He set the bowl down. ‘See, no more carrots, just Bolognese.’
‘Dad, she’s not stupid.’
Beau’s comment earned him a dagger of a stare from his dad.
‘Stupid!’ Carys yelled.
‘Cheers for that, Beau.’
Beau picked up the bowl of grated cheese from the centre of the table and shoved it Hudson’s way. ‘She likes cheese on top, remember.’
Ever since three months ago when Hudson found Beau drinking vodka at the house when he was not only underage but supposed to be watching his little sister, Beau’s behaviour had at least simmered. Hudson had roared at him that day; he knew he’d scared his son into realising how dangerous it might have been not paying attention to Carys.
‘Cheese?’ Hudson asked his daughter, to which he got a toothy grin. And with a sprinkling of cheese, this time she accepted the spoonful of food. ‘Cheers, Beau.’ Hudson smiled at his son, who shrugged in that fifteen-year-old way that meanteven if it was a moment of peace, he wasn’t going acknowledge any sort of camaraderie with his father.
As Carys ate spoonful after spoonful, her little legs jiggling below the table, Hudson watched Beau, who, despite his moodiness and acting out since his mother left, was a good kid. And apart from that one time Hudson would rather not think about, he was really good with his sister. The other day, Beau had taken Carys after her bath and put her to bed so Hudson could clear the kitchen. He didn’t usually but Hudson had been late home from work following a particularly involved patient case and so it put pressure on the evening routine. When Hudson went back upstairs, he’d heard Beau laughing, Carys giggling. She was too little to irritate him yet and Hudson had hovered on the stairs for a while just listening to the pair of them.
Beau was first to finish his dinner and with a touch to Carys’s cheek which made her grin as he passed by, he took his bowl over to the sink.
‘How’s school?’ Hudson asked before his son could escape.
‘Dull.’ But at least he was going.
‘How are your friends?’
‘Dad, don’t be a loser.’
‘Just taking an interest.’
Hudson was the one here at the house every single day and although he wouldn’t change it for the world, he sometimes felt sorry for himself that he was still the enemy. Perhaps he was just the only one in the firing line. It was frustrating that Beau was nicer to Lucinda than him because she was the one who’d lied in their relationship, the one who had cheated. But of course the kids didn’t know those things and they never would unless she chose to share those parts of herself. It wasn’t for him to poison his children against their mother; he wanted them to have her in their lives. But it still felt unfair that he was treated like thebaddie, because he’d been there for Beau a lot. Beau just didn’t seem to see it. He’d been at every school assembly he’d been invited to, gone to every parents’ evening, he’d done the pick-ups and drop-offs from school sports, it was him who’d looked after the kids when they were sick.
Lucinda had worked the long hours, which he didn’t judge her for most of the time, but it was as though the work agenda always took precedence over anything going on at home. Even now, she was forever at day-long meetings, working with a new client, out of town on business. She kept in touch with technology when she couldn’t be with the kids in person, but it wasn’t the same. And Hudson was never quite sure how much she was telling the truth about where she was and how long she had to stay away, because lies had come so easily to her over the years. But that was for Lucinda’s conscience, not his – he would protect the kids and it was up to her to prove that she was still the mum she claimed to be, that she loved them both and that of course she was always there for them. There should be a caveat to that which read,When it suits mebut Hudson would never say that out loud; it would fuel her anger and the last thing any of them needed was more tension.
‘I’ve got homework.’ Beau moved towards the doorway but stopped next to Carys and poked out his tongue, making her giggle and do it in return – not really helpful at dinner time but Hudson didn’t want to discourage the interaction because it brought out a happier side to his son, a side he didn’t get to see much of these days.
Hudson wondered whether he really did have homework or if Beau was feeding him a line to get away. And the thought that he was learning that from his mother had him glad that the kids spent the majority of their time here, at this house.
He tried a subtle line of enquiry – no use questioning Beau’s claim as it would be like throwing a grenade into the mix. ‘Whathomework do you have?’ His exams would be next year but this year was important too and Hudson wanted him to do well.
‘Maths.’
Hudson wondered whether Beau had picked the one subject he knew his dad hated and wasn’t likely to offer him help with. Lucinda was the maths whiz of their family. It came naturally to her.
But Beau was still hovering.
‘Something on your mind?’ Hudson carried on helping Carys, who didn’t seem to have a problem with the taste of the carrot pieces now she couldn’t see them under the sauce and the grated cheese.
‘Did someone really leave a baby in a box?’
‘How did you hear about that?’ Hudson scooped up another spoonful of Carys’s food and she obligingly opened her mouth.
‘I saw that lady you work with on the telly. Was the baby dumped?’
‘I wouldn’t say dumped, but yes, a baby was left at the airbase.’
‘Who would do that?’
‘We’ve no idea but whoever it was likely chose the air ambulance base because they knew it was a safe place.’
