I smiled at her appreciatively, loving that she understood how difficult I found the situation with Aaron but also that she’d talked about us being together next year without any hesitation. Her trust in men had been well and truly shattered by her ex-husband and I felt honoured that she felt so comfortable with me so soon.
‘Thanks, but let’s stick to the plan. We’ve both been looking forward to it and Whitsborough Bay’s not that big so I can’t help thinking that our paths will cross again sooner or later. I can’t avoid everywhere he might be.’
If our paths did cross and Aaron lashed out again, it would hurt me but nothing could be as bad as the pain of having him taken away from me in the first place. I had Tara and my family to support me so I’d get through it, but would Aaron? The last thing I’d ever want to do was cause him more pain. Hopefully that unleashing of anger on Dad’s birthday would have paved the way to a more positive encounter for both of us.
As we reached the bottom of the zigzag, another message arrived from Lucy.
From Lucy
BTW, Grandma told me Piper and Savannah are here too! You’d think Mum would have mentioned it. Gonna be so awks turning up with pressies for everyone except them!
Emojis for twins and presents were sandwiched between shocked, angry and confused emoji faces. Why on earth had Ingrid made out that she was travelling on her own when she actually had all three children with her? I could imagine Lucy blurting out exactly what she thought of her mother leaving outthat vital detail and I could equally imagine Erin falling silent and retreating into herself, both girls conveying their hurt in very different ways. What other surprises would their mother have in store for us all? Were we going to suddenly discover that Declan was here too?
4
TARA
Jed’s smiles and eyerolls following the messages from Lucy and his jovial insistence on continuing with our plans didn’t fool me. I knew how much Aaron had meant to him and how he longed to still have him in his life. I couldn’t get my head around Ingrid’s actions. What sort of woman drags her family to the other side of the world just to resume a relationship with her ex-boyfriend? What sort of woman knows her husband isn’t the father of her son but keeps it secret because the biological father doesn’t want kids? And what sort of woman takes that son away from a loving dad and makes out that the dad rejected him when the truth emerged about his parentage?
The thoughtlessness and selfishness that certain human beings were capable of never ceased to amaze me. I’d come across more than my fair share of them in my time but I’d also encountered the best of humanity – foster parents who opened up their homes to scared, lost children and people like my friend Jim and his team of volunteers at The Hope Centre who worked tirelessly to support the homeless and vulnerable in our community.
‘If you do spot Aaron and you want to leave, just say,’ I told Jed. ‘I’ll be right by your side.’
He squeezed my hand as we set off down the slope once more.
‘So, have you ever taken part in the Boxing Day dip?’ I asked, eager to take his mind off Aaron and Ingrid.
‘Every year from when I was ten until I left for Aus. Dad and I did it together and Mum’s copout was that somebody needed to take the photos.’
‘Did you wear fancy dress?’
‘Of course! If you’re going to hurl yourself into the North Sea in the middle of winter, you might as well do it in style. We won the fancy dress prize a few times too.’
‘Dressed as what?’
‘Let me think… One year Dad was a policeman and I was a burglar and he chased me into the sea blowing a whistle and brandishing a truncheon. Another year we were Captain Hook and Peter Pan, but the best one was when we did Dorothy and the Tin Man fromThe Wizard of Oz.’
‘No way! Who was Dorothy?’
‘Dad, although I’d have happily done it myself. My parents were into amateur dramatics when they were younger – it was how they met – and Dad played the dame in a couple of Christmas pantomimes. I think he missed those days so that was his chance to channel his inner panto dame again.’
I tried to conjure up an image of Richie as a pantomime dame but I couldn’t see it. He was confident but not flamboyant and he always dressed so conservatively.
‘I can’t picture your dad in a dress and wig. I’m going to need to see those photos.’
‘I’ll getMum to dig them out.’
‘Oh, no, you won’t!’ I joked, unable to resist the pantomime pun.
‘Oh, yes, I will!’
When we reached the seafront, Jed suggested we head straight for the harbour. The dip started at eleven so we’d have just enough time to see the fancy dress costumes before the participants took the plunge. I was looking forward to seeing the outfits but also to seeing everyone’s reactions as they entered the water. I loved swimming and favoured wild water but stuck to the indoor pool during the winter months as, even with a thick wetsuit, I found the sea a little too bracing at this time of year and, of course, it was typically a lot choppier in the winter and unsafe for swimming. The dip took place in the harbour where the protection from the sea walls meant the water was significantly calmer.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d ventured down to the seafront during the day. I was usually there early in the morning to swim – although I favoured North Bay over South Bay for that – or during the evening if I fancied a walk, so I was used to seeing the place fairly deserted. We weren’t far past high tide and, with only a narrow stretch of beach showing, everyone had been forced onto either the path running alongside the railings or the one in front of the arcades, shops and food outlets. It was busy, although not a patch on how it could get at the height of the summer season, so it didn’t take us too long to reach the harbour.
A large crowd was gathered, leaning over the railings as the dip participants milled around on the slipway. Our local radio station, Bay Radio, was hosting the event and, as we approached, a ten-minute warning was issued.
‘I think we might have just missed them announcing the fancy dress winners,’ Jed said. ‘They do that before the dip so they can take photos while the costumes are still dry and intact.’
