‘Dad, meet Tara,’ he said, scrupulously looking for his response. Then his eyes darted towards Tara for hers.
‘Pleased to meet you, Tara,’ said Austin and nodded his head. He didn’t offer her a hand.
‘And you,’ replied Tara with a tight smile.
Jack’s gaze swept back on his dad, and there it was, that tell-tale sign, the nervous tick below his eye. In fact, his dad had broken out in a sweat and appeared to have difficulty breathing. His forehead was covered in perspiration. Slightly alarmed, Jack looked to Tara, who by her expression had noticed. His dad appeared more than uncomfortable – he looked positively ill. Jack’s mum was just returning from the kitchen.
‘Ah, there you are, Austin. Have you been introduced to Tara?’
There was a slight awkward pause before he answered, ‘Yes. We’ve met.’ Then they were interrupted by the boys playing football.
‘Granddad, come and play!’
Jack, eager for his dad to sit down, intervened. ‘Let Granddad have a rest. He’ll play after,’ he told them, then directed him towards the deckchairs. ‘Sit down, Dad.’
All the time Tara was assessing the situation. She too had clocked Austin’s behaviour. He was clearly distressed, judging by the way his face twitched and the droplets of sweat which were pouring from it. His breathing was becoming more laboured too. She instinctively looked towards his left arm. To her horror, she saw him grip it.
‘Dad? Are you all right?’ asked Natalie in concern.
‘I… I…’ Austin held his arm and doubled over in pain, then slumped onto the floor. His body lay there, lifeless.
‘Austin!’ shrieked Jack’s mum.
Jack frantically turned to Tara, who instantly bolted to Austin. Within seconds she was knelt at his side, checking for a pulse. She put the heel of her hands in the middle of his chest, interlocking her fingers, making sure they didn’t touch his ribs. Keeping her arms straight, she began to press down hard, then allowed the chest to come back up. She kept on pushing, then gave him two rescue breaths by pinching his nose and blowing directly into his mouth.
‘Call an ambulance!’ yelled Natalie, while Tara valiantly continued with resuscitation.
By the time the ambulance came, Austin was stable and breathing. All thanks to Tara, who once again liaised with the emergency team as they stretchered him into the ambulance and off to hospital. Jack’s mum had jumped in the back with him, leaving Jack and Natalie traumatised. Steve was inside with the boys, who had been ushered away out of the commotion. Natalie, in tears, went to join them.
Tara faced Jack, pale and distraught. She went to hug him, but he pushed her away. Expecting it was shock that had made him reject her, she was staggered at his next words.
‘Tara, why exactly did you ring my dad?’
She stood, staring at him as the words sunk in. How did he know about her ringing Austin? Surely his dad hadn’t told him. They were interrupted by Steve, who’d just come through the patio doors.
‘I’m taking Natalie and the boys home,’ he said gravely.
Jack turned to him. ‘Of course. I’ll come and see you off.’
Tara was left alone for a few minutes, giving her time to collect herself. When Jack returned, he faced her again, obviously still waiting for an answer.
‘Sit down,’ she instructed and walked towards the deckchairs. Once sat opposite him, she took a deep breath and began. ‘A close friend of mine came to me for help. She was in a real state, anxious and… frightened at what she’d done. Basically, she’d been seeing someone behind her husband’s back and wanted it to stop. She was petrified her husband was going to find out. When she tried to end the affair, he wouldn’t accept it was over. He continued to contact her, on the brink of pestering, until she was a nervous wreck. I advised a prescription of mild tranquilisers to calm her down and offered to speak to the man, explain how he was stressing my friend out and that it was over.’ There was a deadly pause.
‘And that man was my dad,’ stated Jack bleakly.
‘Yes, it was,’ confirmed Tara in a quiet voice.
So, it was finally out. Could have been worse, reflected Jack. Tara could have been the woman his dad had been seeing. Then another thought struck him. ‘Your friend, is she called Sarah?’ he asked in a flat voice.
Tara blinked. ‘Yes, she is,’ came her surprised reply. ‘How do you know her name?’
Jack gave a long sigh. ‘We knew about the affair. He actually came clean to my mum. It very nearly ruined their marriage, but fortunately they got through it.’ He looked up with tears inhis eyes. ‘But it left an impression on me and Natalie. I’ve never really forgiven him.’
‘I’m sorry, Jack. If it’s any consolation your dad was civil on the phone. I think my contacting him as Sarah’s friend made him realise how stupid they’d both acted, putting their marriages at risk.’
‘Mum and Dad do seem to be much happier now,’ conceded Jack, nodding.
Fundamentally, Tara hadn’t told him anything he didn’t already know, except of course her involvement in all of it.
