Page 62 of Lessons in Love at the Seaside Salon
‘All right, kids!’ she calls.
Renee skips down the front steps, followed by Troy and his messy hair. If he were going to school Anna would say something about it, but he’s about to play footy so there’s no point. Hair and boy and uniform will come back messed-up and dirty.
She hugs them goodbye, and Gary gets a peck on the cheek, then she almost skips herself after she’s waved them off.
What to do, what to do … She smiles vaguely as she looks around the living room. Nothing that needs doing here. The washing is in hand. The shopping too. She’s up to date with her mending. Probably she should have made plans with friends but all her friends are taking their kids to sport.
It’s weird, having weekend time to herself. It’s also weird being separated, even if she did bring it on herself. None of her friends are divorced or even thinking about it, so she’s the lone ranger there. Which means she’ll have to make this up as she goes.
The beach. She could go to the beach! With a book! And just sit and read! Maybe even have fish and chips for lunch. It’s too cold for a swim so she won’t take a costume, but that makes things simple. What she’s wearing is fine. Which means …
Her eyes light on the novel she’s reading, on the side table next to the couch. Putting it in her handbag, she picks up the keys and heads to the car.
Terrigal is her beach of choice, always, because even though it gets busy, it’s so appealing with the Skillion sweeping up to one side. Plus she likes the buzz of people enjoying themselves.
Once she arrives she tucks her beach mat under her arm and has the pick of spots. On a winter’s day only the surfers have laid any claim to the sand, their towels and thongs and house keys strewn here and there. No one would take anything – that’s just not how things are done.
Closer to the shoreline she sees a woman hunched over, staring at the water, and thinks the shape of her head is familiar. Oh yes, it’s the younger hairdresser from the Seaside Salon – Evie.
Now Anna has a conundrum: should she leave her alone and risk being seen as Evie leaves, and therefore Evie will know that Anna likely saw her and didn’t approach? Or does she give up on her plan to read and say hello, taking the risk that it may turn into socialising?
Then Evie’s shoulders shake and, looking more closely, Anna can see she’s upset. That does it: she’s not leaving a woman she knows distressed on the sand. She wouldn’t want to be left distressed on the sand.
‘Hi,’ she says as she stands over Evie.
The woman looks up, and it’s clear she’s been crying. Then she squints and Anna realises the sun is above her. She moves slightly.
‘I’m Anna. I bring my mum to the salon. Her name is Ingrid.’
‘Oh …’ Evie sniffles and drops her gaze. ‘Hi.’
‘Can I sit down?’ Anna doesn’t actually give Evie the choice: she’s committed to it this far, so she might as well go all the way. Beach mat rolled out, bag dropped, Anna sits and extends her legs next to this woman she barely knows. ‘I came here to read,’ she says cheerfully. ‘But, ah …’
There’s another sniffling sound and Evie turns to look at her with what Anna can only think is despair.
‘Sorry,’ Evie mumbles. ‘I’m not very good company.’
‘I didn’t think you would be!’
Now Evie looks upset.
‘That came out badly,’ Anna goes on. ‘I meant that I can see you’re upset. But I didn’t want to walk away.’ She thinks of the nights she spent at home, getting upset about Gary not appearing, wishing someone might knock on her door, saying they wanted to keep her company. Sure, it’s probably wrong to project her wishes onto Evie, but do any of us really want to be alone when we’re in distress?Seriously?Are we even meant to be? There are billions of people on the planet and somehow we’re meant to take care of the heavy stuff alone? No, Anna doesn’t believe that. She also doesn’t believe that the onus should be on the upset person to seek out support. The people around the upset person should be paying attention. And she’s paying attention.
‘Thanks,’ Evie says, her voice muffled. She sniffles. ‘Really.’
‘So – what’s going on?’ No point easing into it, since they’re already being honest.
Evie’s laugh is hollow. ‘Nothing. Absolutely nothing.’ She briefly closes her eyes. ‘That’s the problem.’
‘Is it … work?’ Should Anna even be asking that, given she’s now a client along with Ingrid?
‘No.’ Evie half-smiles in that way people have when they’re really upset but trying to be reassuring at the same time.
‘Family?’
A shake of the head.
‘Love, then?’
