My head dips in defeat. The Thomas family is a tenacious bunch, I'll give them that. What is it they want from me?
Audrey crosses the room and looks out the large window to the view beyond. "I've never seen him like this."
If she wasn't right next to me, I could be mistaken for thinking she was talking to herself. "I told you to be careful, but I think I was wrong about that."
Without clarifying what she means, she turns to leave. "I'd better get going. Zac and me promised Clive we'd show him all our childhood haunts."
She's out in the hallway when she leans back into the room. "Kelly, forget what I said, okay? It's not my place to take care of my little brother anymore. Those days are long gone."
A couple more minutes pass before all three call their goodbyes from the hallway and the house settles. I wish I could say the same about myself, with my nerves rattled by what I've discovered, or rather haven't, this morning.
All the half-truths and snatches of conversations have left me unsure where I stand with Zac. All I know is that I need to protect myself, both emotionally and mentally.
Grieving a failed relationship is the last thing I need. Experience tells me that'll kill off my creativity quicker than a head cold, and last a lot longer.
I can't afford to get sick, especially lovesick. This has me longing for fresh air, with the beach at Coogan's Break, the best place for that.
ZAC
With Clive at the wheel of the hire car, we drive aimlessly around Coogan's Break, visiting places we'd loved or loathed as teenagers.
The one location Audrey and I had a mutual hatred of was high school, although for very different reasons.
While I'd hated the academic side of things, she'd hated the name calling and exclusion because of her height. No fun for either of us.
The surf club was as different as you could imagine. Not that either of us surfed. Rather, it was there we found people who were less judgmental.
People who were more prepared to live and let live. Of course, it might have had more to do with the amount of weed smoked than philosophy. Some of our teachers could have benefited from a joint.
Coogan's Break being as small as it is, and with progress having wiped away a lot of our hangout spots, we end up at the folks' place for lunch. We don't arrive empty-handed though, calling in to Skye High Pies on the way and buying up all their cherry pies.
Lunch is a simple affair, but tasty none the less, with mom having recently bought a bread-maker.
"I've gained two pant sizes since your mom got that darn thing." Dad pats his tummy with his gnarled hands, not in the least unhappy about the weight gain.
And I can't blame him with the smell of fresh baked bread having my mouth watering in anticipation. For sure, BLTs are taken to a whole new level when homemade bread is involved.
After we've all joined in saying grace, mom lifts her head and spears me with one of those knowing looks of hers. "So, Zac, tell me all about Kelly. How did you meet? Is she a local girl? What does she do for a living? Are you two serious?"
Sheesh, I thought I'd gotten off easy last night. I have to give mom an 'A' for efficiency though, with her shooting these questions rapid fire, not giving me time to answer, let along think about an answer.
It's dad who comes to my rescue. "Jean, don't hassle the boy. He'll tell us when he's good and ready."
While it's a reprieve, I know it won't last long. It never does when mom is involved. The feds could learn a thing or two from her.
And, anyway, how am I supposed to respond when I don't know the answers? I can't very well tell her I think I'm Kelly's F*** boy, even if this is what I suspect.
However, I'm man enough to acknowledge that I might have been the one to give her this impression. Casual to a fault, that was me.
Mom takes a small bite of her sandwich, chews on it, and swallows. "She seems like a lovely girl. We were taken with her, weren't we, Patrick?"
Dad nods around a mouthful of BLT, not prepared to stop eating in order to answer.
"Audrey, Clive, you seem to know her a little better. What do you think of her?"
What? She's trying to flip witnesses?
I'm relieved when my sister- and brother-in-law take over the conversation, relieving me of the responsibility of answering my mom's volley of questions. I'm sitting watching the back and forth, when I have a flashback to eight years earlier.
