Chapter Nineteen

LILY

 

As Parker and Nathan raced off with the children, Jacqui turned to Lily. “I like her.”

Lily shot an anxious look toward Scott, but he was silently staring toward the beach.

“What, I’m not allowed to like someone?” Jacqui gave Lily an annoyed look, and Lily shook her head. She couldn’t believe her sister wasn’t being as discreet as she’d asked her to be. Actually, scrap that—she could believe it. Jacqui wasn’t known for being discreet, but Lily would never learn, and always confided in her. She valued her input, even if her secrecy was not ideal.

Scott turned toward the two sisters. “Are you putting those snacks out any time soon? I want to go join the sandcastle competition, but I’m scared of missing out.”

Jacqui grinned and opened up her plastic dip platter, which had sections for carrot sticks, raw broccoli and crackers, with a dip in the middle. She then opened up another container which had two other dips. Scott took some crackers loaded with dip and ate them, returning for a handful of carrot sticks topped with dip. He smiled in appreciation but kept eating and walked toward the sandcastle builders.

“She’s different from your usual type, but I can see the appeal,” Jacqui said, taking the opportunity of being alone to talk more. “She’s a great looking girl.”

“Different from my usual type? You mean different from Megan?”

Jacqui looked down at the ground, clearly trying to determine her next move. Lily hated that talk of Megan often resulted in silence, but she also couldn’t blame her family and friends when she brought her up at every opportunity. Sometimes it was simply so that Megan continued to be discussed, but other times she worried if she was just being contrary.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that,” Lily apologised.

“It’s okay. Yes, she’s different from Megan, but she’s different from other women that I’ve thought you’ve liked over the years. The few girls before Megan, and any that have turned your head since Megan. Or even while you were with her.”

Lily gasped. “No one turned my head when I was with Megan!”

Jacqui rolled her eyes. “Not in the chase them down the street way. But I’ve seen you look twice at a person. Lil, you’re only human. Shit, I adore John, and I look at guys all the time.”

“You’re a perve.”

“I am a proud perve. You don’t need to be a nun, just because you’re married. Shit, you certainly don’t have to be a nun if you’re a widow.”

“Yeah, I’m hardly being a nun!” Lily glanced toward Parker.

“Well, don’t be so sensitive. I like her and she’s hot, but she’s different from what I thought was your type.”

Lily nodded. Jacqui was right, she was being overly sensitive, and she didn’t really know why. “You’re right, I’ve never dated a woman like Parker before, but oh my God, she’s so hot.”

Jacqui looked elated. “You said dated!”

Lily rolled her eyes, playfully punching Jacqui, who had picked up the snacks.

“Watch it,” Jacqui said, pointing her forehead toward the dip platter. “You knock these out of my hand and your life won’t be worth living.” She handed one container to Lily. “Now, come and offer these folks some food.”

*

WITH PLATES LOADED with fish, chips, and potato scallops, they all claimed a patch of grass overlooking the water. Lily was seated next to Nathan on one side of her and Scott on the other. Bodhi was sitting with his cousins.

“How’s your class going?” Lily asked Nathan. She didn’t know him very well at all, so thought it might be a nice opportunity to get to know him. Small talk wasn’t her favourite thing, but Parker clearly adored Nathan, so Lily figured that after some small talk, they could become friends themselves.

Nathan finished chewing his mouthful of food, then spoke up, “Really good, but I was so pleased to have these holidays. I think everyone seemed a little exhausted by the last week of school.”

“Bodhi was,” Scott chimed in. “He started having a few meltdowns, unexpectedly.”

Nathan smiled in understanding. “Yes, it’s typical of the last couple of weeks of school. I think they’re just exhausted, and they know the end is near. He’s a good kid though.”

Lily nodded. “Most of the time.”

“He can push us, but he’s a beautiful kid, kind-hearted, and I’m always learning from him.” Scott smiled, reflecting on his son.

“I love this age,” Nathan said, gesturing toward Bodhi. “They’re becoming independent thinkers. They don’t need us to remind them to go to the toilet, but they’re not as jaded as the older grades. I prefer teaching this grade.”

“I take my hat off to you. I find one child hard enough; I don’t think I’d survive twenty of them!” Scott said.

“I think your own kid is always going to be harder than a class full of kids.”

“True, I certainly couldn’t teach Bodhi,” Lily responded.

“Have you taught other grades, Nathan?” Scott asked.

“Yes, I started as a grade six teacher, and then they turned me into a grade one teacher. Worst year of my life.”

Scott cracked up in response as if it was the funniest thing he’d ever heard. Lily was surprised at how much the two men were carrying the conversation without her. She shot a bemused look toward Parker and Jacqui, but they were engrossed in conversation themselves.

Too full to finish her plate, Lily sighed audibly. “Wow, I’m stuffed.”

Scott looked down at his platter. “I better eat up.” Lily looked at him in surprise—it wasn’t like Scott to talk so much and not eat! She briefly wondered if there was an attraction between the two men, or if that was too cliched. If it were a movie script, the guys would fall in love, and Parker and Lily and Scott and Nathan would all live together, parenting Bodhi as one big happy family…but it wasn’t a movie script… Lily shook her head at herself for daydreaming like this! She glanced over in Parker’s direction again, and this time caught her eye. They exchanged a quick smile at each other, Parker’s eyes glinting as she grinned. That smile. That smile could melt her. It was dazzling. But…she was hardly about to risk everything just because of some minor attraction. Right?

But then there was that look. Parker was so striking.

*

“ISN’T THIS NICE?” Jacqui stretched her legs out in the sun and looked around the group. “I’m never one to take a mid-week day off work, but this is so refreshing.” Everyone nodded.

“Gotta love school holidays,” Nathan said.

“I wish I had school holidays,” Scott agreed. “Lily and I usually divide up being home with Bodhi, except during the summers, which Lil takes off completely.”

“Yeah? That sounds great. It must be so hard for parents to juggle it all if they don’t have flexibility.”

“You don’t have kids?” Scott asked Nathan, and he shook his head in response.

“I don’t either,” Parker chimed in. “Sometimes people are surprised that teachers don’t have kids. Sometimes I think it makes it easier to front up and teach each day.”

Nathan nodded. “I agree. Sometimes after a really hard day, I don’t know how my colleagues with kids juggle it all. It’s exhausting.”

Lily nodded. “And having kids is exhausting. And we only have one.”

“I just let my three run wild together when they were young,” Jacqui joked, but Lily shook her head and told them that wasn’t really true. Jacqui was always a very organised and in control parent.

“So, what’s next?” Jacqui asked. “A couple more hours before we should hit the road home?”

Parker nodded. “Let’s go for a long walk along the beach, and then we will end up at the ice cream shop, return back to the cars, and go.” Lily loved that she had it all planned out, making it a fun day for everyone.

As they walked, people moved in various combinations for chatting—Bodhi initially talked to Parker and Lily for a while, then walked forward to chat with his dad and eventually his cousins. Lily stayed by Parker’s side, chatting, and when Bodhi joined his cousins, Jacqui stepped back to join Lily and Parker.

“This has been a great day, Lily!” Jacqui said, once she caught up with them.

“Thanks, but so much of the planning has been thanks to Parker.”

Parker nodded. “I do like to get away now and again. Usually I like to stay a few nights at the coast, but Nathan and I are heading home this afternoon too. I’ve always liked the beach though.”

“Me too,” Jacqui sighed wistfully. “Sometimes I wonder why I don’t move to a seaside town, but I love having family around me.”

“We could run our business anywhere, though, couldn’t we?” Lily knew they’d never move away, but Jacqui often dreamed, and Lily usually joined in.

“We could. I suppose you could teach anywhere?”

Parker nodded. “I could. I moved to Canberra to study at uni, and Nathan and I became close friends, and so I stayed for a while. I was going to go back to Sydney, but it grew on me. And now, all these years later, I can’t imagine leaving.”

“Do you have brothers and sisters?”

“I have a brother and a sister. We’re close, but I don’t think I’m as close to them as you and Lily seem to be. It’s nice.”

Jacqui shrugged. “She annoys me, but she’s good. We’ve always been pretty close, but we did become closer when Megan got sick, I think.”

Lily nodded. “I guess so. And even more recently, working together.” They’d always been close, particularly growing up, but once Jacqui and John married and then started having babies, Lily had felt there was some distance between them. They spent time together—movie nights and family dinners, and Lily often babysat the girls—but their lives felt so different. Then, once Megan was pregnant, Jacqui gave Lily tons of advice. It all felt quite hypothetical.

When Megan had been diagnosed, Jacqui was the first person Lily had told. She’d wanted to hide her own sadness from Megan. She’d wanted to be strong and supportive, but she’d sobbed and sobbed at Jacqui’s house. Jacqui would sit there in silence, and just her presence was supportive. Every so often she’d say something—something wise, and sometimes just something like “I wish I knew what to say.” And somehow that was comforting to hear. There were no answers.

All through Megan’s illness, Jacqui showed up. And Scott showed up. All of their families showed up. They supported them through it—who knows how Lily would have coped without them?—and then when Megan had passed away, everyone still showed up, repeatedly. But over time, people returned to their normal lives, and Scott and Jacqui had remained constantly by her side. They’d held her up when she hadn’t been able to. They’d helped her parent Bodhi when she’d not been certain she had the motivation to even get out of bed. Then, Jacqui and Lily had set up their business together and were now practically inseparable.

“It’s just up here.” Parker gestured forward, toward the ice cream shop. “There are two, but I like the first one better.”

“Me too,” Jacqui said. “John and I often take the kids if we come on holidays.”

“Bodhi loves ice cream, so I know he’s excited,” Lily said.

The group went inside to the quiet store, where the overwhelmed staff member seemed surprised by the sudden arrival of a group of eight. She quickly got busy giving them taste tests, and then preparing their ice creams. The walk back after the ice cream was cheerful, but it had been a long day, and the group were keen to get on the road to get home. Just before leaving, Lily managed to steal a moment alone with Parker. “Let me know if you get time this week, and we’ll catch up,” she said.

Parker grinned. “I will. I’ve found it so hard not to kiss you today; it’s sweet torture.”

Lily felt herself melt inside a little, and even more so when Parker winked at her.

She blushed and smiled. “Drive safely.”

“You too.”