Mum and Dad making you give the baby away.
But you’d obviously have to find a boyfriend first.’ he adds with a grin.
‘Shut up, Will. You never take anything seriously, do you?’ she snaps, crossing her arms.
‘I do. You’ve got to learn how to chill out a bit, Cass.’
‘Enough you two.’ Gray scolds, but I’m enjoying their bickering as it’s almost like we’re back to normal. Obviously, things have changed and we can never go back to the way things were.
‘Morning. Any chance of one of your fry ups? Cassie told me that you’d already cooked.’ Will asks cheekily.
‘I guess I have to play fair.’ Gray replies as he goes inside to start the next breakfast shift, leaving me with both children. I feel nervous and hesitant as I bite my nails, not having had either the time or inclination to have a pre-holiday manicure. Will chats away to me quite effortlessly.
‘You alright?’ he asks, giving me a reassuring hug.
‘I’m getting there.’ I reply, smiling weakly. ‘If there’s anything either of you want to ask me, then please do.’
Cassie looks thoughtful, as if she has a thousand questions to ask me but remains resolutely quiet.
‘I just wanted to thank you for telling us about everything. It can’t have been easy for you, Mum.’ Will says.
‘Thanks, love. I really appreciate that.’
We spend the next ten minutes trying to make small talk, fake marvelling about the birds swooping for fish in the lake behind the pool.
Thankfully, Gray saves the day by coming out with Will’s fry up, so none of us feel obliged to say anymore.
Will literally demolishes his breakfast in about five minutes, complete with a huge glass of orange juice.
‘What does everyone fancy doing today?’ asks Gray.
‘I’d like to go kayaking. It doesn’t have to be today though. There was a big feature about some lake close to here on one of those travel programmes recently where you can go jet skiing and kayaking. It looks awesome.’ Will says enthusiastically.
‘Sounds like a definite plan for another day. We could look them up online and book something for later in the week.’ Gray agrees.
‘Brilliant.’
Cassie glares at her brother as he seems to have woken up in such a positive mood, compared to the look on Cassie’s sullen face.
‘I guess it’s another pool day. I’m good with that.’ Will further enthuses, as Cassie looks over with one of her ‘resting bitch faces’ as Will always calls them.
‘That’s fine.’ Gray says. ‘Although I do need to pop to the supermarket to pick up some extra food. I don’t mind going on my own.’
‘I’ll help.’ Cassie swiftly offers, clearly horrified by being left alone with me and seeing right through her dad’s plan of the three of us playing happy families.
‘Oh ok, Cassie. That would be great. Genie, can you put a list together of what we actually need? You know I’ll only bring back bacon, eggs, beer and wine otherwise.’ Gray says, laughing at his own joke, sensing the tension.
‘Sure. Give me a few minutes.’ I say, as I go inside to make a list, leaving the three of them outside but I still manage to overhear their conversation.
‘I thought you might have liked to spend some time with your mum.’ Gray says to Cassie, frowning.
‘Oh, I just fancied getting out of the villa, that’s all.
’ she lies. ‘Will went with you to choose the car, so I just thought it was my turn to have a trip out. It’ll be quicker if I come with you.
You take ages shopping, as you always get side-tracked by the wine aisle.
’ Before Gray can say anything more, to maybe try and sway Cassie to stay here instead, she adds, ‘I’m just going to put something more suitable on for shopping. ’
She returns shortly, wearing a pair of khaki shorts with a white vest, flipflops and sunglasses which complete her shopping outfit.
Gray waits for her, as I message him my lengthy shopping list.
‘Bye, you two. Have fun.’ says Gray, waving.
‘Mum’s going to film me doing backflips into the pool for Snap.’ Will replies like an overexcited puppy.
Gray and Cassie are away for ages, but being with Will is just effortless and I find myself belly laughing at Will’s efforts of backflipping into the pool while I try to film him. I’m absolutely soaked through, but I don’t mind at all. I haven’t had this much fun in ages.
‘You two look like you’ve been having too much fun without us.’ Gray jokes on their return.
‘We’ve got doughnuts and drinks.’ Cassie says, sitting down at the table, helping herself to yet another sugary doughnut, washed down with an iced smoothie.
‘Pass us one, Cass.’ says Will, pointing at the doughnuts.
‘No eating in the pool, Will. You know the rules. Come out if you want to eat.’ I remind him.
Drinks and doughnuts finished, we all chill around the pool while Gray does a bit of research about kayaking.