Page 8 of Meet You in the Waves
Today had been a surprisingly good day. I had expected to feel like the unwanted interloper on my best friend’s family occasion but Dane’s family had been so welcoming to me.
His big brother especially.
There was a sweetness and a depth to Nick that I had not expected to find. Not after everything I’d heard about the guy from his younger brother. It made me wonder how well Dane actually knew him because from where I was standing, Nick was actually kind of amazing.
I shook those thoughts of him out of my head as I answered the call.
“Hi, Mum.”
“Merry Christmas, Ajay,” came the voice of my mum over the span of the deep blue ocean separating us.
“Merry Christmas, Mum.”
“Did you have a good day?”
“I did actually,” I said, smiling as I recounted the Christmas dinner and the relaxing day I’d spent down here on the coast with Dane’s family. “How is Tim’s mum?”
“Ah,” Mum returned, a hint of something in her tone. “Seems like it was a bit of a false alarm. She’s doing much better and was able to be back home for Christmas dinner which was good.”
“Huh,” I replied, something ringing in my gut.
“What is it?”
“Probably nothing,” I returned.
“Say it, darling. Tell me what you’re thinking.”
“I just … I was just wondering if maybe Tim had been angling to spend Christmas in Wellington all along,” I ventured hesitantly.
“Well of course he would have liked to spend the time with his family,” Mum conceded. “But we both agreed we would have Christmas at home with you this year.”
“Right. Tim agreed that, did he?”
“Well …” Mum faltered and I knew my hunch was right.
“It just makes me wonder if maybe this imaginary health scare was just a ploy to make sure Tim got his own way like usual.”
“What do you meanlike usual?” Mum replied a little defensively.
“I’m just noting that Tim seems to always get his way. Have you not noticed that we haven’t seen each other once this whole year? Not since your wedding day.”
“Ajay,” Mum said softly. “I’m sorry if it seems that way to you, darling. You know how much you mean to me.”
“It’s not actually that itseemsthat way to me,” I returned. “It actuallyisthat way. I’m not saying you have to drop everything for me but maybe once in a while …”
“I know. You’re right, darling,” Mum conceded. She sounded tired and a little defeated and I realised it would be nearly midnight over in Wellington.
“Anyway, I didn’t mean to ruin Christmas for you,” I replied, not wanting to leave things like this with my mum. “I honestly had a great time. Dane’s family are really amazing.”
“I’m so glad. And I’m sorry about how things turned out,” Mum said quietly.
“It’s okay. When are you back?”
“Ah, well, we thought we might as well make the most of the time since we flew all the way over here. So a few more weeks.” Yeah, there was definite guilt in her tone this time.
“Right. Well, enjoy your holiday,” I returned, injecting a bit of false enthusiasm into my tone. We disconnected the call and I leant my head on my arms up against the glass fence, a heaviness to me that I didn’t want to deal with.
I felt the cool press of glass on my arm and I looked up in surprise to find Nick standing beside me, a cold beer in his hand.
