‘Wasn’t sure if the back door would be open. Glad it was, otherwise we might have missed that little speech Dad.’ Nina said dryly, clearly struggling to contain her anger. The kids had never used the front door – force of habit from the days they’d be in and out a dozen times.
This was a sight that had never greeted them before, and Nina was clearly bristling. She had always been a daddy’s girl, strong, vocal, not one to let anyone mess her around. Now that was biting Kenneth on the arse.
‘I’m sorry, you shouldn’t have heard…’ Bernadette started to apologise.
‘But we did, Mum,’ Nina replied.
Bernadette could see that it had hurt her to know that the man she’d looked up to her whole life could behave that way.
Like a trapped animal, desperate to find a way out, Kenneth immediately went on the defensive. ‘You don’t understand. Your mother, she… Look, she presses my buttons and I just said a couple of things I didn’t mean. All couples do. Just one ofthose things. You don’t get to be married for thirty years and not have spats like this.’
‘Spats?’ Stuart blurted, incredulous. ‘You’re an even bigger dick than I thought…’
‘Who the hell do you think you are, you little jumped-up shit…?’
‘Kenneth!’ Bernadette spat, and this time the fury was all hers. ‘Don’t you dare speak to our son like that. Don’t you bloody dare or I swear I will kill you myself.’ The vehemence in her voice took every single person in the room by utter shock. Bernadette decided it was time to take the higher ground. ‘I’m going to leave now. We’re done.’
‘Mum, wait,’ Nina blurted, and Bernadette’s heart sank. She’d thought during their chat this morning that Nina had accepted what was happening, but now it seemed she was going to have a go at persuading her otherwise. This was exactly why she hadn’t wanted the kids to be a part of this. It wasn’t their battle and they didn’t know enough about the background to fully understand why there was no possibility that she would reconsider. However, Nina had asked her to stop, so she did, and now she was standing in the doorway, desperate to get this over with. Her gaze went to the clock on the cooker. Five minutes to ten. Five more minutes and she wanted, noneeded,to be gone.
‘Dad, I just wanted to say we heard how you just spoke to Mum. We will never choose you, we will never allow you to play us off against her, and I swear to God, if I ever hear you speaking that way about her, or to her, you’ll never see either of us again. Do you understand?’
‘Nina, you don’t have to…’ Bernadette tried to cut her off, still unwilling to put them in the middle of this.
‘But I want to, Mum. It’s been a long time in coming.’ She turned back to her father. ‘Both of us are beyond proud of what Mum’s doing and we support her. That doesn’t mean we’re choosing her over you, but it does mean that we want her to be happy and we know that to do it she needs to leave you. I can’t speak for Stuart, but I’d still like you to be in my life, in the kids’ lives too, but only if you treat Mum with respect, because I don’t want to be walking on eggshells every time you’re both invited to a school show or a football match. Oh, and you’ll give Mum half the value of the house. It’s the least she deserves. That’s the terms, Dad. Take it or leave it.’
Bernadette waited for the explosion. Kenneth hated to be told what to do, hated ultimatums even more. Surprisingly, he said nothing. Not a word. Just stared ahead, until he finally lifted his gaze to meet Bernadette’s. ‘There’s nothing I can do to change your mind?’
‘No.’ As she said it, it felt like a physical weight was being lifted from her shoulders.
He shifted his gaze to Nina. ‘I understand. You don’t need to worry – I won’t argue any further.’
‘Good,’ she said, with a forced air of positivity.
Stuart spoke now. ‘Let’s go, Mum – I’ll walk you to your car.’
‘Do you want me to stay, Dad?’ Nina asked him, and Bernadette was grateful for that. She didn’t want him sitting on his own, brooding, getting angry.
‘No, it’s fine.’
‘Okay, well I’ll call you tomorrow and check in, but you know where I am if you change your mind.’
How did these kids get to be so smart and mature? She had desperately wanted them to stay away tonight, but perhaps in hindsight it was good that they’d come. Now everyone knewwhere they stood. No more lies, no more covering up, everything out in the open.
Almost everything.
‘Oh, and Dad, while we’re on life-changing events, I’ve switched from medicine to law. I’m not going to discuss it with you. It’s a done deal and I’m much happier. Right Mum, let’s go.’
Bernadette had to suppress a smile. Good on him for getting it in there. She couldn’t help wondering what Kenneth would be most upset about tonight after they’d all gone – the fact that Bernadette had left him or Stuart was dropping medicine. She suspected the latter.
‘I’m coming too,’ Nina said, and for the first time since Bernadette could recall, she didn’t kiss her dad on the way out. Despite Nina’s conciliatory words, there was no forgetting what she’d just seen. That was Kenneth’s fence to mend. It was between them. She was officially absolving herself from any responsibility for Kenneth’s relationships with his children or anyone else. Although, she would give Marge a call and thank her for all the years of friendly chat on the phone. She’d miss her.
But for now? Time to go. Her legs were weak, her shoulders heavy, yet she didn’t think she had ever felt the kind of euphoria that was surging through her veins right now. Stuart put his arm around her shoulders as they walked down the hall.
No more drama. No more pain. No more stress.
Bernadette wasn’t even looking outwards when she opened the door, so it took her a moment to register the scene in front of her. A young woman. Blonde. Beautiful. Maybe a friend of Nina’s? How would she know Nina was there tonight? Must besomeone at the wrong house. That happened sometimes on this road.
‘Can I help you?’ Bernadette asked.
