Page 114 of Lessons in Love at the Seaside Salon
Troy shouts from the pool, waving up at them. They wave back.
‘I mean I can sit at home for the rest of my life thinking you did something wrong,’ Anna says. ‘Or I can realise that we were both trying to do things right. In our own way.’
Gary takes her hand. She lets him.
‘I’ve only ever wanted to do right by you,’ he says.
‘We can’t just go back to how things were.’
‘I know,’ he says quickly.
‘We need to talk more.’
‘I know.’
Then she decides to say what’s been on her mind these past few days. ‘It would be easier to do that if you were at home.’
Their eyes meet and she realises she’s nervous about how he’s going to respond.
‘I can move back tonight,’ he says, hope in his voice.
She laughs. ‘Let’s just have dinner first. All of us.’ She squeezes his hand. ‘It’s not that I don’t want you back soon,’ she says. ‘But I think we need to explain it to the kids first.’
‘Agreed.’
His smile is shy, and she can feel that hers is too.
They sit holding hands, like they used to do when they first started going out, and cheer their children through freestyle, breaststroke, butterfly and splashing until Renee and Troy get out of the pool, skinny and dripping, and Anna and Gary wrap them in towels and take them home.
CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
‘So what is it today, Babs?’ Trudy stubs out her cigarette and waves away the smoke in front of her face. That was her first cigarette of the day, which was late for her. She’s been smoking less, though. Couldn’t say why other than that she’s not as interested in it. Or doesn’t need it the way she used to.
‘Didn’t I tell you? Nephew’s wedding this afternoon. So I need a nice wash and set.’ Babs puts her handbag on the bench.
‘That’s all, pet? Nothing fancy?’
‘No, I wouldn’t want to take attention away from the bride.’
She says it so seriously Trudy can’t help but chuckle. Then again, she admires Babs’s self-belief. Every woman should have that much of it.
‘All right. Wash and set it is. Phoebe, when you’re free can you take Babs over for a wash?’
Phoebe is her new apprentice. They needed a set of hands and Josie’s going to be off for a while. She can have a job when she’s ready, and that’s because Sam has told Trudy he’s moving on at some point – he wants to go back to Europe. And while Josie may still technically be a student Trudy’s happy to pay her properly and let her take Sam’s spot. The girl has talent, and she’s a hard worker. It won’t be too long before she’s on her feet again, literally.
Phoebe nods. She’s washing someone else at the moment so Trudy and Babs have a few minutes.
‘Where’s the wedding?’ Trudy asks.
‘Kariong. Function centre or some such.’ Babs is eyeing her in the mirror. ‘I’ve heard a rumour about you, Gertrude.’
‘Gertrude! No one calls me that.’
‘Your mother did once.’
‘Yes, she did.’ Trudy says it with an edge, because she’s not sure where Babs is going with this and doesn’t know whether to worry about something she’s going to say in front of the other clients.
‘You’ – Babs waves a finger at her – ‘have a gentleman caller.’
