Tasha’s phone vibrated in her pocket just as she was doing her best to arrange a complicated conference call across multiple time zones. Her heart sank as she saw the caller had been the children’s school. Not wishing to be seen using her mobile phone at her desk, she scurried out to the ladies and listened to the message. Sure enough, Mrs Hemmingway’s kindly voice echoed down the receiver. She was being summoned. Again. Only this time, it wasn’t Flora Mrs Hemmingway was concerned about. It was Max.
She called the school and was put through to Mrs Hemmingway by the secretary.
‘I’m afraid I can’t make it in to see you this afternoon,’ Tasha explained. ‘I’ve actually gone back to work, so I’m no longer doing drop-off and pickups.’
‘Ah, I see.’ Mrs Hemmingway’s less-than-enthusiastic reaction made her worry that she should have informed the school about this additional change in her circumstances.
‘I’m sorry,’ she added hastily. ‘I probably should have told you. It’s just that it all happened so quickly!’
‘Not to worry, Mrs Hargreaves.’ Tasha felt sure that, despite this reassurance, she was being judged as an incompetent mother.
‘Is Max OK? Could we possibly discuss whatever’s happened over the telephone instead?’ Tasha asked.
‘Yes, it’s not a problem. Though if we have any more incidents then we might have to have a chat in person.’
‘Gosh. It all sounds rather serious. What is it that he has done exactly?’
‘I’m afraid he’s been acting a little… forcefully, shall we say, with his peers. He’s been getting into trouble rather frequently, especially at playtimes. And today he pushed another child in the lunch queue.’
Tasha’s heart sank. ‘Oh dear,’ she said. ‘I’m so sorry. I’ll talk to him when I get home.’
‘It is important that Max knows we’re all “singing from the same hymn sheet”, so to speak,’ Mrs Hemmingway continued.
‘I quite understand.’
‘It would be very helpful if you could have a general chat about how violence is unacceptable no matter how he is feeling inside, that taking it out on another person is never the way to deal with his emotions.’
‘Of course.’ Tasha felt as if she was the one being told off.
‘We’ve suggested that he writes down any feelings and puts them in the teacher’s worry box. Perhaps you could start a worry box at home too?’ Tasha had no idea what a worry box was. No doubt she probably should know already.
‘Absolutely,’ Tasha said. ‘What is a worry box, exactly?’
‘Just an old tissue box or something will do. He can decorate it himself perhaps. And a notepad by the side. The idea is that when he feels upset he can write down whatever is bothering him and put it away in the worry box. That way you can read it and talk to him about it, whilst at the same time he can relax knowing that it is “off his chest”, if you see what I mean? We’ll see how it goes but it usually helps children who are going through… a tricky time.’
Tasha hung her head in shame. ‘That sounds like a great idea. I will get onto it this weekend, when we have some time together.’
Mrs Hemmingway seemed pleased with Tasha’s response to the problem, ending the call with the usual pleasantries. Tasha wanted to phone Charlie straight away but her to-do list seemed never-ending and the minutes were ticking by alarmingly quickly before her scheduled five o’clock departure. She ploughed through as many tasks as she could manage: filing, binding, printing and photocopying, all the while trying not to worry about the mental state of her children.
At a quarter to five she got stuck on the phone trying to rebook a cancelled flight for Katherine later that evening, resulting in her running late to get back to relieve Emily, who had plans of her own and had already reminded Tasha that she needed a prompt handover so as not to be late herself.
She called Emily as soon as she came up from the Tube. ‘I’m so sorry. I’ll be there as quickly as I can,’ she said, running as fast as her heels allowed her. She turned into Havers Street and rushed towards the front door. She could see the children peering out of the window. Emily flung open the front door, coat already on, handbag over her shoulder, clearly relieved to see Tasha at long last. As Tasha crossed the road the heel of her shoe suddenly broke, her foot twisted and the ground flashed up to her face as she fell forwards onto the pavement. The contents of her handbag flung themselves all over the place.
‘Bugger!’ she said under her breath. ‘Don’t worry!’ she called as Emily rushed over to help her. ‘I’m OK!’
‘Are you sure?’ Emily asked.
‘Yes, yes, I’m fine… my silly heel.’ Flora, Max and Bella raced out of the front door to her aid. ‘Please go,’ Tasha said. ‘You’re late enough already.’
‘I can’t leave you injured!’ Emily protested.
‘I’m fine, honestly. I’ll feel much worse if you are late. Go. It’s nothing, really.’ She tried not to wince as she inspected the grit that was embedded in the palms of both hands.
‘Hi, darlings,’ she greeted the children, who had crouched by her side.
‘Are you OK, Mummy?’ they asked, concern plastered across their stricken faces.
‘Absolutely. I’ll be fine. Now GO!’ she instructed Emily. Finally persuaded, Emily ran down the street, calling ‘Thank you!’ behind her as she went.
‘Here, Mum, let’s get you inside. Now what have you done?’ Flora asked, dropping her favoured sulky-teenager attitude and taking on the mantle of responsibility that came hand-in-hand with being the eldest child.
Tasha tried to get up but her ankle was so painful she couldn’t face moving just yet.
‘Mum, can’t you stand up?’ Bella asked.
‘I’ll help you!’ Max said, offering his shoulder for support. ‘I’m really strong.’
‘Thanks, darlings, I’m sure it’s fine. I just need to take my time, probably.’
‘You need a doctor,’ Bella announced. ‘Even doctors need doctors sometimes…’
‘Good idea!’ Flora smiled at Bella. ‘Shall I get the doctor who lives opposite?’ Flora asked. ‘The lights are on so he must be home.’
‘No, don’t worry,’ Tasha said. She shifted her weight, wincing. It really was painful. She probably did need some help.
‘Come on, Mum. I think you need help,’ Bella echoed her thoughts.
‘Yes, let’s get the doctor,’ Max insisted.
She had to agree it wasn’t a bad idea. If only it weren’t Javier though. He was the last person she wanted to rely on for help.
‘OK,’ she said, admitting defeat. ‘Flora, why don’t you go and knock on the door?’
Javier opened the door after a minute or so, quickly assessing the scene in front of him.
‘Mum’s hurt her foot, we think,’ Flora said. ‘Will you please come and help us get her inside?’
‘Tasha!’ Javier rushed over and knelt by her side. ‘Are you OK? What happened?’
‘I’m fine. I think. My heel broke and I’ve gone over on my ankle. It’s pretty sore, it’s probably just a sprain…’
‘Here, let me help you,’ he said, offering her his hand.
‘Thank you,’ she muttered as he hauled her up to sitting.
‘Does this hurt?’ he asked, gently examining her ankle. She nodded, wincing as her ankle throbbed in pain. He was so handsome, the classic hero rescuing her in her moment of need. She knew most women would love nothing more than to be in this position, but she couldn’t feel anything other than awkward embarrassment, not to mention dread at what Charlie would think when he found out that they had had further interaction. Despite all this Tasha found herself wishing that she had shaved her legs, telling herself off immediately for caring. ‘It does look like a sprain,’ he said. ‘We need to get some ice on it. And you’ll need to rest it.’
‘That’s what I thought,’ Tasha said. ‘At least a sprain should heal relatively quickly.’
‘Poor you, Mum,’ the children said. There was nothing they loved more than a good injury to fuss over.
‘Oh, God, this is the last thing I need,’ Tasha groaned. ‘I’ve just started a new job.’
‘Oh, really? Did you apply to retrain in the end?’
‘No… nothing like that. It’s completely new,’ Tasha continued. ‘I’m temping at a hedge fund.’
‘A hedge fund? That is different!’
‘Tell me about it!’
‘Do you like it?’
‘So far…’
‘Well good for you,’ Javier said, helping her to her feet. ‘That’s fantastic.’
She tested her weight gingerly on the offending ankle. ‘Ouch.’ She winced.
‘Here.’ Javier pulled her arm around his shoulder and supported her as she hobbled towards the front door.
‘Thanks,’ she said. ‘It’s really kind of you.’
At the door Tasha turned to him, having transferred her weight onto Flora’s proffered shoulder. ‘We’ll be fine from here. Thank you.’ She smiled, communicating with her eyes just how inappropriate it would be if he came in, given the circumstances.
He nodded, signalling that he understood exactly what she meant. ‘Right, kids. You need to make sure Mummy sits down and raises her leg up high with a packet of frozen peas to stop any swelling. Doctor’s orders. And you need to be very good and very helpful,’ he instructed. Bella had scooped up the contents of her bag and was carrying it inside.
‘Are you a real doctor?’ Max asked, clearly impressed.
‘I am indeed, just like your Mum, so you’d better do as I say.’ Javier winked.
‘That tactic doesn’t always work for me, does it darling?’ Tasha laughed. Max smiled and shook his head sheepishly.
‘If you need anything, just give me a call,’ he added, looking at Tasha. ‘I hardly need to tell you this but ice, rest, elevation,’ he repeated as he walked back across the street.
‘Thanks!’ she called after him. She hobbled into the sitting room and lowered herself onto the sofa.
‘Is it really painful?’ Bella asked.
‘It’s not too bad,’ Tasha replied. ‘It’ll be much better with some ice on it.’
‘Ta-da!’ Flora arrived back into the sitting room flourishing a bag of peas. ‘I found some.’
‘Thank you, darling,’ Tasha said. ‘Max, would you be an angel and put a couple of those cushions in a pile for me, please?’ Her team of young nurses soon had her resting her leg in an elevated position as Javier had instructed.
Just as she got settled her phone started to ring.
‘It’s Dad!’ Max said excitedly, answering the call.
‘Hi, Dad!’ The children crowded around the screen.
‘Hi, darlings!’ Charlie replied.
‘Guess what’s happened to Mum!’ Max spun the phone around to show Tasha prostrate on the sofa. The children certainly loved a bit of drama.
‘Hi!’ Tasha said.
‘She’s sprained her ankle,’ Bella announced gravely.
‘But it’s OK. The doctor helped her,’ Max informed Charlie.
‘Which doctor?’ Charlie asked. Tasha could immediately hear the change in his tone of voice.
‘You know, the neighbour opposite,’ Flora explained.
‘Oh, that one!’ Charlie said. ‘How kind of him.’ His voice was laced with sarcasm only Tasha could detect.
‘Flora asked him to help. I was out on the street and couldn’t get up,’ Tasha explained as Max angled the screen towards her.
‘I see,’ Charlie said, suspicion shadowing his face, and irritation. ‘Is it definitely a sprain?’
‘Apparently so.’
‘How can you be so sure?’
Tasha paused. ‘Er… Javier examined me.’
‘You needed another doctor’s opinion, did you?’
There was silence. Tasha wanted the ground to open and swallow her. She felt so awkward. ‘It’s fine now.’
‘It’s not fine,’ Flora said, peering closely at the ankle in question. ‘It’s very swollen.’
‘Poor Mum.’ Bella came over and stroked her forehead before kissing her on the cheek.
‘We’ll look after her, don’t worry, Dad,’ Max said. Tasha doubted he was too worried. ‘We’ll be extra good at bath time and we’ll go to bed without a fuss.’
‘Good,’ Charlie said. ‘I’m glad to hear it. So, how were your days?’ he asked as the three children sat on the other sofa to have their nightly catch-up.
As Tasha listened she noticed that Max didn’t say anything about getting into trouble at school. She watched him closely; he seemed happy enough. Of course it was true; just because he seemed all right at home didn’t necessarily mean he’d be the same at school. As the children said goodbye to Charlie she told him she’d call him later, that there was something she needed to discuss with him. He didn’t exactly look thrilled at the prospect. She could tell he was still annoyed about Javier helping her.
She relied on Flora to help her up the stairs to supervise bath and bedtime, deciding to stay upstairs rather than go back down again. She hoped that by putting no strain on it at all and keeping up the ice packs the swelling might reduce in time for tomorrow. Flora brought her up a bowl of risotto, cooked by Emily, who had luckily made enough for leftovers, and she also brought in a large supply of disposable ice packs from the first-aid box.
Later, when the children were in bed and while Tasha lay propped up with pillows under her throbbing ankle, the doorbell chimed. There was no way she was going to attempt the journey downstairs to answer it. Maybe it was Charlie coming to make sure she was OK? But if it was he would just let himself in with his key. A minute or so later her phone bleeped with a text message.
Hope your ankle is OK and you are resting. I’ve left an old crutch by your front door, I broke my foot a few years ago in a bike accident. Try to keep the weight off it for the next couple of days. Hope you are all right? Javier x
How kind of him, she thought. She might have royally screwed up her marriage because of him but she could still see why he had been so irresistible to her. He was such an alluring mixture of mystery, confidence and charm. She typed a reply:
Can’t make it to the door but thank you. I really appreciate it. Tasha
She hesitated about whether to reciprocate the kiss, knowing how Charlie would feel if he could see it. She pressed send then deleted both messages, just in case they could somehow come back to haunt her at a later stage. After last time, it just wasn’t worth the risk.
She decided to call Charlie. She would tell him about the crutch, knowing there was no point in concealing the truth from him with three extremely informative children around.
‘Are you angry?’ she asked.
‘What do you think?’
‘I’m sorry. It was just that he happened to be there.’
‘Of course, I don’t like the idea of that man being anywhere near you, or my house, or my children. You can hardly blame me!’
‘Of course not.’
‘I don’t want you to give him the time of day.’
There was silence.
‘You wanted to talk?’ Charlie asked, his voice clipped.
‘Yes. I got a phone call from Mrs Hemmingway again today asking me to come in.’
‘Flora again?’ His voice immediately softening with the change of subject.
‘No. It was Max this time.’
‘Oh. Why, what’s happened?’
‘Apparently he’s been acting up, being too rough with the other children.’
‘Have you spoken to him?’ Charlie asked, sounding concerned.
‘School has. I said we would too. I didn’t get a chance this evening, but I thought maybe this weekend we could?’
‘I’ll definitely talk to him,’ Charlie said. He was very strict about violence and Tasha knew that he would take it seriously. She explained about the worry box and told Charlie she’d make it with Max on Saturday morning, ready to take to Charlie’s flat when he picked them up before lunch.
‘Well, I suppose it’s not a bad suggestion,’ he said.
Tasha began to feel a bit better about things as they talked it all through. She loved the feeling of support that came with co-parenting, and was thankful that they had always managed to keep their children a priority throughout all the upheaval. She had to give Charlie credit: no matter what he was feeling about her he had, as far as she knew, never given the children a single inkling as to what was going on inside his head.