“I know you love your mother. That’s why we’re in the car on a Friday afternoon,” Sean said. “And we’ll make it through this current crisis the way we’ve made it through the others. One step at a time.”
But why does life always have to be a crisis?
She almost asked, but Sean had already moved on and was answering a call from a colleague.
Liza only half listened as he dealt with a string of problems. Since the practice had taken off it wasn’t unusual for Sean to be glued to his phone.
“Mmm...” he said. “But it’s about creating a simple crafted space... No, that won’t work... Yes, I’ll call them.”
When he eventually ended the call, she glanced at him. “What if the twins invite Jane over?”
“You can’t stop them seeing their friends.”
“It’s not their friends in general that worry me—only Jane. Did you know she smokes? I’m worried about drugs. Sean, are you listening? Stop doing your emails.”
“Sorry. But I wasn’t expecting to take this afternoon o
ff and I have a lot going on right now.” Sean pressed Send and looked up. “What were you saying? Ah, smoking and drugs... Even if Jane does all that, it doesn’t mean Caitlin will.”
“She’s easily influenced. She badly wants to fit in.”
“And that’s common at her age. Plenty of other kids are the same. It will do the twins good to fend for themselves for a weekend.”
They wouldn’t exactly be fending for themselves. Liza had already filled the fridge with food. She’d removed all the alcohol from the kitchen cupboard, locked it in the garage and removed the key. But she knew that wouldn’t stop them buying more if they wanted to.
Her mind flew to all the possibilities. “What if they have a wild party?”
“It would make them normal. All teenagers have wild parties.”
“I didn’t.”
“I know. You were unusually well-behaved and innocent.” He put his phone away. “Until I met you and changed all that. Remember that day on the beach when you went for a walk? You were sixteen. I was with a crowd.”
“I remember.” They’d been the cool crowd, and she’d almost turned around when she saw them, but in the end she’d joined them.
“I put my hand up your dress.” He adjusted his seat to give himself more legroom. “I admit it—my technique needed work.”
Her first kiss.
She remembered it clearly. The excited fumbling. The forbidden nature of the encounter. Music in the background. The delicious thrill of anticipation.
She’d fallen crazily in love with Sean that summer. She’d known she was out of step with her peers, who’d been dancing their way through different relationships like butterflies seeking nectar. Liza had never wanted that. She’d never felt the need for romantic adventure. That meant uncertainty, and she’d already had more than enough of that in her life. All she’d wanted was Sean, with his wide shoulders, his easy smile and his calm nature.
She missed the simplicity of that time.
“Are you happy, Sean?” The words escaped before she could stop them.
“What sort of a question is that?” Finally she had his full attention. “The business is going brilliantly. The girls are doing well in school. Of course I’m happy. Aren’t you?”
The business. The girls.
Eight signs that your marriage might be in trouble.
“I feel—a little overwhelmed sometimes, that’s all.”
She tiptoed cautiously into territory she’d never entered before.
“That’s because you take everything so seriously. You worry about every small detail. About the twins. About your mother. You need to chill.”