He let himself and Beau into the house and he could tell from the sounds that Lucinda and Carys must be in the kitchen. ‘You can hit the shower first if you like; I know you didn’t get a chance this morning.’
‘Thanks, Dad.’
And it would give Hudson a chance to make sure he and Lucinda worked together on this. What Hudson wanted most of all out of today was for Beau to realise that a part of his world might have wobbled but it certainly hadn’t ended just because his parents’ marriage did.
‘Where’s Beau?’ Lucinda was at the sink rinsing out the yoghurt tub Carys had clearly devoured the contents of – some of it was in her hair.
‘Taking a shower.’ He gave his daughter a kiss on the top of her head. ‘He’s had a stint standing outside the supermarket with a collection pot; thought he could use a bit of time before we all talk.’
She dropped the yoghurt pot into the recycling tub in the cupboard below the sink. ‘I have told him my thoughts on what he did, you know.’
‘I know, but I think hearing it from us both at the same time will help him to see that even though we’re not together, we’re both very much there for him.’ He’d gone over and over in hishead the best thing to say so she didn’t get annoyed and assume he was picking fault. The last thing any of them needed was a full-scale row to raise the tension around here.
But it seemed he’d been a bit too optimistic.
‘You’re too strict with him.’ Lucinda placed a couple of crackers on the tray of Carys’s highchair.
‘He could’ve got a fine, a criminal record.’
‘I don’t mean with the hoax and his punishments, but you’re too strict with the rest of the rules. If we’re representing a united front, then I get an opinion. Which brings me to another point – can you please try not to show your frustrations with me so much in front of the kids?’
He was about to argue back but she was right; he did do that. ‘Okay, I’ll make a concerted effort. I promise.’
‘Thank you.’
‘What else do you think I’m too strict with?’
‘There are rules about homework, seeing his friends, bedtime. He’s fifteen; it’s no wonder he’s rebelling.’
He tried to keep his head; Beau would be down any second. She seemed to be doing her best to cause more upset, despite only just asking him to ease off on any of his criticisms. That would be hard to do if she was going to behave like this.
‘He needs rules, Lucinda. He needs boundaries. It’ll help shape him into a human being who considers others, who manages his time, who’s a pleasure to be around. He already is but rules and ways to behave are there to help him. And you’re right, he’s fifteen. Fifteen is no age at all. He’s still young, still finding his way.’
‘He needs to be a teenager.’
‘And I’m not stopping him.’
She’d be less combative if she wasn’t standing there like she could make a run for it at any moment. ‘Would you please sit down?’ He gestured to the chair after Carys let him wipe herface, her hair, and her fingers once she’d finished the crackers. He took her out of the highchair and she toddled off along the hallway to pick up her doll, which she merrily brought back to the kitchen to put in the toy highchair. It looked like dolly was going to get some food now.
‘For what it’s worth, Hudson,’ Lucinda said with a sigh after running her hand over Carys’s angelic hair, ‘I do think, on the whole, you’re doing a great job.’
She’d meant it as a compliment but he wasn’t sure he could take it as such. ‘It’s not a job.’
‘It’s a word. Don’t be so paranoid. You’re a good dad, whatever phrase gets through to you. I’m not criticising your abilities and I wish you wouldn’t criticise mine.’
‘We need to treat him the same. We can’t have one of us with rules, the other with none at all.’ When she opened her mouth to object, she soon closed it again as if finally, he was getting his point across. ‘I’m not saying my way is perfect, but otherwise he’s going to be all over the place; he won’t know what’s what.’
She took a seat and it was a while before she said, ‘Conrad regrets he hasn’t tried harder to get close to Isaac.’
He was surprised at that. From what Maya had said, her ex-husband wouldn’t be told when it came to their son; he always thought he was right. ‘He still sees him, though?’
‘He does but he knows things between them could be better.’ Head hung, she surprised him with an admission. ‘I want my kids to like me. That’s why sometimes I let them do different things; it’s why I throw the rules out of the window occasionally.’
‘Sometimes, I want to do the same, but it won’t help them in the long run.’
It was a while before she asked, ‘How’s it going with The Skylarks? Are they okay around Beau or are they angry?’
‘They’ve all taken it really well. The written apology was sincere, and I think seeing him helping out around the airbase,without that teenage chip on his shoulder that he sometimes has, showed them all his regret. I was worried someone would want to take it further, but so far, they’ve all accepted the apology. And you know what, I think Beau has actually been enjoying his time there.’
