Jacques shook his head. Ever since their mother had left some five years ago now, their dad had plunged straight into the dating pool with, it seemed, little concern for a plan to meet someone special and much more the idea of connecting with as many people as possible in every corner of the globe. He maintained he was completely happy with his trajectory but both Jacques and Tommy had their doubts.
‘And Mom and Jonathan?’ Jacques asked.
‘No idea,’ Tommy said. ‘I haven’t spoken to her since the last time she tried.’
‘Tommy…’
‘What? So you can live your life without talking to her but I have to build a bridge or whatever? No.’
It might have been five years since their mom had announced she was leaving – when Tommy was only thirteen – but theunexpectedness of it, the hurt, the pain it had caused his younger brother more than him, was still raw like it had happened yesterday. Jacques hadn’t been there. He couldn’t be there. But he still blamed himself for that despite knowing his presence alone wouldn’t have changed any outcome.
‘And Jonathan’s a dick,’ Tommy added.
‘We don’t know that.’
‘Iknow that. Anyone his age who re-posts videos of girls lip-synching to Tate McCrae needs medical attention.’
‘You’re still stalking his social media,’ Jacques stated.
‘It’s part of my better life journey. I look at things to encourage me. I can’t help it if I’m encouraged by other people’s crazy-ass behaviour and the realisation that I may get low, but they definitely get lower.’
And it also meant that Tommy did care about their mother if he was concerned enough to keep looking at what the man their mother had married was up to on TikTok.
‘So, what’s the story with the woman then?’ Tommy asked, sipping his beer.
‘I told you,’ Jacques said. ‘She’s writing about the village.’
‘Yeah, I got that,’ Tommy replied. ‘Just trying to work out why that would mean you keep staring over at her. Unless you’re looking over at Madame Voisin. I like what she’s done with her hair. It’s… pearly.’
Jacques maintained his cool and shook his head, mouth going back to his beer. He hadn’t been looking over at Orla. Tommy was just trying to get him to admit something that wasn’t even something. But he had taught his brother at least some of what he knew and the student rarely outperformed the master.
‘There’s no other story here, Tommy,’ Jacques assured.
‘Maybe I’ll ask Delphine. She hasn’t spotted me yet… wait, shit, no, I made eye-contact and she’s on her way… with… OK, who is that goddess coming with her?’
Jacques looked across the bar and saw that Delphine was indeed coming their way and it was Erin who was alongside her.
‘Jacques, does my hair look OK?’ Tommy asked him, fingers going into the waves spiked upwards at the front.
‘What?’
‘Man, come on! Does it look OK? I’ve had my helmet on all the way from your house.’
‘What? You’ve been to the house already? And you’ve taken my motorbike?’
He didn’t have time to say anything else. Delphine and Erin were right there.
‘Thomas!’ Delphine exclaimed and then went on to ask him four different questions in French as she clapped her arms around him and immediately ruffled his hair so it was as out of place as it could get. Jacques also knew all the questions would never get an answer from his brother and that Tommy’s French hadn’t been fully used for five years. That’s what happened when the French part of your family left…
‘Is everything OK?’ Jacques asked Erin as his brother tried to deflect Delphine’s attention and sort out his hair.
‘Apparently we have to leave,’ Erin stated, indicating the cabin cases either side of her.
‘What?’ Jacques asked.
Was this because of what he’d said to Orla? She was really going? For a second he felt guilty.
‘Yes!’ Delphine announced, facing Jacques. ‘It is unfortunate but finally I will get new windows in the guest suite. You know how long I have been waiting for them and tomorrow they come. So, Orla and Erin will have to move in with you. I am still not decided on how the windows should open. Do I have a tilt or awide-opening? It is cold now but in the summer it gets very hot up there.’
