They were both starving, but low on cash, so they drove to a cheap burger place. Anna tried not to think about her yoga instructor’s disapproving face as she ate.
“I’m sorry I can’t afford to contribute more money,” Faith said. She seemed embarrassed. “I was planning on staying with my brother, and we don’t have a lot of spare cash at the moment with me only working part time.”
“Oh, no. It’s fine,” Anna reassured her. “Honestly, at least we’re doing something a bit different. Greg would never do anything like this. His idea of the perfect holiday is the same every year. Ten days in Hawaii, golf, shopping and drinks. It’s nice to do something out of my comfort zone.”
“Well, that doesn’t sound awful, but I see your point.” Faith took a gulp of her drink and then hiccupped. “We can pretend we’re teenagers again and do all the things we never did.” She sounded a bit wistful, Anna thought.
“Well, what else shall we do then? What didn’t you do that you wish you had? Tattoo? Piercing? Streak across a rugby field? We could do a bucket list.”
Faith laughed. “I would actually love to get my ears pierced. I wasn’t allowed as a kid. But that’s a bit tame, isn’t it?”
“Well, you had your chance for a totally wild night last night,” Anna said with a laugh. Faith threw her burger wrapper at her. “Don’t, I’m mortified just thinking about it!”
“Speaking of which, I think I might have to see if one of the kids can lend me some money,” Anna said, pulling out her phone. “But I’ve just realised they don’t even know I’m coming. So I’d better give them a heads-up so they can get rid of any overnight guests and clean up a bit. Hopefully I can use their washing machine too. I need some clean clothes.”
“We passed a thrift store on the way here,” Faith said. “If you really want to relive your youth we could always have a dig around there to pass some time.”
“Oh, yes, I used to love a good vintage shop hunt. I once found a Louis Vuitton handbag in one in Hamilton when I was at tech.”
The thrift store was less ‘bargain finds’ and more ‘dead people cast-offs’. It smelt like a mouldy rest home. Long piles of shoes under the clothes rack made Anna nauseous at the thought of all the toe jam and bunions. She was not a fan of feet.
She skipped the swimwear and underwear tables and flicked through a rack of tops, looking for something that would fit her, and didn’t have dubious stains.
Faith was looking at the kitchenware on a long shelf at the back wall.
“Oh man, they have a fondue set. I’ve always wanted to have a fondue. And it’s only twelve dollars.”
“Well, I think I only need a top and maybe some leggings to tide me over, and they have two for ten dollar T-shirts so we may have enough? We could do that tonight.”
Faith wandered over to search the T-shirt rack with her.
“Oh, my God, look, a Baywatch T-shirt,” Anna said with a laugh. “I always wanted to be Pamela Anderson.”
“Who?”
Anna showed her the top. It featured a pair of large, enhanced breasts in a skimpy, red, one-piece swimming costume. When she held it up, it moulded to her torso to look as if they were hers.
“Pammy. She was the hot lifeguard in an old TV show when I was young. Man, we need to do a movie marathon sometime to get you up to date with all the nineties TV you missed out on.”
“That top is hilarious. Although your boobs are just as impressive.”
“Well, thank you,” Anna said, putting the top back.
“You should get it,” Faith said. “I bet teenaged you would have.”
Anna laughed. Then she pulled a black T-shirt from the rack.
“I will if you get this.” The T-shirt featured an outline of a long-haired man on a cross, one hand holding a ghetto blaster. The words ‘JESUS IS MY HOMEBOY’ were written across the top.
“Deal,” Faith said with a grin.
Cameron and Niamh lived in Riccarton near the university so they drove out to their place and pulled up into the driveway. Greg and Anna had purchased the flat in their second year down there as an investment. It was a three-bedroom place. Greg had assumed that Ben would also study there and had not been happy when he chose Wellington instead. But the twins had rented the third bedroom out, and that money covered most of their living expenses.
The place smelt of lemon and pine like it had been freshly cleaned. Cameron was home but about to go to work at his bar job and told her that Niamh was at the uni library but would be back at six. Their flatmate was also heading out and Anna couldn’t remember his name. He was a drummer in a band with a long goatee and a handlebar moustache. He gave both her and Faith a kiss on the cheek as he left and then Cameron as well. Anna raised her eyebrows at her son. He grinned and shook his head.
“Just friends, Mum, he’s not my type.”
“You have a type?” Anna laughed as she hugged him.
“This is Faith, her daughter Rachel is flatting with Ben.”
“Hi, Faith.” He shook Faith’s hand. He was tall and lanky, with shoulder-length dark hair, thick brows and warm amber-coloured eyes. He had several piercings in one ear and an expander in his lobe.
“So, what’s going on with Dad?’ he asked Anna. “He rang and had a mental about some awards thing and you taking off.”
“Well, I don’t want to just drop it on you, but I’m going to move out when I get home, hun,” Anna told him.
“Okay,” he shrugged. Anna watched his face for a reaction. He seemed unfazed.
“How do you feel about that?” she asked, picking at a cuticle.
“Well, I’m not surprised really,” he told her. “We’ve been expecting it.” He gave her a small smile. “Don’t worry about us, Mum, we’re adults. And if you’re happier apart, I get it.”
“Thanks, sweetheart,” Anna said, trying not to cry. Cameron did a little laugh and gave her a long hug. He was so tall and she realised she hadn’t hugged him in a while. He always seemed bigger than she was expecting. She remembered the days when he would climb into her lap to hug her and laughed at the thought of him doing that now. He pulled away first and they wandered into the lounge.
“What time are you working till?” Anna asked.
“Saturday night, so probably around two.” He looked at his phone. “Actually I better get going. Where are you staying?”
“Oh, this will crack you up,” Anna said. “Check out our wheels on your way out.”
He gave her a bemused look.
“Okay, so I’ll see you tomorrow sometime then?”
“We’ll be right on your doorstep when you wake up,” Anna said with a grin. “Now, before you go, have you got any wine? Or money? I’m skint. I’ll pay you back.”
“Mum,” he laughed, “literally no one says ‘skint’.” He didn’t even ask why she had no money on her, perhaps because Faith was there, Anna guessed. Or Greg had been boasting about cutting her off. He pulled out his wallet and gave her five twenties.
“I think there’s an open bottle of Pinot in the fridge,” he said, “or there’s a bottle of gin in the pantry. Enjoy.”