‘Fine,’ he grumbled. ‘We’ll arrange a time for you to come over and get her. I’ll need to be there.’
What, to say a tearful farewell? Maya doubted it. She suspected over the last few months, he’d got bored of having Whizzy, her demands for attention, having to feed her and generally have another being to think of other than himself. Maya’s request right now had probably come at the perfect time for him.
‘I really have to go, Conrad.’
‘You don’t have time for me?’
This again. Divorce seemed to come with its own set of rules for her ex-husband, its own set of expectations. She’d thought the decree absolute would’ve meant he finally got the message that she didn’t want him butting in on her life, but it seemed not because he was forever showing up.
‘It’s Julie’s wedding, I really do need to get a move on,’ she persisted.
‘Fine…’ He stood away from the door so she could close it and lock up.
As she made her way down the path, she figured she might as well go all in and ask, ‘Did you transfer the money to Isaac?’
Helmet over one arm, he grunted. ‘He’s getting through too much cash. Isn’t this what the student loan is for?’ His hair looked a bit greasy. He’d obviously used some product in it, though it was still schoolboy dark-brown and showed no signs of greying despite his fast approach to fifty-five. She wondered whether he’d been dyeing it perhaps, it wouldn’t surprise her.
‘We’ve been through this,’ she said. ‘Multiple times. The loan covers his accommodation but not much else. He still has to eat, buy books?—’
‘Go out on the lash with his mates.’
There was little point in contradicting him because he’d never back down on his opinions. ‘I transferred some to him yesterday, but I need to know that he has enough for the rest of term.’ Otherwise, she’d have to stop buying food herself and send the funds to her son instead.
‘Fine, I’ll do it. Don’t go on about it.’
Isaac was past the age where Conrad had to provide child support so that had stopped but on only her wage, Maya knew it would be difficult to support their son through three years at university.
He huffed some more, took out his phone. ‘I tell you what, I’ll do it now.’ Every time money was due, Conrad moaned, but after he’d said his piece, had a whinge, usually he transferred it right over.
Conrad had made a fuss when Isaac said he wanted to go to university. ‘Waste of time and money,’ he’d told his son when Isaac was part way through his A levels. He’d told Maya, ‘Thelad needs to learn hard graft; worked for me, didn’t it?’ Further education was something her ex-husband was very opinionated on. He didn’t see the point. And when he found out Isaac was studying Philosophy and English, he claimed they were poncy subjects and a total waste of time. Luckily, Isaac hadn’t been home to hear the declaration; he’d been out with his friends. Isaac and Conrad hadn’t seen eye to eye for years and so Isaac had gone off to university without so much as a goodbye to his dad.
Maya wished Isaac was here now, that he was accompanying her to his auntie’s wedding, but he was about to start his exams and with his university so far away, it was too difficult. He’d sent a gift, a card, called Julie too. He had a good heart, her son.
‘You really do look beautiful,’ Conrad told her yet again.
She opened up her car door. ‘I have to?—’
‘I know, I know. You have a wedding to get to.’ But he couldn’t let it go. ‘We once had a wedding in which we promised each other forever. Till death do us part.’ His eyes only left hers to look down at her decolletage. ‘We said those very words.’
‘Please, Conrad. I want to move on with my life. And you should move on with yours.’
He reached out a hand and ran the back of his fingers down her cheek. ‘Don’t forget, Maya, I’m still around if you ever want to talk, if you ever need me. We’re tied together for life with our son.’ His hand left her face and instead grazed her bare shoulder and all the way down her arm. ‘I miss you.’
Maya didn’t look back when she climbed into her car and drove away, away from him. Because it wasn’t only Isaac that kept this man in her life. It was also what he knew about her, things that nobody else did, and whenever he hinted that he was still around, that he was there for her, she knew what that meant. It meant that if she pushed him away too hard, he hadall the power to let her past become public. And that had the potential to ruin everything for her.
Maya arrived at the church in the nick of time. The bride was waiting in the room at the side and the second Maya saw Julie, her breath caught in her throat. ‘If Mum could see you now…’
Julie warned, ‘Don’t make me cry.’ And, back in control, she clasped Maya’s hands. ‘I’m so pleased you made it on time.’
‘Me too.’ She squeezed her sister’s hands, a promise that she was there for her on this, the most important day of her life.
Maya found a tissue and used the edge to carefully blot the very corners of Julie’s eyes so her make-up wouldn’t be ruined by any of her emotional tears. ‘You ready?’
Julie beamed. ‘I am. Can you believe it? I’m finally getting married.’
‘You two are going to be so happy together.’
The door opened behind them and their dad, Nigel came in. As it should be, his focus was on Julie and only after he’d gushed at how beautiful she was, told her how her mother would be proud if she was here, did he turn to Maya.
