Page 111 of Jackson
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Jackson…One yearlater
“Baby, come on. We need to get you cleaned up,” I said, as I picked my daughter, Bryony, up from thebeach.
My phone rang in my pocket; Perri was calling. “Hey, we’re just heading back to the house, we’ve been buildingsandcastles.”
“That sounds wonderful. Now, did you pick up thecake?”
“Yes, I picked up the cake, and the balloons, and the plates, and everything else on the list. I’ll see you later.” I shook my head as I disconnected thecall.
Bryony was about to have her first birthday party, not that she was completely aware of that fact, of course. I grabbed her with one arm and laughed as she squealed withdelight.
“Dada,” shesaid.
“Yep, Dada. Now, we need to get washed or we will both in trouble, younglady.”
I stripped her of her sandy clothes and stood with her in the shower. Bryony loved nothing more than to stand and be showered down, she was most certainly my daughter in hating baths. I remembered when I’d brought her home from the hospital. Her cries as I tried to bathe her in the plastic tub we’d bought had me in tears. In the end, I stripped to my shorts, sat on the shower seat and held her as a gentle stream of water washed us. She’d loved it, despite the horror on Katie’s face, who thought I was about to drown mychild.
Once dried and dressed, I buckled her into her car seat and she clapped her hands. That was her cue for music; again, she was most definitely her father’sdaughter.
“So what does her ladyship want to listen to today? How about your mummy’s favouritesong?”
I doubted Bryony understood but she clapped her hands when James Bay started singingHold Back the River. I was immediately transported back to days dancing around thekitchen.
“Shall we go see Mummy?” I said, catching sight of her wriggling in her car seat in the rear-viewmirror.
The sun shined that day as we pulled into the car park of the crematorium. I unbuckled her and carried her on myhip.
Ahead of me I saw a group of children, they were about to let off Chinese lanterns and I held back. I didn’t want to intrude in their ritual. They were kids from the drop-in centre and were learning about loss and letting go of loved ones that had died. It was something the Foundation had set up for them, just a small way of connecting with and supporting each other in times ofgrief.
When all the lanterns had been released, I continued to walk among the graves. I was just a short distance away when she stood. Her auburn hair caught the sun’s rays and shone. She turned to me andsmiled.
“Momma,” Bryony gurgled and held out herhands.
“Hello, baby, have you had a good day?” Summer walked towards us and held out her arms to take Bryony fromme.
“We have, we made sandcastles,” I said, and I wrapped my arms around my wife and mydaughter.
“And now we are ready for a party,” Summersaid.
“Perri has been nagging me all day, this better be the one and only party. I don’t think I can cope with a sweet sixteen. How are the kids?” I asked, nodding towards the small group watching their lanterns floatoff.
“Good, this has been a great exercise for them, I think we ought to do it regularly. Tanya is taking them back to thecentre.”
Tanya was Summer’s assistant at the Foundation, although Summer was in charge, she’d needed a second in command when she’d started to take some classes in counselling. It had been Summer’s idea to take the kids out for a therapysession.
Things could have been so different. Just a year ago, I’d nearly lost Summer. A blood clot had reached her lungs. It was only the quick thinking of the doctor on the day that had saved her life. I thanked that man every morning when I woke and saw my gorgeous wife and my beautifuldaughter.
Summer and I married in a quiet ceremony just a couple of months after Bryony had been born. I vowed Bryony would be the only child I’d ever have. I was not going to go through that again, no matter how many times Summer nagged for a brother or sister forher.
Arm in arm, we walked back to the car, my baby had her first birthday party to attend and we were already late. Dexter had texted, D-J had texted, and Katie was getting stressed. Bryony’s guests had arrived and the belle of the ball was clapping in the car, listening to rockmusic.
* * *
As I laidmy daughter down for a nap, still dressed in the purple princess dress she’d been changed into after opening that gift from Perri, I sat in a chair. I just stared at her. Summer walked into the bedroom and curled into mylap.
“She’s perfect,” I whispered, even with her tangled hair and cake smeared over hercheek.
