‘Thomas wasn’t great when Poppy was a baby.’ That was the understatement of the year. She didn’t need a whole hand to count the number of times he’d changed a nappy. When Poppy was tiny, he’d moved into a bedroom in the other wing to get some sleep. ‘He had this big contract at work, and was there all the hours he could be. I guess his mom helped as best she could.’ And the truth was, they all adored Poppy. They just weren’t used to babies. How many times had they urged Juliet to get a nanny, to make all of their lives easier? ‘Things are better now though.’
‘I’m glad to hear it.’
She tried to ignore the way her breath shortened when he grinned at her. Did he realise how attractive he was? Whenever she looked at him it was like staring into the sun – there was a brightness to him that was almost dazzling.
And like the sun, she needed to stop herself from getting too close. She was married, she was a mother, and most of all she needed to learn from her mistakes, to stop making rash decisions she’d only live to regret later.
Otherwise, she was certain to burn.
6
These violent delights have violent ends
– Romeo and Juliet
Like his son, Ryan Sutherland had learned to sleep anywhere and everywhere. From the earthen floors of nomadic tents in Pakistan, to the luggage compartment of a battered old bus in Cambodia, if there was enough space for him to curl up there, then drifting off was almost a given. Strange, then, that in this luxury king-sized bed in the air-conditioned atmosphere of his Shaw Haven home, he found himself lying awake for hours, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling.
Tonight he found himself abandoning the quest altogether, choosing instead to creep down the polished stairs and grab his MacBook, sorting through photographs from his last assignment. He’d deliberately not taken any more assignments this fall. Between settling Charlie into Kindergarten, and thinking about their move to New York, he’d decided to take a break. He missed his work, though. Photography was his passion, and sorting through each shot, seeing the infinitesimal differences between them, had a calming effect like no other.
Still, he was feeling cranky when morning arrived, having finally drifted off just before dawn. Charlie, on the other hand, was chirpier than usual, talking with his mouth full as he shovelled spoonfuls of Cheerios between his lips.
‘Can Poppy come over to play again after school?’ Charlie asked. ‘We’re going to look for some more worms, and make a worm farm. She says we should be able to train them to do tricks.’
Immediately, Ryan’s thoughts turned to Juliet. The way she’d looked so angry as she’d stomped across his yard. But as her fury fizzled out, replaced by a vulnerability that touched him to the core, he’d seen her anger for what it truly was.
Fear.
But fear of what? That’s what he couldn’t understand. He shook his head at himself – here he went again, thinking about things that weren’t his concern. Didn’t he have anything better to do? Getting his kid ready for school would be a start.
‘I don’t know. We’d have to ask her mom.’ Ryan grabbed Charlie’s empty bowl, half-throwing it into the dishwasher. ‘If not we can ask somebody else to come over. Don’t you have any other friends at school?’
Charlie shook his head. ‘I want to play with Poppy. The other kids suck.’
Ryan pushed the dishwasher door closed and turned to look at his son. ‘They do? Why?’
His son blinked twice, then looked down at his sneakered feet, frowning. ‘They’re nasty. They told her she couldn’t play with them because she didn’t have a dad any more.’ Looking up at Ryan, he was still frowning. ‘But she does have a dad, doesn’t she?’
‘Yeah, she does.’ Ryan licked his lips. ‘Just because you don’t live with somebody, doesn’t mean they don’t love you. Look at your mom, she’s crazy about you.’
‘That’s what I said. But nobody believed me that my mom didn’t live with us. They said moms have to live with you.’
A glance at the clock told Ryan that they were going to be late if they di
dn’t leave soon. Yet this seemed too important to gloss over. ‘And what do you think?’
Charlie pursed his lips together, deep in thought. ‘I think it doesn’t matter whether you live with your mom or your dad. As long as they love you, everything is okay.’
Ryan hunkered down in front of his son, placing his hands on Charlie’s shoulders. His chest ached with love for his boy. ‘Nobody could be more loved than you,’ he said, his voice thick with emotion. ‘And you’ll always be okay. I’ll make sure of it.’
Charlie nodded, the serious expression still on his face. ‘And Poppy will be okay, too, won’t she?’
Ryan pictured the little girl the way she’d been the first day he’d seen her. Her jaw set, her eyes flashing. ‘Poppy will be more than okay. She’s got guts, just like you.’ Pulling Charlie towards him, he gave him a hug. ‘Come on, let’s get in the car. You’re going to be late for school.’
Charlie pulled on his shoes, pressing the Velcro straps carefully together. Then he grabbed his bag, slipping it over his arms until it rested snugly on his back. It was too big for him. He looked like a turtle that hadn’t grown into its shell.
When he pulled the front door open, Ryan came to a halt in front of a huge bunch of colourful flowers. Arranged in a simple glass vase, the white tulips and purple hyacinths were tied together with twine, with green foliage adding a luxurious touch. In the middle of the bouquet was a white envelope. He picked it up and slid his finger through to open it, pulling out a small handwritten card.
White tulips and purple hyacinths mean I’m sorry. Thank you for helping me with Poppy yesterday, I appreciate it.