Page 16 of Letting Go of Yesterday
Rowan didn’t hesitate. ‘Great and maybe we can talk through some other potential plans. I was thinking of asking the PTA if we can raise funds to build raised beds, so that everyone has the chance to grow some plants, and Leo can give me some advice on what to ask for.’
Leo nodded enthusiastically. ‘My nan’s really good at gardening and she’s taught me the name of the plants, so I know lots about them.’
‘I knew I’d picked the right person to be in charge.’ Rowan winked at him and the four of them headed towards the grassy area. But when Leo got there, he stopped his wheelchair.
‘Are you sure I won’t get stuck?’ He stared up at his uncle, his eyes looking twice as big as they had before, and Nathan sank down on to his haunches.
‘I promise you, buddy, there’s absolutely no chance of that happening.’ He put a hand over his nephew’s. ‘Have I ever let you down?’
The little boy shook his head. ‘And I can go all the way to the woods?’
It might have been a grand name for the small copse of trees at the edge of the grassy area, but Rowan could see from Leo’s expression just how much it meant to him to have the freedom to go wherever he wanted. She had so many ideas about how to make the most of the area and she’d already decided to have a forest school champion in each class from Year 3 upwards, whose role it would be to collect suggestions from their classmates about how to transform the area and the types of activities they wanted to do. Leo would be perfect for the role, if he wanted to do it.
‘Yes, you can.’ Nathan smiled. ‘We’ve put a pathway of paving grids all the way down to the trees and the grass is already growing through them, so it’ll look exactly how it used to soon. If you follow Mr Chodri, he’ll show you the way.’
‘Yay!’ Leo didn’t need telling twice and he manoeuvred his wheelchair on to the grass, heading down towards the wooded area with Krish almost having to run to avoid getting mown down.
‘I think the project is a hit.’ Rowan turned to Nathan and smiled.
‘He loves being outside and even before he started using the wheelchair, it was difficult for him to go on the grass when it was wet, because he was so scared of slipping. He’s a great kid and he so rarely complains about anything, but he hates being different. He just wants to be like everyone else and not feel as if everyone’s looking at him or judging him.’
‘I can understand that.’
‘Me too.’ It was Nathan who looked away first this time and she wanted to let him know that whatever had happened in the past, she wasn’t going to hold it against him. People made mistakes, she’d made enough of them to know that. She might not have committed a crime, but she hadn’t listened to her gut and, against her better judgement, she was still being part of James’s deception. She could understand all too easily why people sometimes did the wrong thing for the right reasons, especially when it came to family.
‘Mum!’ Theo’s voice carried across the playground, as he came running towards her, with Bella, Bex and Katrina trailing in his wake.
‘Hello, sweetheart.’ She wrapped her arms around her son, glad that she didn’t have to stand on ceremony today. She’d have to remind the children before the start of term that when they were at school, she was Mrs Bellamy, but for today it was nice to be just their mum on school grounds and hopefully that would help alleviate some of Theo’s anxiety about joining a new class. Although as Leo called out to her son, she suspected he could be of far more help on that front.
‘Theo, come over here. There’s a squirrel collecting acorns.’ Leo’s face was a picture of pure joy as Rowan and the others turned to look at him as Theo broke into a run again, hurtling down the new path towards the other boy.
‘Leo hasn’t stopped talking about Theo since we saw you at the beach.’ Nathan was still looking in the boys’ direction. ‘I really hope they’ll be friends.’
‘Me too.’ Rowan was still trying to convince herself that the reason she liked the idea of Theo being friends with Leo so much had nothing to do with his uncle Nathan. She desperately wanted Theo to settle in and be happy, and Leo was a lovely boy, that was all. But that didn’t explain why when she pictured arranging a play date, Nathan was there too.
‘I’ve got a really good idea to help them bond even more before they start school.’ Rowan’s mother put a hand on Nathan’s arm. ‘Me and Dean are having a barbecue for family and friends on Saturday afternoon. Why don’t you and Leo come, and bring the rest of the family. I’ve already invited your mum.’
‘That’s lovely, but I’m sure you don’t want all of us there.’
‘Of course I do.’ Her hand was still on Nathan’s arm and Rowan knew her mother wouldn’t take no for an answer. ‘The more the merrier. Bex and her boys are coming too, aren’t you?’
‘Yes, we’ll go anywhere for free food.’ Bex grinned, before turning to Rowan and shooting her a look that no one else would have seen. Her friend knew what Katrina was up to as well as she did. Rowan just hoped Nathan hadn’t picked up on it too.
‘If you’re sure, that sounds great, and I know Leo will love hanging out with Theo, which means Will and Heather will definitely be up for it too. I’ll go and tell Leo now, and you’ll probably hear the whooping from here.’
‘I’m going to go down and see the boys too.’ Bella said, running on ahead of Nathan, but Rowan waited until they were both far enough away before taking a step towards her mother and lowering her voice just enough to make sure she couldn’t be overheard.
‘I know what you’re up to, Mum, but you’re wasting your time.’
‘I’ve got no idea what you’re talking about.’ Katrina widened her eyes, trying to look innocent. She was nowhere close to pulling it off, even before Bex started laughing.
‘She’s got your measure, Kat, but for what it’s worth I think you’re doing the right thing. Nathan is lovely and Rowan deserves a bit of fun after what she’s been through.’
‘I didn’t realise you knew?—’
‘Of course she knows you’re trying to fix me up.’ Rowan cut her mother off before she could say any more. She was as certain as she could be that her mother had been about to spill the beans about the real reason she and James had split up, despite her promise to keep it to herself. Bex was an old friend, but they’d only just reconnected and she wasn’t ready for anyone else to know the truth, especially when her children still had no idea. She didn’t want Bex chatting about it to her husband, and her kids overhearing it and then passing it on to Bella or Theo. So she was determined to keep the conversation on safe ground.
‘Right, enough of all of this, let’s go down and see how the kids are getting on.’ Rowan turned towards the pathway, still trying to make sense of how she was feeling. Part of her wanted to be angry with her mother for railroading her and Nathan into spending more time together, but the truth was she wasn’t. She liked him and Theo wasn’t the only one who could benefit from building up friendships to feel more settled in Port Agnes. As long as no one got any ideas about it being more than that, it couldn’t possibly do any harm.
