An Italian Dream

Looks bloody lovely. Stella has gone up in the world. By the way, wore the grey shirt, meeting was great thanks.

A thank you as well. Blimey, the meeting must have been a big deal. She switched off the screen, looked up and met Amber’s cool gaze.

‘Who was that?’ she asked.

‘Just your dad.’

‘Oh.’ She swigged her wine and took another slice of pizza.

Fern had been aware of the tension for a while, but spending time alone with Amber made it apparent how much the divide between them had grown. With a second glass of wine poured, Fern decided to bite the bullet and ask her outright.

‘What’s your problem with me?’

Amber looked at her from beneath long black lashes. ‘What are you talking about?’

‘Oh, don’t give me that. Everything I say, everything I do, annoys you. I’d like to understand what I’ve done.’

‘You haven’t done anything.’

‘Really? It doesn’t seem that way.’

Amber clenched her jaw. She glanced away. ‘Can we pay and get out of here?’

‘Of course, but you’re still going to answer my question.’

Fern caught the attention of a waiter and they settled the bill.

It was good to escape back into the sunshine. She’d begun to feel hemmed in, sitting in a busy restaurant, aware that their conversation was strained.

‘So,’ Fern said, not wanting to give Amber the chance to change the subject as they set off towards the piazzetta, ‘if I haven’t upset you, why the animosity? This attitude has been going on for months.’

Amber moved out of the way of a large group of people heading towards them and sighed.

‘Dad walks all over you and you let him,’ she said.

Fern stopped in her tracks. Whatever she was expecting Amber to say, it wasn’t that. ‘Okay,’ she said slowly as she picked up the pace to catch up with her. ‘I’m not really sure why you think that.’

Amber glanced back at her. ‘Oh please, Mum. He does what he likes and you let him. Your life revolves around him.’

‘Well, we’re a team. He works hard and my job has always been to look after him, you, Ruby and the house.’

Amber scoffed. ‘He doesn’t just work hard; he plays hard too. When was the last time you had fun?’

‘Don’t start this again.’ Anger flared inside her. They reached the main piazzetta with its far-reaching views across the island. People were milling around and sitting outside a cafe drinking coffee. She waved her hand around. ‘I’m having fun now.’

‘Yeah, cos Stella’s paid for us to come out here. You’d never have done anything like this off your own back.’

‘I’d never have been able to afford to do anything like this. I’m not lucky enough to have won the Lottery.’

‘I’m not talking about an expensive holiday, I mean just in general, getting dressed up and going out. Also, you could afford things if you found a better job.’

The snide remark got Fern’s back up. ‘There’s nothing wrong with my job.’

‘Seriously, it’s honestly all you want to do? Work in a shop?’

Fern stopped in the middle of the piazzetta and turned on Amber. ‘Why does it bother you so much?’

‘I get why you got a job like that to fit around school and stuff, but me and Ruby are grown up. You don’t need to be working those crappy part-time jobs any longer.’