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THE FIRST WEEK WITH Austin staying was a disaster from Isabel’s perspective whereas Rhodri, who in his own new-father bubble, thought everything was going marvellously. He’d been having a wonderful time taking Austin out each morning and the weather had played ball. They’d swum and made sandcastles, and yes, painted before picnicking. Austin’s artwork a bright daubing of yellow sun and blue sea with white specks for sails on it was now stuck to the fridge. They’d settled into a routine for him quickly of seven o’clock bedtime, six am rise and shine, some morning television—he was partial to the shopping channel, which had caused her and Rhodri to raise their eyebrows—but Rhodri decided not to rock the boat. So, while Austin sat glued to the screen as everything from homeware to kitchen and DIY was given the hard sell, Rhodri sorted out quick oats and toast soldiers. Isabel had offered to do this but Rhodri was enjoying the novelty of fussing over Austin in a normal morning routine.
She’d sat down next to the small boy and done her best to make conversation each morning as she sipped her wake-up brew. This morning she’d asked him whether he had a NutriBullet at home and if it was as good as they were making out on the tele. He’d just stuck his thumb in his mouth though and continued to stare at the screen. She’d given up, and chomping on a piece of toast headed upstairs to go and get herself ready for work.
She’d have left for the day by the time Nico arrived each morning to open the gallery and then the hours until Isabel got home were Rhodri and Austin’s to do as they pleased. Delwyn had been very understanding about her need to finish in time to be back at Pier View House for two o’clock so Nico could go home and work in her studio while Rhodri took over in the gallery. In some respects, she wished she hadn’t been, and she disliked herself for feeling like that. The shop had been busy today and she’d felt terrible leaving Delwyn in the lurch but she’d waved her away saying she’d managed before Isabel had come to work at The Natural Way, she’d manage on her own for a couple of hours.
She would’ve loved to have talked the situation over with Constance when she’d telephoned sounding a box of birds from Vancouver. It wasn’t the right time though. She was on the trip of a lifetime and didn’t need to be weighed down with Isabel’s problems. So she hadn’t said a word, just listened and made the right noises as Constance told her all about the meal and service they’d had in first class on the plane. She’d moved on to how the apartment was lovely with lots of room for them all and who’d have thought people lived like that all the time, up high in the sky like so. She was in her element and the knowledge that this was the case lifted Isabel’s spirits. True to her word, Constance had demanded to know whether she’d posted the letter.
The hesitation in her voice told Constance all she needed to know but before she could lecture her, Isabel had deftly moved the conversation onto finding out what plans the family had for the week. They would be walking in Edward’s father Henry’s footsteps revisiting his childhood haunts. All the places Henry had told the young Constance about and the excitement in her voice as she relayed this was palpable. They’d said their goodbyes with Constance promising to send a postcard or two while they were away and a stern reminder for her to send the letter.
Isabel pulled her phone out of her pocket and glanced at the time. She’d nearly run from The Natural Way only slowing as she neared the Esplanade. She couldn’t leave mid-sale and so she was running a few minutes late. Today would be different she resolved, puffing as she turned the corner. Today Austin wouldn’t sit with his knees pulled up leaning against the arm of their sofa the iPad nestling against his thighs as he watched the flickering screen for the entire afternoon.
The world had changed so rapidly. It hadn’t been that long since she was a child and at twenty-seven, she shouldn’t be saying, ‘Back in my day it was DVDs,’ but she found herself thinking it. She’d tried, she had. She’d suggested they go for an ice cream and walk along the pier, but he’d said his mummy didn’t like him eating ice cream. A jaunt on the bus to see the rest of the island had been next on her list and seeing that didn’t rev his engine she’d taken things up a notch by saying they could head to Newport and visit Tapnell Farm Park. There’d been desperation in her voice as she asked him if he’d like to feed the wallabies. He hadn’t batted an eye as he said he didn’t like farms because they were smelly.
Rhodri waved her concerns away, saying Austin was worn out from his busy mornings that was all, and if he was content to just sit back and watch a movie so be it. Isabel should be grateful she didn’t need to entertain him was his unspoken message. In their own ways they were both tiptoeing around him, Isabel had realised. Neither of them wanted to upset him because both were scared he’d refuse to come back. It was just they had different reasons for feeling like that.
Today though she wasn’t going to ask him if he’d like to do something, she was going to tell him what they were doing. That was where she was going wrong, she’d decided as she tossed and turned last night. Rhodri had laid his arm across her, a dead weight, and asked her what the matter was. ‘You’re not normally such a fidget,’ he’d murmured sleepily. She’d snuggled closer pressing her back against him. ‘Sorry, can’t sleep.’ He’d kissed her on the back of her head and been snoring a minute later while she pondered how she could get Austin to engage with her because if he refused to spend time with her, other than time spent on his iPad, while she milled around wondering what to do with herself, how were they ever going to get to know one another?
She’d even rung her mother for advice and her wise words had been, ‘Buy him a chocolate bar, Isabel. It worked a treat with you every time. A Galaxy bar and you were anybody’s.’ It was advice she didn’t plan on taking on board and she wasn’t that much of a pushover, was she? Then again, she did love a Galaxy bar. It was the creaminess that got her.
Today, she resolved, opening the door to the gallery and seeing Austin sitting behind the counter while his daddy chatted to a customer, she was pulling out all the stops because today she was taking him to Blackgang Chine, the island’s theme park. How could he not love her after that?