We descend into laughter again, as the breeze from the ocean buffets the van and the pizza drips cheese down our clean shirts. I look at Louis again, his head turned towards the window ashe chews, and feel an enormous swell of pride at my grown-up son; how capable he is, how completely amazing. And in that moment, I realise that had I planned our perfect night together down to the last tiny detail, I’d never have come up with something as brilliant as tonight has been.
29
SARAH
My eyes snap open. It’s only a quarter to six, but I can already feel from the adrenaline coursing through me that I’m not going to get any more rest today.
Yesterday evening, a group of people Mum had hired came and set up chairs, each tied with a burgundy ribbon, an aisle running between them with an arch of flowers at its end. Soon, the guests will start to arrive. There aren’t many: Summer’s parents, who have been staying locally and whom I’ve now met a couple of times in passing; her friends Reuben, Cait and Nat, who all greet me with hugs as if we’ve known each other for years; a couple of Mum’s friends from the village; Greg, Louis’s friend from uni, who arrived yesterday evening and is sleeping on the couch.
‘It seems quite small,’ I said to Hal yesterday when we worked out the chair arrangement and the seating plan for the meal we’d have afterwards on Mum’s patio. She’s hired a chef to cook up something special, and I can’t imagine how much this will have cost her.
‘Yeah, I think the England one will be bigger,’ he told me, explaining that they planned to have a big party after theirregistry office legalities, where all their friends would be invited. ‘It’s too expensive for most of them to come,’ he explained.
But legally binding or not, this is a huge day for our family. Louis is doing something his father and I never managed to do – making a lifelong commitment to another person. I’m proud, terrified, sad and happy all at once. It’s no wonder I haven’t been able to sleep.
There’s a splash outside and looking out of my window, I can see that Hal is already in the pool, his assured stroke cutting through the water. It’s light outside, but at this hour the temperature won’t yet have risen enough for me to hit the water. Still, he seems so relaxed and kind of graceful that I decide to go out and watch.
I wonder whether Summer got any sleep last night and hope for her sake she managed to drop off eventually. We met briefly by the fridge around midnight, both of us grey-eyed from chasing sleep that refused to come.
She looked almost ethereal in her silk robe, the slight swell of her stomach apparent under the fabric. Her hair was tied in a scruffy ponytail, her face free of make-up and revealing a sprinkle of freckles that made her seem even younger than she is.
‘All OK?’ I asked her as she poured herself a glass of water.
‘Just nerves,’ she said, making a face. ‘Can’t sleep.’
‘Me neither,’ I told her, rolling my eyes.
We were silent for a few minutes. Ordinarily we’d chat away about this and that, but something about the late hour, the momentous day ahead, somehow made it hard to break the glass-like silence of the dark room.
Then: ‘I’ll look after him, you know,’ she told me, out of nowhere.
‘Sorry?’
‘Louis. I’ll take care of him.’
I looked at her. ‘I know you will, Summer. Not that he should need it… I just…’
‘I get it. He’s your baby. You worry. My mum’s the same with me.’
I’ve only met Summer’s mother a couple of times, but she always seemed so together, so at ease, that it surprises me. ‘Yeah? She doesn’t seem?—’
‘Yeah,’ she grinned, taking a sip of her water. ‘I guess it’s a mum thing.’
‘Well, you’ll find out soon,’ I said, nodding towards her tiny bump.
She coloured a little, touching her stomach. ‘Louis worries about you, you know.’
It was my turn to feel embarrassed. ‘Oh, God. I’m sorry.’
‘No! It’s good. I think… There aren’t many guys out there who are so caring. With me, too, of course. Guys my age… well, pretty much all of them are idiots. But Louis,’ she sighed, ‘he’s… well, different. Good different. Loving, you know?’ Her hands rested on her bump.
I felt my heart swell. ‘Well. Good. I hope he takes good care of you – and the baby of course.’
‘I know he will.’
I began to make my way to the door and opened my mouth to say goodnight.
‘Sarah, in case I don’t get the chance tomorrow,’ she said. ‘Thank you.’
