Page 60 of Escape to the Sun

‘I’m going to see Louis,’ Hannah said.

Millie waved in acknowledgement and Hannah headed for their sun lounger camp, and Louis.

Louis watched transfixed as Hannah approached. With her hair wet and slick against her neck, and shorts and T-shirt back on after her time snorkelling with Millie, Louis decided he didn’t think he’d seen Hannah look better. The bikini she’d brought on this cruise was sensational, but Louis wasn’t interested in the wrappings; he was interested in the contents. He frowned, couldn’t work out how to express his thoughts without sounding massively inappropriate.

He was also aware she’d want to know if he’d made any progress with his father. And although he didn’t think she’d pile pressure on him, he felt disappointment that he couldn’t tell her that he and his father had talked it all through, and everything was sunshine and roses.

‘How was it?’ he asked, referring to the snorkelling.

‘Awesome. From here it’s hard to imagine there’s anything in the water except people – you’d think all the fish would have been frightened away by us thrashing around, but there were so many! And the reef is so close to the shore – it was absolutely the perfect choice. We saw parrot fish, triggerfish and angelfish, shoals of them, not just one or two, and loads of others – I couldn’t possibly tell you what they were. Orville, our guide, kept pointing out where to look, but it was all too much to take in properly.’ Hannah furrowed her brow. ‘Although, knowing Millie, she’ll have remembered way more than me.’

‘That’s great. Next time I’ll come too.’

Hannah towel dried her hair as she perched on the edge of a sun lounger. ‘How did it go here?’

He grimaced. ‘Very polite.’

‘Oh.’

‘Yeah. I’ll keep trying, though.’

Hannah, as he’d thought, said nothing further on the subject, but now he’d suggested to her that he wanted to get the situation resolved, he was determined to achieve it.

As it turned out, he didn’t have to wait all that long for the opportunity – only until the walk back across the beach and up to the taxis booked to take them back to Castries and the Ballygowan.

‘Can I have a word, Louis?’

His father always managed to make having a conversation sound as though they were entering an employment tribunal. Louis slowed and fell into step beside him, waiting for the rest of the group to progress out of earshot in front of them. And still, even after everything he wanted to say building like steam in a lidded saucepan, he didn’t know where to start. His father solved the problem for him.

‘Firstly, I want to say how much I like Hannah. She seems lovely.’

Louis nodded. They were on safe ground so far. ‘It’s early days and her situation is complicated, but yes, she is very lovely.’

‘Complicated? Isn’t it always?’ Edward allowed himself one of his thin smiles.

‘And how great for you to reconnect with Ruth after so long,’ Louis said. ‘How do you know her?’

Edward glanced across at him. His answer didn’t come immediately; it was as though he was trying to work out what to say, which confused Louis.

‘I’ve known Ruth since we were kids – we went to the same school. We were very close friends for years, but she moved away, and I haven’t seen her since. And then I met your mother.’

Louis frowned. Why was his father making a connection between a school friend and the woman he married? Unless…

‘Were you and Ruth more than friends?’

‘Does it matter? It was a million years ago, after all.’

Louis’ frown deepened. It was easy enough to read between the lines, but he had no idea how it was supposed to make him feel.

‘No. I suppose not.’

‘I adored your mother; that’s all that matters. And that’s why I’m here, after all. To try to sort out our differences, Louis.’

They walked on in silence, failing miserably to address any of their issues until Edward stopped abruptly, and turned to face his son. He frowned as though engaged in an internal battle, then the expression fell away and he sighed.

‘I love you, Louis. I always have. I only ever wanted the best for you and Mai, and if I went about it in a clumsy way then I apologise.’

It was such a simple statement, but it enveloped everything Louis had wanted to hear for so many years. Could it be that all he had to do was accept what his father was saying and move forwards? Was it that simple?