Page 88 of Broken Rock

As she orders a couple of drinks in the cafe, he disappears in the gift shop, returning with two bags. He hands one to Chloe. ‘That’s for you.’

She peers inside and pulls out a snow globe with a model of the museum inside. ‘Very cute. Thank you.’

‘Got to get a memento when you visit places like this.’

‘You get one for yourself?’

‘I got a few bits and bobs for my nieces. I always try to get them something small when I go away. I make up a box and send it to them when I’ve got enough things.’

‘That’s so nice. I didn’t know you had nieces.’

‘Molly and Tilly. They’re my brother’s kids.’

‘How old are they?’

‘Molly is eight and Tilly’s four. I don’t get to see them often so I tend to spoil them. I used to get them Lego sets when I was away but I’ve been banned by my sister-in-law, Annabelle. Apparently it’s taking over their house.’

‘You can never have enough Lego.’

He grins at her. ‘Thank you. That’s exactly what I said. I won’t repeat what she said. Let’s just say she is adamant they have enough. Just keep me out of any toy shops. Better safe than sorry.’

‘I used to get a set every birthday and Christmas. It would keep me entertained for hours. Grown up presents aren’t nearly as much fun.’

‘I’ll let you explain all that to Annabelle. So, I’ve changed tactics and now I just pick up small things I think they’ll like. I’m also under orders from them to send merchandise every time new stuff is released. They’re my biggest fans.’

‘You miss them?’

He nods and finishes his coffee. ‘Yeah. I try to visit when I can but my schedule has been full on the last few years. They come here every Christmas from mid-December to the end of January.’ He goes quiet for a minute. ‘I missed the end of their visit this year. Shane didn’t want them to see me like that. He sent them home once he knew I was going to be okay. I didn’t get to say goodbye to them though.’

‘I’m sorry, Tate.’

He shrugs. ‘I wouldn’t have wanted them to see me in hospital. I still don’t know what he told them. Annabelle isn’t keen on my talking to them right now. I email them every week or so and sent them a video apologising for not saying goodbye because I had to go away with work. I get she’s protecting them. I’d probably do the exact same thing if I was her.’

Chloe doesn’t have a response to that. She didn’t realise how deeply his actions had affected both Tate and his family. He’s slowly scratching his arm, something she hasn’t seen him do for a while. ‘So,’ she says, trying to distract him, ‘what’s your schedule like for the next few weeks?’

He frowns as he looks up at her. He seems to snap out of his daze and drops his hand. ‘What?’

‘Are you recording or do you have other musician stuff to do?’

That seems to do the trick. The frown disappears and he appears to relax a little. ‘Recording I think. So, when do you start at school?’

‘Oh nice one Mr. Archer. Great way to get the subject off you.’

He grins and winks.

‘Last Wednesday in August. Two and a half days initially to ease us in.’

‘You looking forward to it?’

‘Absolutely terrified and excited at the same time. I don’t know if dealing with a class of eight-year-olds is better or worse than a class of teenagers.’

‘Definitely eight-year-olds. They’re still like sponges at that stage. They’ll be hanging on your every word.’

‘You miss teaching, don’t you?’

Tate takes a long breath before he answers. ‘I absolutely love what I’m doing, but yes, sometimes I miss the one-on-one. Singing is great, but it’s playing guitar or piano that’s the main bit of it for me.’

‘And violin.’

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